Hiking

Hiking and backpacking are probably my greatest outdoor passions. I have hiked throughout the US from California to Maine.  Some of my more ambitious backpacking trips include a 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail Thru Hike in 1999, 160+ mile Thru Hike of the Cohos Trail in northern New Hampshire, and the 190 northern miles of Vermont's Long Trail. I have also hiked extended sections of the Colorado and Pacific Crest Trails.

Rattlesnake Arch near Fruita, Colorado

I hike year round in most weather, although autumn is probably my favorite season.  I moved to the Adirondack mountains of New York in May 2019.  With 2,000 miles of trails, there is no shortage of places to visit in the Adirondacks.

Above the clouds on Algonquin Peak

Avalanche Lake and Pass

Along the crest of the Great Range

Prior to the Adirondacks, I lived at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado, not too far from the mountain town of Salida, for five years.  The Salida area is surrounded by mountains and was a great place to call home with the Sangre de Cristo and Sawatch Ranges nearby and unlimited alpine peaks to explore.

Mt Adams with Crestones beyond in
the Sangre de Cristo Range

View from Mt Yale 

Mountain goats on Mt Antero

On the Summit of Quandary Peak

Upper Stout Lake below the Twin Sisters in
the northern Sangre de Cristos

Bighorn Sheep in the northern Sangre de Cristos

Before moving to Colorado I lived in Maine for eight years and my favorite spots to hike were Baxter State Park in Maine (particularly Katahdin- Maine's highest peak), Acadia National Park, and the Presidential Range in New Hampshire.

Looking towards Avery Peak in Bigelow Range

Approaching Doubletop Mtn. in Baxter State Park 

The Knife Edge of Katahdin

Click on the links below to read previous hiking posts.  Posts marked with a B* indicate backpacking trips of at least one night.

Colorado

B*Backpacking the Weminuche Wilderness

B*Backpacking the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness

B*Backpacking the West Elk Wilderness

Tour de Huron: Climbing Huron Peak and its Neighbors

Mt Massive

Sangre 13ers: De Anza, Gibbs, and Marcy

B*Backpacking the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness

Emma Burr Mountain and Tincup Peak

A Nearly Snowless Pikes Peak Winter Climb

Hikes in the Sangre de Cristo Foothills

Hikes in the Arkansas Hills with Cactus Mutt

Blasted by the Wind on Marble Mountain

Cactus Mutt Hiking the Decalibron: Lost and Found

B*Backpacking the Uncompahgre Wilderness

Climbing Hunts Peak with Cactus Mutt

Mt Sherman and Mt Sheridan

Chipeta Mountain

Hiking Rattlesnake Canyon Arches

Obscure Local Hikes: Longfellow Gulch, Cotopaxi Peak, and Lookout Mountain

Hiking Browns Canyon National Monument

Climbing Electric and Lakes Peak

B*Backpacking the Collegiate Loop

Rito Alto and Hermit Peaks

Jones Mountain and Ptarmigan Lake

Poplar Gulch and UN 13,078

St. Charles Peak

Hiking Rarely Visited Peaks: Beddows Dome, "Puma Peak", and Big Baldy Mountain

La Plata Peak Winter Ascent

Bushwhacking to Burned Timber Mountain

New Years Day Hike of Curley Peak

Hiking Tanner Peak in Memory of Tanner Brown

Hartenstein Lake and it's Forgotten Summits

Climbing the Peaks of the Lakes of the Clouds Basin

Climbing Mt Ouray: Almost a 14er

Six Peak Adventure in Missouri Gulch and Basin

Visiting My Backyard Mountains: Bushnell Peak and the Twin Sister

Bighorn Sheep in the Stout Lakes Basin

Local Escapes: Turkey Rock, Castle Gardens, and Bighorn Sheep Canyon

Views from the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness

Mt Peck and Peel Point- Overlooked Mountains on the Continental Divide

Rocky Mountain High: Climbing Mt Elbert- The Highest Peak in the Rockies

A Beautiful Winter Climb of Quandary Peak

Climbing Mt Princeton with Tigger Peak

A Snowy Climb of Mt Yale

Wellsville Arch- A Quick Outing Close to Home

Mountain Goats on Mt. Antero

Climbing Shavano and Tabeguache

Climbing the Peaks of Cloverdale Basin

Sangre de Cristo 13er Trio- Horn, Fluted, and Adams

Hiking the Comanche-Venable Loop

Idaho

A Short Hike in the Sawtooth Wilderness

Maine

Another Beautiful Hike in Acadia

Winter Ascent of Katahdin

Schoodic and Black Mountains in Downeast Maine

An Icy Climb of Little Spencer Mountain

Hiking the White Cap Range- Solitude in the 100 Mile Wilderness

Borestone Mountain

B*Backpacking the Mahoosuc Range

Tumbledown Mountain and Little Jackson Mountain

Katahdin Lake

Traveler Mountain: New England's Least Traveled Alpine Trek

B*Backpacking in the Bigelows

Barren-Chairback Marathon Hike

Mount Kineo: Hiking and Kayaking Moosehead Lake

The Owl, Hiking One of Maine's Overlooked Gems

Moxie Bald Mountain Blueberry Feast

Hiking Acadia's Open Ridges

Katahdin and Hamlin Peak: Hiking Maine's Two Tallest Peaks

Gulf Hagas

Little Moose and the Tale of Two Beavers

Barren Mountain Hike

Springtime Fun in the Snow

Icy Day in Acadia National Park

Cross Country Skiing and Hiking AMC Trails

More Fun in the Cold and the Snow

Montana

Climbing in the Gallatin Range: Overlook Mountain

Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness Climb: Little Rainbow Mountain

New Hampshire

Finishing the New Hampshire 48 on Cannon Mountain

Owl’s Head

The Willey Range

B*Backpacking and Peakbagging in the Southern White Mountains

B*Backpacking the Mahoosuc Range

Presidential Traverse

New Mexico

B*Backpacking New Mexico's Pecos Wilderness

New York

Jenkins Mountain

Peaked Mountain

Fire Tower Trifecta: Mount Adams, Buck Mountain, and Snowy Mountain

The Devil’s Path

Slide Mountain

The Tongue Mountain Range

Jay Mountain

Moxham Mountain

Tomcat Hiking Thomas and Cat Mountain

B*Backpacking the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness

B*Backpacking in the Lake George Wild Forest

The MacIntyre Range in Winter

The Lake Placid 9ers

Climbing the Adirondack 46ers

Noonmark and Round Mountains

Pitchoff Mountain

Redfield, Cliff, Gray, and Skylight to Finish the Adirondack 46

Allen Mountain

Mount Marshall and Indian Pass

The Crows, Hurricane, and Nun-da-ga-o Ridge

Sawteeth, Pyramid, Gothics, and Armstrong

Big Slide Mountain

Hitchens Pond Overlook

Nye and Street Mountains Plus Mt. Jo

Climbing Colden, Table Top, and Phelps

B*Backpacking the Northville- Placid Trail

The Great Range Traverse

Seymour Mountain

Chasing Waterfalls on the South Branch Grass River

B*Backpacking the Seward Range- Cold River Loop

Hiking the Floodwood Loop

Cascade and Porter Mountains

Hiking the Dix Range

Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge

Saranac Lake 6ers

B*Backpacking the Cranberry Lake 50

Hiking the Santanoni Range

Hiking the Seward Range

Climbing Whiteface and Esther Mountains

The Tupper Lake Triad

Hiking the MacIntyre Range and Avalanche Pass

Pennsylvania

B*Backpacking the Quehanna Trail

B*Backpacking the Black Forest Trail

B*Backpacking the Susquehannock Trail System

B*Backpacking the Loyalsock Trail

Utah
Hiking Fisher Towers

West Virginia 

Hiking the North Fork Mountain Trail

B*Backpacking the Seneca Creek Backcountry and Spruce Knob


Wyoming
Table Mountain: A Grand View of the Tetons