At a class IV Rapid on the Connecticut River during my Source to Sea Paddle

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  • What Hiking Teaches Us About Timing

    I’ve heard it said “Timing is everything.” While it may not be everything, it certainly can have huge impacts. Timing is important in music and in breathe control when giving birth. It matters to children growing up, as until one is ready to learn something, it will not come easily. And timing certainly can make…

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  • Taking Pleasure in the Mundane

    “How we deal with the same-old same-old will influence much of our lives.” By Mary Anderson I have not felt the inspiration to write anything. I have been in difficult blowdown conditions hiking in high heat. I have felt tired and brain-dead. After Glacier National Park, the scenery in the Bob Marshall Wilderness almost felt…

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  • Hiking My Own Hike

    Along the Continental Divide Trail heading south toward Whitehall, Montana, mid July 2021. Photo by Mary Anderson. Hikers often give feedback to other hikers. “Stay at this hostel.” “Make sure to hike the San Juans.” “Don’t start too soon or the snow will be really bad.” Some hikers get adamant that their way is the…

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  • Saying Good-bye

    “A friend told me that one of the hardest things about losing someone was having love with no place to put it.” By Mary Anderson There is a social aspect to many long-distance hikes. People meet for the first time and end up spending weeks or months together. It is such an important part of…

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  • The Burdens We Carry

    It is easy to recognize out here that we all choose to carry different loads. Some go ultralight, carrying no stove and little food, preferring instead to walk really long days. Others carry a lot of extras. I met one hiker carrying an eight-ounce battery-powered toothbrush. For him that was really important. My toothbrush weighs…

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  • What I’ll Remember from the Bob

    By Mary Anderson Being in the heart of wildness with no roads for 100 miles. Experiencing lots of biting flies and mosquitoes. Seeing many colors of butterflies, including orange, blue, and lemon yellow. Learning a lot about horsepackers. Going over, under, and through the worst blowdowns I’ve ever experienced. Hiking in record heat. Crossing many…

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