Sometimes, grabbing a photo you love can be done right near home, and with less than ideal light. That was the case this weekend when we decided to take an impromptu hike at Ricketts Glen State Park here in Northeastern, Pennsylvania. The light was harsh and bright, as one might expect on a July afternoon,
The most obvious transformation after 4 weeks on the trail is that I have lost more than 10 extraneous pounds. The more profound transformations have come through highly-tuned senses. The feeling through the bottom of your boot that the muddy trail is about to give way, and you had better slow it down or risk
Northern GA and southern NC are a relatively solitary experience for the thru-hiker. This sign at mile 167 of the trail marks entrance into the busiest trail corridor, with over 7 million yearly visitors. After depositing their permits, thru-hikers also share the trail with the occasional horseback rider, and the several hundred black bears who
"This is 10 percent luck, 20 percent skill, 15 percent concentrated power of will, 5 percent pleasure and 50 percent pain. . ." The mental side of thru-hiking can make or break the experience. In part, it can be about summoning the will to push a 19 mile day, as I did on May 6
One can find dozens of AT equipment lists on the Internet. Rather than provide another one here, I will offer some wisdom on what to take and what to leave behind. A photo of my unpacked gear follows. This includes 18 pounds of dry gear, to which 8 pounds of water and 11 pounds of
By way of introduction, I am a history professor (the photo above shows me atop the walls of Istanbul earlier this year) who will set aside his books for the next five to six months to hike the 2,184 mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail, more commonly known as the Appalachian Trail, or AT for
The countdown to road trip 2012 begins. In less that 6 weeks I will be bound for the west with my friend Bill and his brother. Our first destination being Smith Rocks in Oregon, followed by the climb of two notable peaks, Mount Hood in Oregon and Mount Shasta in California. Expect for full reports
Facebook Timeline Cover Photos Hey, are you looking to spruce up your Facebook profile, but not sure what you want as your cover photo? check out some of the free cover photos I am sharing over at my personal blog. here is the link: http://patrickgensel.com/2012/03/facebook-cover-photo/ Daily Photo - Up In The Canopy During an early winter
I've come to find, in recent years, that there is a lot of good hiking here in the Keystone state. From the relentless sixty mile Loyalsock Trail to the beautiful Falls trail loop at Ricketts Glen there is just so much going for Pennsylvania as far as hiking goes. I thought I knew about all of the great hikes of eastern PA, then I found the Pinchot Trail.
With Autumn quickly approaching, and the temperatures beginning to drop it’s time to start thinking about getting out and checking out the colors of the season. There are many great places to check out the spectacular colors of the season for all levels of hiking ability.