The Eagle Rock Loop in November 2022

The 27-mile Eagle Rock Loop (ERL) in the Ouachita National Forest in southwest Arkansas has been on my “list” for several years. At nearly 400 miles from Houston, it is our closest multi-day trail in hills. I was thrilled in early November when I suggested to Samuel that we do it over the Thanksgiving breakContinue reading “The Eagle Rock Loop in November 2022”

Coast to Coast Day 16+: Sunset Drone at the Lion Inn

I’d looked forward to capturing the sunset from the Lion Inn since before the trip started. I had done a recce flight with my DJI Mini 2 earlier which was part of the day’s post. This evening adventure deserves its own blog – not least because the day’s post was already published and I wantedContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 16+: Sunset Drone at the Lion Inn”

Grand Canyon Day 6 – The Hoover Dam

Samuel’s interest in the Glen Canyon Dam made me think of visiting Hoover. It looked like they had a cool tour inside the dam, with tickets only available in-person, on the day. With a 3:48pm flight out of Vegas, which was 30 mins away from Hoover, we had time. While it meant another 5:30am start,Continue reading “Grand Canyon Day 6 – The Hoover Dam”

Grand Canyon Day 5 – The Epic Buckskin Gulch

It is wrong to group such a standalone classic with the Grand Canyon, but that was the name of our trip, so I’ll have to live with it. Buckskin Gulch is truly the classic slot canyon. I’ve had my eye on it for over a decade. It was extremely exciting to finally do it, andContinue reading “Grand Canyon Day 5 – The Epic Buckskin Gulch”

Grand Canyon Day 4 – Rest Day at Lake Powell and Horseshoe Bend

After 3 days in the Grand Canyon, we knew a day off would be a good idea. Once we’d arrived in the area, we realized there was lots of easy stuff to do! Peek-a-boo canyon looked exciting, but one review indicated how easy it was to get stuck in the sand, even with an AWD.Continue reading “Grand Canyon Day 4 – Rest Day at Lake Powell and Horseshoe Bend”

Grand Canyon Day 3 – From the Esplanade to the North Rim

The overnight wind had amplified the chilliness of the ~50 degF overnight temps. We’d chosen down blankets over sleeping bags to save weight, and I’d got a bit chilled a couple of times, but Samuel had been fine. The “5.4 degF per 1000 ft” rule seemed to be applying well. The day was bringing aContinue reading “Grand Canyon Day 3 – From the Esplanade to the North Rim”

Grand Canyon Day 2 – Deer Creek and Night Hiking

The night had been filled with thousands of stars. The temperature had dropped from 80 degF when we felt asleep to a refreshing 60 degF when we woke, but the ground was still warm! We had both slept well and felt surprisingly refreshed. Our plan was just a 4.5-mile hike along the Colorado to DeerContinue reading “Grand Canyon Day 2 – Deer Creek and Night Hiking”

Grand Canyon Day 1 – Bill Hall to the Colorado

Hiking from the North Rim to the river in a remote corner of the Grand Canyon National Park was a daunting prospect. We were packed with the lightest and least equipment that we could, and a new approach to food that I hoped would work. I found the best overview of the route at AllTrails.com,Continue reading “Grand Canyon Day 1 – Bill Hall to the Colorado”

Samuel’s Scouting Journey

This post is about Samuel’s 3-4 years spent in scouts. Hopefully you will like the photos and stories, and get an appreciation of what scouts is about and what it takes to advance. It all started in January 2016 with our first campout at Alligator Creek with Troop 13 which was affiliated with Samuel’s school.Continue reading “Samuel’s Scouting Journey”

Reflections on the Collegiate Loop

My 16-year-old son Samuel and I completed this loop over 11 nights/12 days in the summer of 2021. The daily adventures are captured in other blog posts on this site. This post aims to provide background in the hope that it might guide or even inspire others. It is a fantastic hike but is bestContinue reading “Reflections on the Collegiate Loop”

Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail: Briar Bend Park to Woodway Memorial Park

This is a “catch-up” post from May 2020 to describe our second outing on the Buffalo Bayou. Having successfully completed a solo outing the previous week, I persuaded Samuel to join me for the next leg. The days were getting hot, so a short trip was advised. Moving upstream from my previous outing, the nextContinue reading “Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail: Briar Bend Park to Woodway Memorial Park”

A Six-Day Tour of Lake District Peaks

This is a “catch-up” post, written in July 2022, of a fantastic loop trek that a 14-year-old Samuel and I completed in June 2019. When we had lived in Ulverston in 2010 and 2011, Samuel had been too young and I too inexperienced for extended wildcamping trips. Our 2018 trek in Colorado had given usContinue reading “A Six-Day Tour of Lake District Peaks”