DO YOU GET OCCASIONAL KNEE PAIN WHILE WALKING?
MANY PAINS IN THE BODY ORIGINATE FROM THE FEET! Even being a daily walker and hiker for decades, I still get annoying little aches and pains. I have a go-to remedy for most minor [...]
40-MILE UWHARRIE TRAIL THRU-HIKE VIDEOS
Here's a short video of my 40-mile walk in the Wild Woods of the Uwharrie Trail! The weather could not have been better, the trail is in terrific condition, and I met a lot of [...]
UWHARRIE TRAIL, HERE I COME!
I am heading out in a few days to hike the 40-mile Uwharrie National Recreational Trail (UNRT). I am thrilled to be exploring a new trail in a completely unfamiliar area! Investigating new places is [...]
FOOT CARE FOR WALKERS (& THE JOY OF CARRYING THE PERFECT MULTITOOL!)
In the chapter on “Foot Care,” in my recently published book, WildWood Magic: Walking as a Sacred Path, I discuss ways to keep the feet healthy and happy. Underappreciated and often overlooked as a peculiar-looking [...]
WALK MUCH? STAND UP STRAIGHT!
Last fall, I began to see a chiropractor for chronic pain in my Sacroiliac (SI) joint. I had blamed it on walking on pavement for 7-10 miles a day after hiking on dirt for as [...]
WALKING AND HIKING AS A COPING MECHANISM
Life is full of stress. And it doesn’t seem to be getting any less challenging… for anybody… any time soon. Along with relentless stress within the body, mind, and spirit are also added environmental [...]
LEAVE NO TRACE, PRINCIPLE #4: LEAVE WHAT YOU FIND
“Leave only your footprints” or, “Take only pictures” are common LNT messages you may have heard. Take photographs, observe, and learn all about the area you are visiting, but please leave anything you find [...]
WHAT IS WILDWOOD MAGIC?
What is Wildwood Magic? The Wild Wood is an enchanted place where we take our physical body for a simple walk in the woods and are, in turn, gifted with nothing less than a most [...]
WILDWOOD MAGIC: A GUIDE TO WALKING AS A SACRED PATH- THE BOOK!
Thank you, John Pritchard, for helping me create an absolutely magical book! Your help and guidance were instrumental in making this dream a reality. I have no doubt that WildWood Magic: A Guide to [...]
A WALK IN THE WILDWOOD… [A COASTAL N.C. EVENT]
A Walk in the WildWood is an intimate, wilderness adventure complete with a powerful Fire Ceremony and homemade Chai in the enchanted forest… $47 per person *A half-day, Guided Walk in the WildWood, [...]
3 STEPS TO BEING FULLY CALM & RELAXED WHILE HIKING ALONE
Have you wanted to experience the peace and solitude of an enchanted forest but have been too afraid to go by yourself? Many people are conflicted about this, but there are simple ways to move [...]
DON’T JUST LISTEN TO THE WEATHER APP… BE PREPARED!
So, I’m out on my daily walk and it is SO much colder than I thought it would be! I mean, it’s really cold and I am freezing! I think it is only in [...]
WHICH SCENARIO SOUNDS LIKE MORE FUN?😜
This is a short video contrasting the differences in outdoor experiences when we plan ahead and prepare (LNT principle one) vs. when we do not. Enjoy! Leave No Trace (LNT) Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational [...]
HIKING THE 288-MILE BENTON MACKAYE TRAIL!
I did a thing! I just completed a 288-mile hike on the Benton MacKaye Trail! My journey on the BMT has been a full and magical lifetime, in and of itself. A lifetime filled with [...]
BACKPACKING ON THE BENTON MACKAYE TRAIL
Hello Friends! I am getting so excited about my next backpacking adventure! I am currently preparing for a hike through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), on the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT). It is [...]
TRUST IN DIVINE TIMING
Next month, I will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of my thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. Time is such a funny thing… and it astounds me that it has been ten years! The time [...]
BRIGHT BLUE SKIES AND COLORFUL LEAVES MAKE FOR LOVELY WALKS!
HIking in the Blue Ridge Mountains Although there are things about every season I love and look forward to, there is something about fall that just thrills me beyond measure...Every. Single. Year. When [...]
IS RARE BETTER? CELEBRATING COMMONALITY AND UNIQUENESS!
Have you noticed that it seems the rarer something is, the more perceived value it has? Is it novelty alone, or is there something more to it? I know when I am hiking and I [...]
ARE YOU READY TO FEEL LIKE YOU CAN DO ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING??
Many people are looking for ways to add more self-confidence, self-reliance, and better health to their lives. Although there are many ways to do this, few are as rewarding as spending time in nature scratching [...]
Stress Is A Killer! Here Is The Cure…🥾
STRESS!!! It is truly a killer these days! I believe it is super important to find tools to help us when we feel overwhelmed. When I am stressed...I go for a walk. Seriously. It truly [...]
SHINRIN-YOKU: THE JAPANESE ART AND SCIENCE OF FOREST BATHING
Have you heard of Forest Bathing? Shinrin-yoku means “taking in the forest through our senses,” according to Dr. Qing Li, Chairman of the Japanese Society for Forest Medicine. He goes on to say that, [...]
BURDOCK: AN AMAZING WILD EDIBLE AND MEDICINAL PLANT!
Great Burdock (Arctium lappa): Edible. Medicinal. And always grows where you don’t want it to! Having antiseptic, antibacterial, and nutritive qualities, burdock is indeed an amazing wild plant! It has purple-red thistle-like flowers, and [...]
TAKING CARE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF GEAR: THE FEET
Feet are generally under-rated. Many of us never appreciate our feet until we injure them. Then, we become painfully aware of how convenient it is to move around, unobstructed. Feet are not *usually* one [...]
SELECTING A TENT SITE: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
I was out hiking the other day, and I hear the tell-tale “crack” first, and then approximately 1-2 seconds later, I hear it lumbering through the branches making its way toward the ground ...and then [...]
AN OVERNIGHT HIKE IN NATURE CURES ALL THAT AILS…
These days, rarely do we walk away from our regular day-in-day-out experiences feeling strong, empowered, and knowing we can accomplish anything. But I have to say, my favorite past time, backpacking ...really a fancy [...]
HIKING ETIQUETTE: HOW TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE EARTH AND OTHERS ON THE TRAIL
Sometimes it can feel like the world is getting smaller...or maybe there are just a lot more people on the earth sharing the same spaces! It has never been more important to be good [...]
AMICALOLA FALLS STATE PARK APPALACHIAN TRAIL KICK-OFF WEEKEND!
The 2019 Appalachian Trail Kick-Off weekend at Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge is an annual event that attracts potential AT thru-hikers as well as trail enthusiasts and families alike. Many eager long-distance hikers [...]
MY 7 FAVORITE TIPS FOR KEEP YOUR FEET DRY WHILE HIKING!
Since it has been raining for, well, I don’t even know how long... (Should we start building an ark??), it is important to think about how to keep your feet dry while hiking. Yes, [...]
“LEAVE NO TRACE” MEETS THE “4 AGREEMENTS” ON THE TRAIL…
Last weekend I got to spend a couple of days with a great group of people, from all over, learning the foundations of “Leave No Trace” so we can implement and share these “principles [...]
“LEAVE NO TRACE” TRAINER COURSE – FUN AND INSPIRING!
The “Leave No Trace” Center for Outdoor Ethics has a mission to protect the outdoors by teaching and inspiring people to enjoy it responsibly. The 7 principles that LNT teaches are applicable in the frontcountry, [...]