The Mary Badass

This trail is continually reminding me that everything is relative. I believe it only reaches 1000 feet above sea level once in the first 100 miles. I live higher than that. Yet in a fifteen mile day of hiking I gain and lose well over 3000 feet of elevation. When I reached Castle Craig I…

People often ask me if I am afraid out hiking alone. I usually tell them “no” though a more honest answer would be, “it depends.” In a lightning storm on a high exposed ridge I am frightened. I am definitely frightened when a moose charges me or when I slip and fall down a steep…

The NET is unlike any other long trail that I have ever hiked in that large portions of it are near residential areas. There are stretches of at least fifty miles with no designated campsites and thru hikers are expected to stay in hotels. At least one of the two major river crossings requires either…

My hike began five days ago but it has taken me a while to write and post anything. I could say I wasn’t really sure what to write. While there is truth to that, the real reason is that this trail has been kicking my butt and leaving me pretty tired at night. A long…

(I am including with this blog photos of what I have been up to since I finished my paddle. These are people I consider amazing.) This is just a short blog to let people know I am getting ready to embark on my next adventure. There are eleven National Scenic Trails and the idea of…

The End of the Adventure The are multiple components to any long distance adventure, and reaching the end point is not really the end of the journey. While I had pulled Jenny to land for the last time on my CT River source to sea adventure I still had to get her to my car.…

11.1 Miles to Lynde Point Light plus about .5 to the outer breakwater light and 2+ more miles to my final take out in North Cove I had made peace with the fact that I would be finishing this trip on my own. Part of me wished I had a welcoming crew, but over these…

11.3 Miles to Selden Neck State Park Cedars Camp Area I was within a days paddle to Long Island Sound and the end of my trip. It was about 22 miles away. But I was in no hurry to finish. I did not want to reach my goal tired, at the end of a long…

22.1 miles to Hurd State Park It poured all night long. It was the kind of rain that gets into everything. My tent was doing a good job keeping most of the water out, but some dampness was seeping through. A few corners of my tent had let water in along the seams and some…

17.7 miles to Wethersfield Cove Boat Launch The camp spot on King Island is lovely. It is maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club with funding from REI. It has two large tent platforms, plenty of flat places for a tent like mine and another great moldering privy. But what I really found spectacular were the…