In November of 2012, I began this blog as an online scrapbook to record my adventures on the trails. I hoped it would help solidify memories of good times and lessons learned. It has more than fulfilled this wish. Sometimes I skim back through posts...
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The sight of trash in the Ozarks sometimes interrupts my enjoyment of the walk. I try to contain my emotional response to seeing an abandoned cup, because it confuses Hiker-dog. She’s always happy in the woods and worries if I’m not enjoying my time, too. I’ve...
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My love for local bookstores was solidified during college when I worked at Adams Bookstore in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Mr. Adams was like a mentor to me during that time. I wrote about his influence during those crucial years in another post. In 2016, I learned of...
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Bob and I walked the first 160 miles of the Ouachita (Wash’-i-taw) Trail before and after Christmas, so only the last 63 miles stood between us and completing our thru-hike. Several things occurred to keep us from getting back out there, but May 2-6 was...
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Saturday, March 31, was our day to walk the few miles needed by Hiker-dog to complete the 180-mile Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT). Of course, the OHT keeps growing, but the first 165 miles qualify for thru-hiker bragging rights. Hiker-dog has walked or run every inch of the...
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Years ago we asked my youngest daughter about vacation ideas. This young lady is now more widely traveled than her father, but at that time she named several options that we’d already visited. When asked why she liked these places, she said, “Because we’ve been...
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Loyal Menasha Ridge Press followers may recognize the familiar face of Nimblewill Nomad, a beloved author and accomplished thru-hiker. We have sung the praises of Nomad quite a few times, sharing lessons he has passed along and avidly following his yearly odysseys. And we're not the only...
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Hiking—I don’t like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains – not hike! ~ John Muir Today was about checking my 4-mile adopted section of the Ozark Highlands Trail. I’d recently read the above John Muir quote and planned to...
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During a phone interview with Kyle Kellams of KUAF, I mentioned how hiking and writing about trails go together for me. I couldn’t imagine doing one without the other. He said, “So, in addition to being a thru-hiker, you’re a ‘thru-writer.'” I thought, what a cool...
Read MoreHere are a few photos from an assignment I thought up during a morning hike on my home trail. I took a photo using my smartphone camera every 100 steps, allowing myself to move up to ten steps from each stopping point to locate a...
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