Welcome to my blog, the outdoor diary of someone who prefers to feel the earth beneath his feet. It’s what I am passionate about, it’s what I live for: to feel the earth beneath my feet. Not pavement, not concrete and especially not carpet, but the wild earth in its many natural forms.
I have written two books about this passion: The Earth Beneath My Feet (published June 1, 2021) and On Sacred Ground (published October 1, 2022). The books take readers on a 7,000-mile wilderness walk into the heart of wild nature, and the purpose of this blog is to add extra background to the books. But it is also to share and celebrate the wild, and perhaps even to inspire. From engaging deeply with nature I’ve received extraordinary rewards, and if this blog can lead even one other person towards those rewards then it will have served its purpose.
Many of my wilderness journeys take place alone, but through this blog I hope you’ll tag along and share the miles with me. Thanks for stopping by!
And for further details on the book, select the BOOKS page in the menu above.
A NIGHT HIKE on Kinder Scout? In winter? Alone? Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. What could possibly go wrong? This is a tale from almost four decades ago – from the late eighties. It takes place upon Kinder Scout, the highest hill in Britain’s Peak District National Park, although to
MY LAST FEW blog posts have been fairly serious, so here’s a light-hearted story to balance them out. It’s one of my favorite trail stories, as well as one of the unlikeliest and most wonderful moments I’ve ever experienced. It took place in spring 2000 as I was plodding north up the Continental Divide in
I AM A FOOL. A short-sighted fool. It’s important to make that clear. What does one do when one finally realizes this, even though the foolishness can’t be undone? One heads to the woods of course. They always help. The October woods were delicious, a feast for all the senses. Although most of the aspens
I’VE WRITTEN MYSELF into a bit of a hole. I can’t write too much more about the mountain where I’ve spent most of my backpacking time over the past three and a half years, other than what I’ve already put into my next book – lest I give the location away and become responsible for
IT’S BEEN A WHILE. I’ve been neglecting my online presence, something modern-day indie writers are ill-advised to do. Out of sight, out of mind, out of book sales! But, I’ve been living life, staying fully engaged with family affairs and outdoor activities. And I’ve been deeply focused on my next book, One Year One Mountain.
YESTERDAY’S OUTING ON FOOT – a run/hike/stand-and-stare outing – was so much more rejuvenating than one might think such a short outing could possibly be. I was out for less than three hours, nothing compared with the multi-month trips I used to take, but afterwards I felt as though I’d been away for longer. For far