Saranac Lake Canoe Camping, Fishing, and Hiking Ampersand Mountain!

Saranac Lake, NY In June of 2019, I spent a weekend canoe camping on Lower Saranac Lake in New York’s Adirondack Park. I went with friends from Hudson Valley Hikers. HVH hikes have a reputation for being long, difficult, and fast. Our canoe camping events tend to be quite the opposite. Most of these trips … Continue reading Saranac Lake Canoe Camping, Fishing, and Hiking Ampersand Mountain!

Maine Appalachian Trail: Flagstaff Lake to Monson

In July of 2019, I took a small group of Argonauts from Hudson Valley Hikers up to Maine for a week. This was a real multi-adventure. We spent the first few days in Baxter State Park hiking the Appalachian Trail and climbing Katahdin. Then we took a day off hiking to raft down the Penobscot … Continue reading Maine Appalachian Trail: Flagstaff Lake to Monson

Maine Appalachian Trail: Rangeley to Grafton Notch – ABORTED!

In May of 2019, I lead a group of backpackers from Hudson Valley Hikers on a trip in Southern Maine. Our plan was to hike from Rangeley to Grafton Notch, some 34 miles over rough mountains. Southern Maine has a reputation for being one of the most rugged sections of the Appalachian Trail. My biggest … Continue reading Maine Appalachian Trail: Rangeley to Grafton Notch – ABORTED!

Maine Appalachian Trail: Sluice Logging Road to Spaulding Ridge Lean-to

My third day of hiking started with a steep climb out of Obereton Valley up toward Lone Mountain on the Spaulding Ridge. It was another short day of less than 10 miles and just a few thousand feet of gain. I first summited Mt Abraham on a side trail, and then came back to camp … Continue reading Maine Appalachian Trail: Sluice Logging Road to Spaulding Ridge Lean-to

Intro to Backpacking – Recommended Tents

This last weekend, I hosted an Intro to Backpacking workshop with Hudson Valley Hikers.  The idea of the event was to allow future backpackers to see and feel real gear in the real world.  Each of our hosts brought one or more of their favorite tents. Students were able to watch them set up and then … Continue reading Intro to Backpacking – Recommended Tents

Intro to Backpacking – Recommended Backpacks

This last weekend, I hosted an Intro to Backpacking workshop with Hudson Valley Hikers.  The idea of the event was to allow future backpackers to see and feel real gear in the real world.  Our hosts brought several popular backpacks loaded with common equipment. Each pack was fully loaded as if for a weekend-long backpacking … Continue reading Intro to Backpacking – Recommended Backpacks

Tents for Claustrophobic Backpackers

Cyrus asked me to suggest tents for claustrophobic backpackers.  Cyrus will be attending my upcoming Intro to Backpacking event at Harriman State Park.  It’s an even that I’m hosting with Hudson Valley Hikers, the largest outdoor Meetup group in the world.  Cyrus asks: What are the lightest tents and with the highest height? I need … Continue reading Tents for Claustrophobic Backpackers