THE MUTINY: SUMMER TAKES OVER WHERE SPRING LEFT OFF…
THE MUTINY Something happened while I wasn’t looking. Just a short while ago, the forest was all polite suggestion… a hint of green peeping out
Author: Wildwood Walking
THE MAGICAL POTION YOU’RE PROBABLY NOT DRINKING (BUT SHOULD BE)
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THE GREAT TRAIL MUFFIN REBELLION
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WALK NOW OR WALK IN THE DARK
WALK NOW OR WALK IN THE DARK Negotiating time with the setting sun and an impending afternoon thunderstorm… I sit with my beloved companion, my
THE TREKKING UMBRELLA: A LOVE STORY (WITH TANTRUMS)
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ARE YOU COMING TO NC TRAIL DAYS IN ELKIN??
Hey Friends! I’m speaking at NC Trail Days Festival in Elkin, NC! Walking as a Sacred Practice: How to Turn an Ordinary Walk into a
A STRONGLY WORDED LETTER FROM THE MOUNTAIN
I rely on cell service to power my phone and my computers. Other than an electric toothbrush and a Bluetooth speaker, I have no tech
THE MAGICAL ELIXIR RUNNING THROUGH OUR VEINS
The Magical Elixir Running Through Our Veins A few weeks ago, I wrote about an experience that left me face down in the dirt on
ARE YOU COMING TO AT TRAIL DAYS MAY 16TH, 2026?
I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be speaking at Appalachian Trail Days in Damascus, Virginia this Saturday! My talk, “Techniques and Tips for Pain-Free Hiking,”
YOU’RE NOT CLUMSY!
Nobody talks about this, but most falls on trail are completely preventable… and the fix has nothing to do with your boots or age or
I KNOW WHY YOUR QUAD MUSCLES ARE ON FIRE…
Sir, Your Quads Are on Fire Because You hiked 30 Miles in the Smokies Yesterday I met an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker at the Cosby Knob
THE PORTAL TREE, SOME KILLER CHILI, AND A DIVINE DOWNLOAD
I am just now able to write about an experience I had, although it happened several weeks ago… I went to meet some neighbors and
THE FIRST FEW STEPS ARE THE HARDEST (AFTER THAT, NATURE TAKES OVER)
These days, I am mostly an evening walker. I do some yoga in the morning after my meditations and then sit… way too much… at
TRAIL-TESTED SECRET TO TRULY CLEAN HIKING CLOTHES
Trail-Tested Secret to Truly Clean Hiking Clothes Let’s face it… the clothes we wear hiking, biking, working out, or doing anything that makes us sweat
THE MAGICAL REMEDY HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
There is no shortage of tools available to the modern human seeking peace of mind. Meditation apps. Breathwork protocols. Journaling prompts. Affirmations recorded in soothing
THE NIGHT I STOPPED BEING AFRAID OF THE DARK
The year was 2000. I spent Y2K with a group of friends I met in a hiking club in Atlanta, camped at Lake Hartwell, waiting
ELEVEN RUNS THROUGH THE JUNGLE (And I Screamed on Every Single One)
I am not quite the adrenaline junkie I used to be. I say this as a woman who has skydived, bungee jumped, earned a blue
THE GREAT ESCAPE
What have I done? What have I done? What have I done? That’s all that was going through my head for the first six hours
THERE WILL BE MUD: A GUIDE TO SURVIVING THE MUCKETY MUCK
You made it through winter (almost!). You navigated snow, the ice, the wind that makes your eyes water in ways that have nothing to do
QUICK GUIDE TO COLD WEATHER HYDRATION
There’s nothing quite like walking up on a refreshing gurgling spring on a hot summer’s day, eagerly drinking after sweating through miles of trail. But
SACRED WALKING PERU: SALKANTAY & BEYOND!
Sacred Walking Peru: Salkantay and Beyond (2026) August 29 – September 10, 2026 Join Collin for a 12-day walking journey through the heart of the
FORGET NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS!
Forget New Year’s resolutions…. As 2026 opens its quiet doorway, consider stepping through with something gentler and far more sustainable: the intention to care for
THE POLITE MAGIC OF CROWN SHYNESS🌳
Look up in a maritime forest where live oaks reign, and you might catch one of nature’s most elegant mysteries: crown shyness. There, against the
WHAT’S BUGGING YOU? A GUIDE TO SURVIVING GNATS
What’s Bugging You? A Trail Guide to Surviving Gnats in the Smokies Let’s talk about that special kind of madness that only a swarm of
“IN DIFFICULTY LIES OPPORTUNITY”
“In difficulty lies opportunity.” I saw those words on a billboard today, somewhere between a gas station and the rising blue ridges, and they
MUSINGS FROM THE TRAIL: HITCH #8 ~ SEASON 2025
Musings from the Trail: Through the Lens of a Long-Season Ridgerunner on the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Hitch #8 —
SENIOR SURVIVAL: MY FIRST WEEKLONG BACKPACKING TRIP ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
My first adult backpacking trip was with a hiking club I discovered in a Creative Loafing magazine classified ad after moving back to my hometown of Atlanta,
CHOOSING A COLD-WEATHER SLEEPING BAG❄️
My first season as a Ridgerunner on the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was incredible—but it started off cold. I quickly learned
ENJOYING A DAY OFF FROM HIKING? TAKE A WALK!
Yes! I take walks on my days off! (Well, at least on gorgeous days like this!) I learned the hard way some time ago that
OPPOSUMS! REAL LIFE MONSTERS OR SAVIORS OF THE UNIVERSE???
I saw an opossum walking down my snowy road the other day. I was admiring his cute little tracks. And then a powerful childhood memory
