I’ve never been big on New Year’s Resolutions. If you decide on a goal, why wait until an arbitrary date to start working on it?
But in the last couple of years I’ve discovered a flaw in that way of thinking. For me and for many others, about the only time we have to think about goals is during that slow period between Christmas and New Year’s. A lot of businesses close that week, and even those that stay open, well, who’s actually working (apologies to you financial types whose fiscal year coincides with the calendar year)? It’s the one time many of us have to actually think.read more
The following post originally appeared on June 5, 2019. We revisit it today because it’s always important to know where you are in the woods. And if you’ve lost track of where you are, it’s likewise important to be able to figure out where you are — and then how to get where you want to be. And if you’re the type who does better with hands-on instruction, check out our GetHiking! Finding Your Way in the Woods class, below.read more
Editor’s note: Every year at this time, upon the dawn of Daylight Saving Time (it’s this Sunday, btw; remember to Spring forward), we celebrate the return of afterwork light with a tabulation of tips on how to celebrate this late-day sunlight. Most of these we’ve run before, a few are new. All, hopefully, will help you rev up your outdoor experiences.read more
Editor’s note: Every year around this time — the time of cooling temperatures — we revisit some of our favorite coastal hikes. This year, we revisit last year’s list, with a tweak or two.
We generally refrain from hiking at the coast from late March through October. But once Halloween has passed and the flitting and slithering things that give us pause re subdued, our thoughts turn to the coast and some of our favorite hikes in the state. To hikers, this is the region’s real peak season. Pack a camera, a notebook, a handful of nature guidebooks. Camp, stay in cheap motels. Cook dinner over a camp stove, linger over breakfast, eat lunch on the go. And listen.read more
This morning I set out with a couple of buddies on one of their regular adventures and was reminded of a column I wrote a couple years back about free soloist Alex Honnold. Honnold is known as the climber who eschews ropes and other protection — “free soloing,” it’s called in climbing circles.read more