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

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  • What I Will Remember About Glacier Park

    Walking through one of the most gorgeous places on earth. Doing it again the next day and the next. Walking by at least a dozen waterfalls . . . in one day. Walking by a dozen the next day . . . in the first hour of walking. Seeing rainbows in the falls. Washing my…

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  • Listening to the Trail

    Thinking seems like a bit of a lost art to me, even here on the trail. I see most hikers hiking with ear buds, listening to music or audio books. I understand how this makes the hiking feel easier. But what does it do to the thought process? I used to do some of my…

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  • Avalanches

    By Mary Anderson I have to be aware of avalanches while on the trail. Steep slopes, new snow on top of old snow, and soft, rotting spring snow are all things I need to keep an eye out for. I need to be aware of avalanche dangers as well in my physical body and my…

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  • Hiking and the Busy Brain, Part 2

    I know I am not alone in imagining the worst possible scenario when something bad happens. My car breaks down and I expect a big bill. My prescription eye glasses “break” on the trail and I wonder how I will get by without them. My knee is swollen and hurts a lot and I fear…

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  • Enjoying a“Holy Shit Day”

    Whenever I settled in for the night I sent out a satellite message on my Garmin Mini to let folks know how my day had been. The messages are limited to 160 characters and are delivered by email to followers who had signed up to receive them. One of my preset messages read “holy shit…

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  • The Rules of Self Arrest

    “Long 15 miles tomorrow with one of harder snowier passes. Heavy pack as just resupplied. And thunderstorms in forecast.” —Satellite message sent from Glacier Park By Mary Anderson First, don’t fall, but if you do, try to fall feet-first on your belly. Of course, this seldom happens. Don’t focus on the shock of the fall,…

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