It’s been entirely too long since I just looked at a map, and was like “let’s check this spot out.” And that is literally what I did one beautiful Saturday morning. Sterling Forest State park is an unbroken and deep ecosystem located just west off 87 close to the NJ state border. I’ve only sampled […]
Bikepacking the Allegheny Passage and Chesapeake Ohio Canal path
I found myself with a few days off, some new gear and a desire to put in some miles, and sleep in the woods. That’s usually how it goes. I’d just bought a new ThermARest NeoAir (weighing 12 oz and compressing down to about the size of my nalgene bottle) and new ultralight tent, which were the game […]
Lyme Disease: One step forward and two steps back
For the last few years I have been battling some pretty serious health issues and it’s taken a real toll on my mountainfancy time. It all started with a sore neck, that continued to ache for weeks. I thought, oh just too much yoga, too much climbing. Weeks turned into months. I didn’t feel like myself […]
The Devil’s Path
The non-traditional tradition of spending New Years in the woods begins! This year I spent new years with some awesome friends and hiked what some call the most dangerous trail in the Northeast. Read Kristin’s trip review of our thru hike of the Devils Path in the Catskill Mountains. She pretty much is the most […]
Gothics
January 2016 was the most abnormally warm month ever. This time last year I would’ve been walking across frozen lakes and ice climbing… This was one of the very few times this season that I was able to experience “winter” conditions. I started this hike post-thanksgiving with my best, Gerald. We headed over to Keene […]
Sea to Summit weekend: Paddling the Cape May Harbor and Climbing in the Gunks
Living in Philly is awesome, you guys. The gorgeous Wissahickon Schist stone colonials, the cobblestone streets, the food, the vibrant culture, Fairmount Park (one of the largest urban park systems in the country), but most of all, I love how easy it is for me to hop on the turnpike and be in the mountains or in the sand within […]
Hiking: Old Rag Mountain Shenandoah National Park
(Old Rag Summit May 2012) Shenandoah is one of the most beautiful places to explore in the mid-Atlantic. It’s forever wild. Mountainfancy, the idea, was actually born on the car ride to Shenandoah NP with two of my closest ladybirds. From Philly, the drive is about 5 hours to the Old Rag parking area just off SR 600 near […]
Book review: Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad
I’ve just boarded my flight back home to Philly. I’ve spent, literally, the last 20 hours in the western slopes of Colorado. It’s my first time out here. It’s beautiful, the true home of my soul. Halfway between sleep and dream, I crack open to the first page of this book Kristin lent me. It’s been […]
Snowshoeing: PA Grand Canyon, Worlds End State Park, and Hills Creek State Park
A few weeks ago a couple of ladybirds and I planned a weekend getaway in western PA. I’ve always wanted to check out the so-called “Grand Canyon of PA” and I had heard some great things about Worlds End SP, so I got on the horn and called up a park ranger to get some more […]