Category: The Moosilauke Letters

VermontAugust  2013 Our weather today is pleasant, comfortable, delightful even.  We have wispy clouds, reasonably warm temperatures.  It’s August, it’s summer, one of New England’s seasons.  Summer is followed by autumn, of course, and then by stick season.  When Earth is on the other side of the sun, spring for most, New England experiences mud… Continue reading New England Seasons

Mount GreylockMassachusettsMay  2014 It rains on our hike to the summit, but lightly enough that we don’t even put on our jackets.  There’s an odd sky. Which puts me in mind… Let me take you back to the days before cable television, or whatever we have now, even before Saturday Night Live.  On a few… Continue reading The Devil’s Wife

Mingo Creek County ParkFinleyvillePennsylvaniaJune  2015 Later on our loop hike, coming back closer to trailhead, we descend a hill with an expansive field to one side.  To the other, at a break in the sycamore, hemlock, dogwood, oak and maple, we can see a house with an outdoor swimming pool.  This summer day, walking past… Continue reading B G

WyomingJuly  2013 Chugwater [https://www.asiwentwalking.com/2024/01/19/buffalo-jump/] is about more than dead bison.  You’ve seen the famous Bucking Horse and Rider symbol, almost always in silhouette.  It’s the trademark of the state of Wyoming.  It’s on their license plates. Clayton Danks, the cowboy, and Steamboat, the horse, were the two models for this emblem.  Our tie-in is that… Continue reading Horse and Rider

Mingo Creek County ParkPennsylvaniaFebruary  2015 Hiking occurs in the non-linear world.  These bridges define the linear world.

NothingArizonaJune 2018 What would you call a town that was a town, then it was a ghost town, and now it’s not even that? You’d call it “Nothing,” right? This town that couldn’t make it as a ghost town once had a sign on the outskirts of town, wherever that might be.  You would see… Continue reading Nothing

Pennsylvania(There are 27 columns in my Pennsylvania Series.  We have visited all of these marvels on the way to, or from, various hikes.) Pennsylvania.  Sylva refers to the woods, the forest, the places where we frequently hike and camp.  Penn means “Penn”, as in William Penn.  William Penn?  Who dat? William Penn was the father… Continue reading Pennsylvania Series I — Penn’s Woods

VolcanoHawaiiJuly  2016 In 1946 Vichy, France, a baby was born.  He was named Claude Vorilhon.  Claude grew up to become a singer/songwriter, a sports writer, a race car driver and the leader of a good-intentioned, semi-wacko cult group. As a musician, he sounded a little like Antonio Carlos Jobim, but not too much.  His music… Continue reading The Raëlians

Frick ParkPennsylvaniawhenever it might rain If there were 27 or more hours in a day, Lisa and I would put more time into driving to trailheads farther away than where we now go.  So because there are only 24, and because walking and hiking isn’t all we do in this life (really?!) we often walk… Continue reading But It’s Raining III

West Rim TrailPennsylvaniaJuly  2003 On the third and final day of our backpacking trip on the West Rim Trail, the storm comes back.  Or maybe it’s a whole new storm.  Can’t tell, doesn’t matter, it’s a storm.  The lightning flashes, the thunder booms and the rain rains.  We’ve got a few miles left to hike. … Continue reading But It’s Raining II