Introduction It’s hard to believe that I’ve been living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for nearly 7 years. It seems like just yesterday that Carolyn and I packed up our cars and drove north over the mighty Mackinac Bridge one bitterly cold, February day. When we arrived in Munising the bay was iced […]
A Sense of Place: Au Train, Michigan Read More »
You know what they say about best laid plans, right? Well, that idiom could certainly sum up our 2024. For a variety of reason, all of which I won’t go into terrible detail, it has been a challenging year. A multitude of health issues (including a bulged disc) and navigating the loss of Carolyn’s father
Taking it Easy on the Ice Age Trail Read More »
Backpacking the Jordan River Pathway Loop in Michigan Winter 2024 was one for the record books for Northern Michigan. And before you ask, no, it wasn’t because we got a lot of snow. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Total snowfall for our area, which routinely sees over 200 inches of snow a
The Jordan River Pathway Loop Read More »
In July of 2023 Carolyn and I traveled to Iceland and backpacked the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve as well as the Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Trails. This post will dive into the logistics of our trip and provide insights into the planning process, maps, resources, and gear choices. Click here to read the blog of our experience,
How to Hike Hornstrandir, Laugavegur Trail, and Fimmvörðuháls Trail (Iceland) Read More »
During the first two weeks of July 2023 Carolyn and I traveled to the land of ice and fire for an international backpacking adventure in Iceland. We explored two different and unique locations: Hornstrandir Nature reserve in the far northwest Westfjords, and Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls trails in the south central Highlands. Both locations were
Backpacking in Iceland: Hornstrandir, Laugavegur and Fimmvörðuháls Read More »
From May 21st through the 28th, Carolyn and I had the privilege to thru-hike the Centennial Trail in South Dakota. This trail traverses 124 miles through the Black Hills National Forest from Wind Cave National Park in the south, to Bear Butte State Park in the north, passing through Custer State Park, Black Elk Wilderness,
Centennial Trail South Dakota Read More »
[Please note that this was originally posted on 5.14.19 here. Hiawatha Hiking Company is our new business!] The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was established in 1966 and while it encompasses about 115 square miles, people new to the area may not be aware of all it has to offer! While leading kayak tours along the
“Is that the Pictured Rock?” Read More »
[Please note that this was originally posted on 5.8.2019 here. Hiawatha Hiking Company is our new business!] Enjoy this short video we took backpacking the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore Trail this past weekend (May 4-5th)! The snow is almost gone, the trees are just beginning to bud, and the next few weeks should be beautiful. Looking forward
Pictured Rocks in the Spring – Video Read More »
[Please note that this was originally posted on 4.24.19 here. Hiawatha Hiking Company is our new business!] From 2004 to 2010, I wasn’t very physically fit. I had finished high school, went to college, got a master’s degree, and got a job. Regular exercise just wasn’t on my radar. I would have considered myself fairly
How to physically prepare for a long hike Read More »
[Please note that this was originally posted on 4.4.19 here. Hiawatha Hiking Company is our new business!] Old School In days of yore, the popular trend was to throw on a pair of hiking boots before hitting the trail. Many people subscribe to that trend today. REI’s shoe department is inundated with hiking boots. Boots
Footwear for Happy Hiking Feet! Read More »