Back in February 2011, I wrote a little line that has stuck with me ever since: “Keep laughing, it makes the devil mad.” Let me tell you how that saying came to be part of my lexicon. The boys and I were down in New Orleans. The youngest two had appointments, so we loaded up the Suburban in Mandeville and…
Katahdin is No Joke, Y’all
Last week, a man died on Katahdin. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Gut wrenching, especially since he successfully hiked the 2,196 miles of the trail from Springer Mountain to Baxter Peak on Katahdin. He died on the way down, not too far from the summit of Mama K. His name was Bert Goris. He was a…
Why I Say What I Mean (and Mean What I Say)
This Tuesday, September 29th marks 43 years since my brother David died from a self inflicted gunshot wound. September 29, 1983. I was fifteen. Suicide affects the living family members forever. The pain and questions dull over the years, but the scar leaves a mark for all eternity. That anniversary, plus a rough week, has me thinking about why I…
Canoeing, Weightlifting, and the Surprising Abs Discovery
From Canoe Lessons to Discovering I Have Abs (Apparently) Marty and I recently took canoe lessons and kayaking water-rescue training. Somewhere in the middle of all that, we discovered an inconvenient truth: Marty doesn’t swim very well. So we did the logical thing and joined the YMCA. He has to become a stronger swimmer before we go to the Yukon…
Two Days of Water Fun: Lessons in Canoeing and Kayaking
Two Days on the Water: Strokes, Capsizes, and a Storm Friday we put our canoe on Oak Hollow and finally let someone who teaches this watch us paddle. Will said we were paddling okay and gave us a bunch of pointers and tips. Will walked us through the strokes we have been guessing at for two lakes: the J-stroke, the…
Coming up: First Canoe Lesson
This weekend we will load the Dagger Reflection and drive to Oak Hollow Marina in High Point for a two-hour private lesson with Will, who owns Get Outdoors in Greensboro. We met with him at the store one day to discuss the upcoming lesson and he followed up with a detailed email. This will be our third time on a…
Training for Yukon Canoe Adventure
Marty and I have a new line on the map. A friend asked if we would be interested and we jumped at the opportunity. We have decided that we ARE going to do this- with or without a group. Researched showed us that many couples do this together (some with their dogs). We won’t be bringing Ghost on this trip.…
The Backpacking Chair That Earned Its Keep (and the One That Weighs Almost Nothing)
Somewhere along the 100-Mile Wilderness, my chair broke. Marty wasn’t even sure he wanted to bring a chair when we were doing our final gear shakedowns. He already owned an REI Flexlite that tipped the scales at 1 lb 11 oz. Once I tried it on trail, though, the decision was easy. He ordered a second one so we could…
A 58th Birthday Trek through Maine’s 100 Mile Wilderness as Snacky Turtle & Daddy Longlegs
Katahdin got its own story earlier. This is the 100 Mile Wilderness — 100 miles of bog bridges, river fords, wild blueberries, and deer flies that bite through wool socks. We started NOBO on July 5th, my 58th birthday, with 10 days of food on our backs. By the time we were on day 3, Marty had his trail name–…
When the City Tap Needs a Trail Filter during a Boil Advisory
Last week Winston-Salem broke a couple of water mains and we all got that text: boil advisory. City crews did their thing and fixed the main fast, but I realized my backup was already sitting in our backpacks. Our home RO system? It needs pressure to work, and when mains break, pressure drops. It just quits working. Our Grayl Geopresses?…
