Backpacking Gear: Garmin Fenix 5x First Impressions

Who needs a full-featured GPS-in-a-watch? Not many people, probably. But if you’re a backcountry backpacker, such a thing could come in handy. I recently found a too-good-to-pass-up deal on a brand new Garmin Fenix 5x. This device that had been on my “would love to have but is too expensive” list was suddenly attached to… More Backpacking Gear: Garmin Fenix 5x First Impressions

Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Segment 4 – Linville Gorge

By late December, after a couple of months of flatland hiking, I was suffering from mountain withdrawal. I needed an extended hike in the high country. Several days of unseasonably warm weather, the week before Christmas, presented an opportunity. Logistical constraints only left me with one real option: Mountains-to-Sea Trail Segment 4, and Linville Gorge.… More Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Segment 4 – Linville Gorge

Yellowstone: Bunsen Peak

My rowdy extended family of 9 (Me, Roberta, Jack, Viv, Viv’s boyfriend Dakota, Roberta’s sister Mary, Mary’s husband Mike, and their kids Matt and Katie) took an epic 10 day vacation to Colorado, Wyoming and Utah in July. While there, we spent a few days at Yellowstone, staying in Gardiner, MT. My personal primary objective… More Yellowstone: Bunsen Peak