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When I was buying my new road bike, the question of what bike computer to put on it came up. I had a Sigma bike computer on the bike that had been my primary bicycle, but it would take some work to move it, and its cadence sensor had never worked right. I let the […]
The trail adopter’s manual for the Ozark Trail recommends the use of a hand weeder, which is a tool I’ve always called a sickle, though it really isn’t. It looks like this: It works well enough, once you get into the swing of it (pun intended), though there is definitely an upper limit to what […]
When I first adopted a trail to maintain, I was given a manual that included a list of recommended tools to bring. Among the recommendations was a bow saw. I was expected to be able to cut branches up to six inches in diameter, and I would need a saw. I had had plenty of […]
I picked up a pair of Salomon Quest Prime GTX hiking boots (in a color called “Swamp/Night Forest/Titanium”), and they are working out quite well. I’ve finished two hikes in them. Today, with good hiking socks, there was not even a hint of blisters. They provide much better support for my feet. They do fit […]
This was my second time backpacking at Rockpile Mountain Wilderness. Previously, I had simply hiked more or less straight to the peak of the eponymous mountain, camped there overnight, and then hiked out the next morning. This time, I had ambitious plans to explore the whole trail system. I was thwarted. For one thing, I […]
I finished Elantris. The characters that seemed so unrealistic and two-dimensional became much more realistic and grew to have more depth than my initial impression at the beginning of the story. I’m glad I finished it, because I did quite enjoy it, though I would still say it’s not Brandon Sanderson’s best work. I also […]
My overnight backpacking trip in the Rockpile Mountain Wilderness Area went well. I didn’t have any equipment problems, and I didn’t forget anything important. I did add a couple of items to my list for next time, but they aren’t serious (like handy-wipes). I didn’t forget to bring my hammock, but I was unable to […]
As a kid, I grew up camping with my family. Car camping, we would call it now, in a tent. We camped mainly in our home state of Missouri, and farther north for relief from the heat, in Michigan and Wisconsin mostly. We were limited by how far we could drive, and our drives were […]
I have driven the highway through Great Smoky Mountains National Park again. This last time, the trees on the mountains were frosted white, and there was a smoky cloud hanging over the mountains. This has reaffirmed my goal of backpacking this park, which I plan to do during the summer of 2019. That means this […]
I briefly thought that hiking or biking every day to train for the hikes I’ll be making in August would be a good idea. And it is. However, my next hike was five days later. Nevertheless, I have been hiking more than I usually do, and already I can tell it’s making a difference. I […]