Posts Tagged ‘Trail Talk’
Finding Solitude in Motorcycle Country
I love wilderness areas—especially wilderness areas with a large W. In those federally protected areas I am assured that the land I will be hiking or camping in is protected from incompatible uses such as resource extraction, roads, and developments. It will remain untrammeled. No bikes, motorcycles, motorized equipment, drones and other modern day intrusions,…
Read MoreTrails too Crowded? Take a Break from Hiking!
Long before Covid-19 disrupted our lives and closed or strongly altered many of our activities, I avoided crowds. I just don’t care to be around large groups of people. I’m no introvert. I love company and companionship—but not crowds—and especially unruly and clueless ones. It’s no secret that our trails, parks, and forests have been…
Read MoreKlahowya Tillicum
Have you ever given much thought to where many of the place names for our mountains, rivers and other natural features were derived from? Contrary to what many hikers think–these place names are not of Native American origin (entirely), but of Chinook Jargon. Not an actual language, Chinook Jargon is a collection of several hundred words…
Read MoreThe Moose is Loose in Washington State
I grew up hiking in New Hampshire, one of the moose-densest states in the union. Moose are everywhere in the Granite State. Highway signs warn of hitting them which is a real road hazard in the state. On return trips to my home state to hike and paddle, I almost always see these largest members…
Read MoreThe Hardest, Nastiest, Meanest Trail in the Olympics
What is wrong with me? What the heck was I thinking? I swore to myself back in July of 2006 never to ever do this trail again. I hated it. It was pure misery. I swore more times on it than I did watching (fill in your favorite team or politician) lose. It was back…
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