Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 April 12, 2015 A Nineteen-Mile Test of My Hiking Legs The sky over Ring Mill the night before had been crystal clear, great for watching the space shuttle make its way across the vast, starry expanse.  But that same clear sky had also drawn the coveted warm air upward, causing us to spend an uncomfortably cold night. Just after sunrise we layered up and ate breakfast in the shelter, grateful for the roof that separated us from a thick layer of frost. Steaming …

Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 March 14, 2015 To the Forest’s Edge Sometime during the night, I awoke to a loud yelp, unlike any I’d ever heard before.  A second or two passed before I realized I was being treated to my first coyote serenade. Sounded like it came from the road, only a couple hundred feet from the shelter. The concert ended as quickly as it had begun, followed by barking from the top of the ridge. I figured that had to be Michelin Muncher (see Part …

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 February 2, 2015 Bonnie and I have been busy working on the marketing aspect of Hiking Without Dave, so I’ve had my latest hiking story on hold until now. It was the biggest backpacking trip I’ve ever taken, so big I’ve divided it into multiple chapters. The Preparation My hike had to be big. After all, it commenced on my wife’s birthday. I wouldn’t have missed her big day for something puny. Another reason I supersized it was that it would be taking …

December 28, 2014 Over the years I’ve lost a lot of my tolerance for discomfort, so I work hard at trying to control my environment.   I occasionally wonder how much life passes me by as a result. Especially at this time of the year. Yes, I’ll step out of the easy zone once in a while, but more and more it seems to take persuasion with brute force. That was never the case, though, when I got to go to the mill with my dad. I didn’t give comfort a thought when I climbed up …