Hiking, web development, best practices, and general awesomeness
Dull grey skies over the trail junction reflected my stormy mood this morning. The trail from Little Todd Harbor had been a dark, slippery mess and both my boots and pants were already thoroughly soaked from heavy dew. Also, just as I crested the last rise to the junction, I realized that I had left…
With groggy eyes and stiff legs I slowly made my way down to the dock at Todd Harbor and set up for breakfast. There was water to pump, oatmeal to make, and coffee to brew. The rest of my gear was already packed - I wasted little time once I woke up and saw that I had slept in an hour past the…
Darkness surrounded me on the trail leading out of Lane Cove. I paused on a long boardwalk and let the sounds wash over me, the insect noises and curious rustles, my headlamp unveiling a section of path that was too intense and too dark all at the same time. With a deep sigh I pushed onwards. There…
Hunter's Point and Porter's Island sat across the harbor under the morning sun. I stood at the dock in Copper Harbor and felt a wave of nostalgia as the Isle Royale Queen IV was loaded up. Less than a year ago I had explored those trails and watched the sunrise from that point and so much has…
When I exited the small restroom at the Peralta Trailhead I was tempted to simply jump in the car and head back to Gilbert. For the last two days I had been suffering from a stomach bug that left me feeling drained and weak. In a fit of optimism I had drove the long hour to this trailhead an hour…
The old car pulled up behind me, lights flaring as they crossed me, and then the driver killed the engine next to my Jeep. I wasn't sure what to do. There was a low chance that they were also here to hike, that I'd have an early morning hiking partner to converse with for a short time, but I doubted…
For six years I've been slowly building up a collection of hiking and camping gear. Christmas gifts helped with much of this, though at times I would venture out and pick up something from a sporting goods store when finances and the wife would allow. I used this gear for a variety of deep woods…
It was mid-June of this year when I went for a short backpacking adventure up on the Mogollon Rim. The weekend was fun and I learned a lot about my gear and limitations, useful information for my upcoming week on Isle Royale. When I told my brother-in-law Chris about hiking the cabin loop he was…
Driving to Four Peaks is a dreadful ordeal. There are only two options: El Oso from the east and FR 143 from the west. El Oso is shorter and is in better shape, though to use it you'll need to loop all the way over to Tonto Basin, an annoying seventy miles outside of Mesa. 143 is a much tougher…
When I first started to mix backpacking with hiking, about four or so years ago, the thought of tackling Isle Royale popped up a few times. I was in the midwest, hiking in the Upper Peninsula, and that island seemed like the ultimate escape from civilization while staying in Michigan. The idea never…