With a name like that, I should have known this hike would get cold. I was forewarned about a storm system pushing through Alaska, but I chose to follow some advice that sounded good at the time. As it happens, … Continue reading
“This is crazy!” I said aloud too many times to count. “People seriously run a race on this trail?” More unbelievable is the record time of 43:21. I tried running, but that didn’t last long. It took this flatlander approximately … Continue reading
Our first glimpses of “The High One” came as we passed through Montana (the town, not the state) and over Honolulu (the creek, not the city). It loomed enormously over the road even at 100 miles away. Inside the national … Continue reading
His remains were found on Friday, the same day that I hiked down the canyon from where I camped on Cathedral Mountain and walked a few miles of lonely park road in dawn’s twilight to the bus stop at Igloo … Continue reading
Most of our animal sightings happened on the bus trip from the Wilderness Access Center to Eielson Visitor’s Center, along the only road in Denali National Park. Traffic is limited to buses, construction equipment and very few personal vehicles. “Camper … Continue reading
In Alaska, scores of miles are reduced before your eyes. It doesn’t help that most continental maps of the U.S. shrink the state to make it fit. Tina-Fey-as-Sarah-Palin’s infamous “I can see Russia from my house” statement almost seems plausible–until … Continue reading
New York City’s heat is tenacious. On days when it takes hold before noon, you know it will be there to stay long past midnight. Air-conditioning provides much welcomed relief, but those who are lucky enough to have time for … Continue reading
The Goat's gap-year 