Tag Archives: camping

Revisiting the Trail Between The Lakes

It had been just six months since my last hike on Sabine County’s Trail Between the Lakes, and nine months since my first thruhike of it in January. The milder temperatures meant that I did not wake up to frozen shoes, as I had in January, but I was amazed at how different the trailContinue reading “Revisiting the Trail Between The Lakes”

We Own a Campervan!

We have known for many years that we wanted to embrace a campervan while empty-nesting. This journey started a couple of weeks ago and the fun is just beginning. We both love the outdoors and our nomadic tendencies have dissolved any interest in a conventional second home. Our first campout together was after just threeContinue reading “We Own a Campervan!”

Big Bend’s South Rim and Outer Mountain Loop

That was a lot of work. That’s what Vance said about getting water. We also hiked 43 miles and climbed 10,000 ft over four days. This trek was epic. YouTube Video This 83 minute video on YouTube presents the trek “in real time,” capturing our emotions and detailing the trek including gathering water in theContinue reading “Big Bend’s South Rim and Outer Mountain Loop”

Hiking East Texas’s Trail Between the Lakes

(Check out the trail’s guide here.) Multi-day backpacking adventures are not normally associated with East Texas. The 96-mile Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT), north of Houston by Huntsville, might come to mind. But there is an often passed-over trail close to the Louisiana border that takes the explorer deep into wild pine forests. I wasContinue reading “Hiking East Texas’s Trail Between the Lakes”

Backpack Compromise: Weight vs Comfort

Or: Why I no longer aim for 10 lb. dry weight. Introduction Catchy headlines like 10 lb. Gear List for Hiking The Appalachian Trail suggest that 10 lbs. is the target ultralight dry weight for serious multi-day backpackers. After many years, I achieved that target, but now choose to carry more for comfort. Such additionsContinue reading “Backpack Compromise: Weight vs Comfort”

Eagle Rock Loop High Water Alternate in November 2024

I returned to the Ouachita mountains from Nov 7-10 2024 with Vance, my buddy from leading our sons’ scout troop. The Eagle Rock Loop (ERL) was a step up from previous backpacking trips for Vance. The river levels were higher than my 2022 completion which triggered an alternate route to avoid the deeper Little MissouriContinue reading “Eagle Rock Loop High Water Alternate in November 2024”

Three Nights in Colorado’s Gore Range

Samuel and I were hungry for an adventurous backpacking trip. It had been a couple of years since we had completed Arkansas’s Eagle Rock Loop and three years since the epic Collegiate Loop on the Colorado and Continental Divide Trails. Samuel had spent his first year in college living in Golden, on the Western outskirtsContinue reading “Three Nights in Colorado’s Gore Range”

The Chisos Mountains in June 2021

Samuel very much wanted to share his backpacking adventures with a couple of his buddies. Trying to squeeze a trip in after school and COVID and with summer coming was challenging but we decided early June would work. We were thinking that if we stayed in the mountains, it would be cool enough. Also, ifContinue reading “The Chisos Mountains in June 2021”

Motorhome Rental

On our journey to motorhome ownership, we have rented units three times: once in the UK and twice in the US. The UK rental was in 2008 when the kids were small. The US rentals were in 2017 for driving the west coast between Mexico and Canada, and in 2020 to visit North Carolina waterfallsContinue reading “Motorhome Rental”

The Outer Mountain Loop and Guadalupe Peak in 2019

The fifth installment of my West Texas adventures takes Samuel and I back to Big Bend’s Outer Mountain Loop (OML) and to “The Top of Texas,” Guadalupe Peak. The primary goal of the trip was to be the highest person in Texas at the beginning of 2020. The rest was just for fun! You canContinue reading “The Outer Mountain Loop and Guadalupe Peak in 2019”

Ten Days in Colorado

This is the last of my “catch-up” posts for now, and this adventure with Samuel from 2018 is perhaps the most memorable trip we have done. While we have done longer trips since, this adventure had a combination of challenge and remoteness that were a stretch for each of us. We avoided crowds and enjoyedContinue reading “Ten Days in Colorado”

The Outer Mountain Loop in 2017

This is the fourth chapter of our experiences in West Texas. While our 2016 trip to Big Bend had been an epic collection of adventures, completing the Outer Mountain Loop added a tremendous sense of achievement. I had pictured doing the hike ever since a work colleague, Tim Long, had described hiking it with hisContinue reading “The Outer Mountain Loop in 2017”

Big Bend in 2016 With a Pre-Teen

Now for my third visit to West Texas. After an awe-inspiring summitting of Guadalupe Peak, Samuel and I were ready for our next challenge. Spring Break 2016 gave us the opportunity to head back to the desert while the girls did a trip to New York. Each of us were very happy with our trips!Continue reading “Big Bend in 2016 With a Pre-Teen”

Guadalupe Peak in 2015

This is the second of several posts that describe our multiple exciting adventures in West Texas. Ten-year-old Samuel’s interest in hiking and camping was growing and I was very much drawn to climbing Texas’s highest mountain, Guadalupe Peak. At 8,751 feet, it is nearly three times higher than anything in Great Britain. “Climb to the ‘TopContinue reading “Guadalupe Peak in 2015”

Pop-Up Camper

A pop-up camper was a memorable step toward our imminent RV ownership. Our hotel-based road trip to DC visiting National Parks inspired us to want a pop-up camper. Janet’s family had owned one when she was growing up. We liked the idea because it would be low maintenance, we would be able to store itContinue reading “Pop-Up Camper”