I’ve heard a lot of people out here blame the Forest Service for the number of forest fires. They say it is mismanagement that has caused the fires. I don’t know if it is quite that simple. I believe that climate change has played a part. I suspect having acres of dead standing timber from

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I’ve been wondering lately what happens when a goal I’ve had for over forty years is finally reached, especially when that goal became my lifeline, the rope I held onto to keep afloat. What happens when I take that last step and reach the end of the rope? It is common for people to feel

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I’ve been thinking about how torturous it must be to be locked in solitary confinement. After just a few days of not seeing another person I find myself checking my satellite device for messages as soon as I take a hiking break. I do this even before I pull food out of my pack, no

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This post was written shortly before I reached Pinedale, Wyoming. This trail is not letting me go easily into the night. After a rough night of sleeping, I woke up to an ice-encrusted tent. Inside and out, everything was coated. I allowed myself the little luxury of snuggling in my sleeping bag before putting my

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By Mary Anderson Sometimes I have to bite my tongue and not speak. The other day I was sitting near the trail having a late-day snack. A big guy a bit younger than I am came down the trail and excitedly told me he had just seen a moose. I could have replied, “Yeah, I

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In Yellowstone National Park. On the trail, I have become acutely aware of the tipping point of many things. First, there is my pack. It is usually on the high end of weight when I leave town. Each day I eat it gets a bit lighter, except for days when I have to tank up

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