Years ago I got “arrested.” I was in grad school at the time and a few buddies and I decided to head up to the Adirondacks for a weekend of camping. It was mid fall and the mountains were exploding with color. Three … Continued
Stepping into the Adirondacks is a move toward sensory simplicity and away from the cacophony of life (in New York City). The ruckus of traffic, sirens, sewers, even light dissipate into a clarified Adirondack sensory delight: hear the light rain’s … Continued
America’s rugged wilderness imposes a calming salve, even when mosquitos are attacking you. Nature doesn’t know silence. There’s always some sound like an oscillating frog belch or raspy crickets mashing their legs together. Wind whispers through the trees and when … Continued
I love to shvitz. I’m not just talking about shvitzing (sweating) on a balmy day or from a good run, but the yiddish kind of shvitz: the place and bodily function melded into the singular experience of sitting in a steam room or … Continued
If you read yesterday’s post, you know about my adventure getting lost in Harriman State Park last weekend. It’s funny how things change in an instant when you sense something’s amiss. Early in the Green Pond/Boston Mine Long hike, before … Continued
Getting lost isn’t usually intentional but despite its negative implications, it can be the arbiter of good fortune. While hiking in Harriman State Park last weekend, we got lost. Our trail directions were a total fail. I pulled them from … Continued
I’m living a fantasy right now – dreaming about Gili Air’s idyllic beaches, feeling and hearing sand and coral crunch beneath my feet and enjoying afternoon siestas in an open sided, thatch-roofed hut. Not that I don’t love NYC, but … Continued
Goodbye snow and hello green sums up day 4 trekking from the Nepali villages of Ghopte to Kutsmsang. The world seems to blossom and breathe a thawed life, leaving the bleached snowy Himalayan heights behind. Plots of corn and other … Continued
After a long day of trekking to the top of the world, everything tastes better. I’ve been on week-long hikes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains where ramen noodles taste as delectable as Girl Scout Thin Mints. I’m not sure why, … Continued
Jagged peaks splinter clouds in Nepal’s Himalaya mountains. Famous for its Tower of Babel-like peaks (Everest) and trekking trails (Annapurna & Everest Base Camp), thin air and snowy vistas greet the visitor to Nepal’s heavenly Himalayas, which translates in Sanskrit … Continued