Acadia National Park today (Jordan Pond and Schoodic Peninsula). Learn more about the park at and about CAMNET at and Image credit (1) National Park Service in partnership with Dawnland LLC. and (2) CAMNET and Air Resource Specialists, Inc.
26
Good day!
It happened again while editing Book4. I ran into a chapter where Riparias character was wrong.
Book4 is the last one written before I switched to Riparia & sometimes I find fixes that are in name only.
Its a lot of work, but oh so worth the effort.
Be everwell.
Nature has always required champions to push back against capitalist endeavours to bulldoze, pave and destroy. "In 1954, a nine-day hike organized by Justice William Douglas saved the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal from becoming a highway. Today it provides a glorious green respite for residents of Washington D.C. and beyond."
25
Good day!
Its as if every time I hike Im given an autumn preview, which stokes urgency when I return home to look at the images since Ive a book to publish then.
Despite all the madness, I share my world. I also share my thoughts in the poetry on my website.
Be everwell.
Hiking to the first fire lookout in the Rockies
Devils Head as seen from Castle Rock, ColoradoIn 1912, the very first fire lookout in the Rocky Mountains began operation atop 9,748 foot tall located west of Castle Rock, Colorado. Today, 113 plus years later, a fire lookout structure (built in 1951) still graces its stony summit, as the lookouts cabin residence sits astride the trail at the base of the winding metal stairway that rises to the majestic apex.
Devils Head Fire LookoutAs peak climbers, certain mountains exude an extra touch of charisma than others. It may be the vista, the trail, the scenery, the challenge, the height, the history, or some indescribable other factor. Well, to this avid peak climber, Devils Head possesses all of the above factors and then some.
The exhilaration one feels upon reaching the summit of this impressive and tallest mountain (a subrange of the Rocky Mountains) is truly palpable. Its zenith in altitude is only challenged by the fulfilling accomplishment and personal pride. Meanwhile, the sheer awe of the surroundings, the overarching skies, and the distant horizons boosts ones endorphins into an intoxicating overdrive. Perhaps, this is why the informational signs along the route up from the trailhead offer a series of inspired poems as motivation to complete this hike.
Pikes Peak in the distanceThroughout such hikes, I often feel at one with the mountainbut only as a guest who has been allowed to trek and observe the varied terrain, not as a permanent resident. That is only reserved for the flora and fauna who know this mountain as their home. Scurrying chipmunks and squirrels, melodic nuthatches and chickadees, wafting butterflies, silent leafy and piney sentinels, weathered geological wonders, and delicate floral arrangements are among its most visible August citizens.
Only 143 steps yikes!Devils Head does not offer up its ultimate ascent easily. One must scale a series of 143 stair steps affixed to the rugged rock pinnacle. Not for the fainthearted, each step upward paints a separate image of the eons of weathered history that has taken place on Devils Head and that we humans are but a brief chapter in its storied narrative.
Ohbut to be just a momentary blip in this mountains timeless epochs is an honor I will always prize. Peace!
-
p.s. Devils Head in Colorado is one clear example of why we must ardently defend the United States Forest Service, the National Park Service, and related agencies for the great, good work they do in preserving and protecting our nations scenic natural wonders.
Summit celebration!24
Good day!
Partly why I hiked +17 miles (+27K) two days ago was because I wanted to test my limits.
That wasnt it, not for distance.
Im not crazy. That night I did yoga stretches, kept my legs elevated, & went to bed early. The next morning I walked.
Be everwell.
Green .Trails
23.1
Good day!
So, I went out to lunch yesterday, and had to walk pretty far to get there, but the view and the sounds were worth the effort.
I didnt want to leave.
Rattlesnake Creek flows into the Clark Fork, which joins the Columbia, which empties into the Pacific Ocean.
Be everwell.
23
Good day!
I reached the 2nd bridge!
Whats that mean
It means I hiked 17.2 miles (27.7K) yesterday along Rattlesnake Creek. It wasnt difficult, aside from the distance, & it wasnt spectacular, but it was pleasant & satisfying.
Oh how I needed that, aches & all.
Be everwell.
4 Lye Brook Falls, Manchester VT
4 miles Moderate Following the former logging railroad trail to the impressive 219 foot waterfall.
22
Good day!
Im off to hike in the Rattlesnake Wilderness this morning. It requires that I reach the trailhead around sunrise so I have enough time.
Lately, doing a little drafting in the morning, then editing the rest of the day has been energizing me. Im grateful.
Be everwell.
Ever find a spot while hiking where you wish you could just stay a while This hill was that for me today. I found this trail on the second attempt to look for it by going to another trailhead and Im really glad I went looking for it.
The afternoon sun here provided a nice backdrop on the hill and it was just gorgeous. Add in perfect weather for hiking and I had a really nice afternoon. Ill post some more pics later.
21
Good day!
Yesterday morning I changed things up. After my walk, I worked on drafting a backstory novella thats linked to Book7.
How refreshing!
Yoga for mind & fingers.
Then, after a break for a late breakfast, I edited another chapter in Book4 & felt refreshed.
Be everwell.
A faint deer trail through the Vanilla Leaf in the 100-year wood.
We, my two dogs and I, will often wander off-trail along these deer byways. Some, like this one, are fairly subtle (especially when summers vegetation has died back and were using hoof-nicked branches as waypoints). Others, seeming highways, occasionally used by bears and other forest-dwellers. We dont go far before we find solitude, birdsong, an owl or raven watching as I sit and meditate. Or just sit and soak it in.
20
Good day!
Each day has been 80-90F (26.6-32.2C) lately, which is comfortable, but also the most consistently hot weve been all summer.
Seems late in the summer for it to actually become summer, but thats the climate these days.
Meanwhile, the days grow shorter.
Be everwell.
Ankle Knocker bridges are a common sight in many areas of the Adirondacks. They usually span wet or seasonally boggy areas of trails.The Beachcroft Trail, to me, contains the most wondrous sets of stonework of any trail that I have ever hiked.Thank you, George Dorr, fatherof Acadia!
19
Good day!
These are strange days. When Im home Im weighed down, weary from the continuing national stress, as is everyone.
Yet, when I walk or hike, Im overflowing with energy. Ill call that my Im tired of this BS inner strength.
We all need to channel that.
Be everwell.
18
Good day!
A day to remind myself that I have value, that I am doing fine.
Yesterday was the perfect weather for a hike Ive wanted to do, but I canceled my plans for someone who then canceled on me at the last possible second.
Back into my writing world I go.
Be everwell.
17
Good day!
Photography is when my love for hiking & artistic expression can collide, like when I hike an open ridge in the morning.
Because of the mountains here, sunrise is already 45 minutes past by the time the sun is visible.
The clouds cooperated.
Be everwell.
Had a late start to a 4+ mile hike. The weather forecast was somewhat cooler in the 80's but oh boy I suffered! I had to take a shortcut and at the end it was just a 3 mile. A long stretch of the trail had a forest of sunflowers on both sides. It was a tough climb (for today's heat) but I enjoyed the flowers. Every time I go there, I'm greeted by different wildflowers.
Had a late start to a 4+ mile hike. The weather forecast was somewhat cooler in the 80's but oh boy I suffered! I had to take a shortcut and at the end it was just a 3 mile. A long stretch of the trail had a forest of sunflowers on both sides. It was a tough climb (for today's heat) but I enjoyed the flowers. Every time I go there, I'm greeted by different wildflowers.
16
Good day!
Yesterday, as the sun climbed over the mountains, I went on another just hit the trail and see where you end up hikes.
It went great.
I also discovered that its possible to hike from the edge of the city & reach Rattlesnake Creek & the wilds.
Be everwell.
15.1
Good day!
You go on a hike & you never know what youre going to encounter, like walking right into pipe mating season!
It was amazing, & terrifying.
Fortunately for me, these two pipe bucks were so intent on staring down each other that they ignored me.
Be everwell.
Summer White House in Morrison, Colorado
A marble cornerstone marks the location of what could have been a presidential palace.
15
Good day!
This is the day. Ive passed the midway point editing Book4, Buried Remembrances.
Even small moments like this aid momentum. I look for any that help me because we can all use all the help we can get.
Especially during these lunatic days.
Be everwell.
Grandview Park, SF14
Good day!
The many environments ascending Woody Mtn, 11.3 miles (18.2K):
1) The pleasant forest road
2) Where the trail reappeared in the overgrown gulch
3) Where the trail disappeared on the ridge to become a bushwhack
4) The cairn on the summit, the wind frigid
Be everwell.
On quiet forest pathsJust past peak at the beaver pond. Marino Pond, Plymouth, Connecticut. October 26, 2019, 4:31 PM.
13
Good day!
Again, I find myself in a race against the clock each dayunless on a hike.
Truthfully, I love being busy. Ive long been rather hyper, except when I was anemic as a child & during the years-long illness a decade ago.
Thankfully, I can stand & type.
Be everwell.
*Achlys triphylla* () looking lively in a bunch trailside
12
Good day!
I need to clean this apartment. Thats my side project this week.
Otherwise, life is routine. The weather has fallen into a pattern of pleasant days & cool nights. I walk, I edit, I plan my next hike, probably Friday.
I want this place clean by then.
Be everwell.
Trillium hanging on to the last days of spring
Forest path, Mattatuck State Forest, Plymouth, Connecticut. June 17, 2021, 6:14 PM.
11
Good day!
Summer days grow fewer
My time runs short for hikes requiring ample daylight.
But a beloved season nears. Too, autumn means publishing Book3.
This week, Ill pass the midpoint of my Book4 edit. My process is slow, but it works, & it teaches me a lot.
Be everwell.