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Patience Is a Virtue on the Trail
I cut steps into the steep snowy slope, forcing myself not to look down. I don’t want to freak out. I remind myself that panic is the worst thing to do in a dangerous situation. I focus on each step, sometimes only half a foot from the last. I have to force my mind to
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Path-Finding the Old-Fashioned Way
I’ve been asked a number of times by younger hikers how I managed to hike the Pacific Crest Trail before cell phones and the trail apps with GPS. Sometimes I have to explain what I mean by map and compass. The other day, I taught a young man that a compass needle points north. I’ve
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Behind Every Hiker
Water cached by a trail angel in the Chihuahuan Desert. The person who makes the first ascent of a mountain gets a lot of recognition and glory. Yet that ascent was most likely accomplished with the help of all the people who tried and failed before. It takes a lot of support to make a
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A Matter of Discipline
“I carried my son on my back into the woods when he was still in diapers.” I meet a lot of people who tell me they would love to do a long hike, but they don’t have the time. Some days I feel I don’t have the time to do my leg exercises or my
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Summits in Solidarity, or Hiking for Racial Justice
By Mary Anderson The colors I see in nature on the trail are diverse and stunning. Daily I am in awe of the multitude of pinks and oranges in the sunrise, the myriad shades of blue in the noontime sky, the shades of white and gray in the clouds, the full spectrum of colors in
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Why I Hike
Walking in Glacier National Park reminds me of how lucky we are in the United States to have a national park system. This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Considering that I have hiked close to 15,000 miles in my life, that is saying something. Nature and wild places such
The Mary Badass
A Ruminating Blog About Personal Healing, Adventure and Day to Day Life
The Mary Badass 