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 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 February 17, 2015 Our Journey to Hoot Owl Ridge Road The big hike was finally approaching. It would have to wait a bit longer, however, for today was stash day. Jim, George, and I sat in Lori’s Restaurant in Caldwell chewing on some fourth-quarter strategy, as well as one of our last table meals for a while. I was doing my best to load up on vittles. I bragged to our waitress about our upcoming adventure, hoping she’d throw in an extra scoop …
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 …
December 14, 2014 The gift was muddy. It was used and probably wouldn’t have gotten one second look from an entire crowd. It wasn’t even wrapped! But it was one of the prettiest things I’ve ever received, and better yet, it helped me incorporate an important lesson into my life. A week before I received the gift, I had been hiking a muddy trail at East Fork State Park on a hot, muggy July day. When I got home and carried my pack inside, I had a feeling I’d lost something. Turned out I was …
December 8, 2014 This Christmas season we are taking down our tree. Not the evergreen in our living room, but the gnarled old silver maple that has stood guard in our front yard since the day we moved in. A tree so decrepit looking it could evoke a snarky comment even from Charlie Brown. Sometimes I think our tree is a sentient being, like when it tries to see how close it can drop its dead limbs next to the cars parked at the curb beneath it. It hasn’t hit one yet, at least that …
