Norway is a beautiful country full of endless fjords and beautiful mountain views, so it's no wonder that one of my picks for "Beautiful Views" comes from this country. Preikestolen, also known as "Pulpit Rock". As you might have guessed, it got it's name due to it's resemblance to a preacher's pulpit. Priekestolen sits 1,981
“Where the hell am I?” I gasped for air as I came to, the first thing that came to my mind was “Where the hell am I?”. As I heard a familiar voice ripple through the transition between unconscious and conscious: “Dude are you ok?” My panicked reply: “Someone turn on a goddamned light.” As
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,
Along with (figurative) century posts, interstate highways crossed, and National Parks navigated, checking off states is one of the main ways AT thru hikers measure their progress. Some of the associated signs, like the one which greeted me on June 8 upon entrance into Virginia, the state with the greatest mileage, are merely nondescript and
Often overshadowed by the more well-known Yellowstone National Park to the north, Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park offer's some of the West's most impressive mountain views, hikes and other scenery. Honestly, I personally believe this sleeper hit has just as much, if not more to offer visitors than Yellowstone. In 2011, A few friends and
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
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
Returning to Scandinavia After some planning and consideration it looks like I'll be heading back to Iceland this year, and in addition, I will be continuing on to Norway to explore a whole new country, and Emalee will be joining me to help build memorable and exciting content for all to enjoy. Tentatively we plan