Category: Uncategorized
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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…
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The Hungry Hiker
food bags in Glacier park, hung to keep the bears away Below is a list of what I eat most days. I dried a lot of my own food before leaving home and then packed it in boxes and sent it to myself at various places along the trail. 1.5 cups high-calorie granola with dehydrated…
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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…
The Mary Badass 