Backburn

For a change of pace (and because I haven't written more trail song verses yet), I wrote another song on the day I came home from Harper's Ferry. A backburn is a controlled fire used to eliminate fuel in the path of a larger controlled fire

Trail Song Verse 18: Pickup

Pickup and I have traveled together for hundreds of miles. He helped me get off trail in Marion and return in Glasgow when my knee was injured. He is never without a tube of Duke's mayonnaise to top off his lunch wraps. Pickup is also a rare hiker

The Biggest of Apples

By now we have left New Jersey behind and are traversing the state of New York by foot, bus, car, and train. I haven't hiked in the northeast very long, but some differences stick out. The locals we encounter are still friendly and helpful when we encounter them,

Trail Song Verse 17: Evening Snack

Since Laura's first verse was pre trail name and about catching norovirus, I wrote another one in the Smokies. She was impressed with the flora's similarities with the forests back home in Finland. well this here's the story 'bout an evening snack loves

Can't Keep a Good Bones Down

I've touched down in Branchville, mile 1325.6. One night at the Cobmin Ridge Motel, then we hike out to the highest point in New Jersey. Hospitality awaits; I have generous contacts in Tappan, Harlem and Connecticut who have offered us rides, beds, floors, and backyards. For me,

Recovery and Recall

By now I feel fully recovered from surgery. Tomorrow afternoon I'll return to the surgeon's office to have any staples and stitches removed. On Wednesday I'll be landing in Newark and taking a car to Branchville, NJ where Pickup and Strider will be walking

Trail Song Verse 16: Paperback

Paperback was also known for carrying a multi-tool in addition to his book collection. He was also very interested in honey bears, which he couldn't find back home. well this here's the story 'bout a paperback library and toolbox made to fit into his pack

Trail Song Verse 15: Savor

Savor is the party's veterinarian, an avid adventurer with a habit of taking the time to prepare good food and enjoy it. well this here's the story about a hiker named Savor takes her time with everything because she likes the flavor wandered down that holler

General Surgery

Just seven days from the first hernia diagnosis in West Virginia, I have had surgery in Tennessee. This was an extremely fast and lucky turnaround for a non-emergency general surgery. To expedite the procedure, I started by calling every general surgeon in my hometown in Tennessee. Then I called every

On Happiness

One of the goals of my hike was to set myself up for phenomenological exploration of happiness. When I immerse myself in hardship and take away my everyday habits and stimulations, what are the things which consistently make me happy? What keeps the dream alive? My reflections on need turned

Trail Song Verse 14: Wise

I met Wise and Dying at Muskrat Creek shelter, on the day I first performed this song for hikers. Wise has an interest in flora and enjoys jumping from rock to rock. I may have spun this into something of a tall tale. I heard that looking backwards from a

Harper's Heat Wave and Hernia

The span of trail between Front Royal and Harper's Ferry was particularly fruitful. Every day we found some combination of ripe blueberries, black raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, and wine berries. We didn't have time to pick them all, though. The east coast heat wave has forced us