Your Bio

Welcome to my page! Thats me to the left doing what I love to do...being outdoors that is. I've been fortunate enough to live in New England, North Carolina, and the North Woods of Michigan. I presently live near Brevard, in the mountains of western North Carolina, with my wife Angie and my two boys Alex and Chris.

Hiking is what I live for but I also enjoy touring historical sites or just travelling for no better reason than to see something new. Lighthouses and waterfalls are some of my favorite things to explore when I'm not on the trail...likely because they are so darn photogenic! Many of my recent trips (2007-2012)center around the Upper Great Lakes while earlier years (2005-2006) and now presently (2012-on) I am spending wandering the mountains of western North Carolina and the southeast. I like to get out and about as much as I can, so its hard telling where I'll end up next! I invite you to stop back as often as you like and come with me on my latest adventure!!

Hope you enjoy looking around!

"All my life, people have asked the question, directly or indirectly, "Why the hell do you climb mountains?" I can't explain this to other people. I love the physical exertion. I love the wind, I love the storms: I love the fresh air. I love the companionship in the outdoors. I love the reality. I love the change. I love the oneness with nature: I'm hungry; I enjoy clear water. I enjoy being warm at night when its cold outside. All those simple things are extremely enjoyable because, gosh, you're feeling them, you're living them, you're senses are really feeling, I can't explain it." --Paul Petzoldt (founder of NOLS)

Featured Galleries

Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park (12-28-12) : The Anhinga Trail is deservedly the most popular 'hiking trail' in the whole of Everglades National Park. I place 'hiking trail' in quotes because its paved walkways and brevity (less than 1 mile) make it more like a stroll in a city park. But, oh, what a stroll!! The highlight of the Anhinga Trail is the wildlife. No other place in the Everglades can a visitor be immersed in such a dazzling array of local fauna. At times you feel almost like you're walking through a zoo, so seemingly tame are the animals. There are alligators galore but the real draw are the birds. The Everglades are a world-renowned birding site and the Anhinga Trail offers the opportunity to see many of these amazing creatures up close and personal. The trail itself is located only about 4 miles inside the eastern entrance to the National Park. Due to its proximity to the entrance and its deserved popularity it is always busy during the prime winter months. The trail is about 3/4 of a mile long and loops through a large, freshwater sawgrass marsh. The first half of the walkway is paved while the remainder follows an elevated boardwalk loop. If you are planning a visit to the Everglades DON'T MISS THIS TRAIL...oh, and don't forget your camera!

Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park (12-28-12)

The Anhinga Trail is deservedly the most popular 'hiking trail' in the ...

Updated: Jan 18, 2013 8:56am PST

Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Graham County (10-18-12) : The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is located near the town of Robbinsville, near eastern terminus of the Cherohala Skyway, in the western reaches of Nantahala National Forest. It contains one of the few large remaining stands of virgin forest in the east and is home to some truly giant trees. The giants of the valley are the Tulip Poplars, some of which are over 400 years old and have circumferences in excess of 20 feet! In a land that has been subjected to the saw over and over again this area stands apart as a true treasure of the southern Appalachians. Designated in 1936, the 3,600 acre grove is dedicated to a man who never actually set foot in this forest but whose love for the woods echoes in the famous poem he wrote simply titled, "Trees." Unfortunately, this remarkable young man had his life cut short on the battlefields of France in World War 1. I'm not sure a more fitting memorial could have been imagined. Despite suffering through the destruction of the Hemlocks shortly after it was dedicated, and more recently the loss of its Hemlocks, the forest is still a magical place to visit, one that any true lover of nature shouldn't miss...

Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Graham County (10-18-12)

The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is located near the town of Robbinsvi ...

Updated: Feb 05, 2013 4:09pm PST

Linville Gorge - Tablerock Mountain (11-5-12) : Linville Gorge is always a favorite place visit, and one I don't get out to nearly as often as I should. It had been nearly seven years (thanks to my northern hiatus) since I had set foot on one of its trails and I wanted to make my return a special one. My planned route would take me up over the summit of Tablerock Mountain (one of the highest points along the rim of the gorge) down to the bottom and back out in a 7.5 mile loop. Utilizing some of the least used as well as most used trails in the gorge the hike would offer a little bit of everything that this wilderness has to offer. The hike would be a rugged one with an elevation gain over the entire route approaching 2,000-feet. Knowing it would be a classic, I headed out early to enjoy one of the last great days of fall...

Linville Gorge - Tablerock Mountain (11-5-12)

Linville Gorge is always a favorite place visit, and one I don't get o ...

Updated: Dec 19, 2012 7:38am PST

North Carolina Waterfalls : A collection of waterfalls from the mountains of Western North Carolina, one of the most beautiful places in the country.

North Carolina Waterfalls

A collection of waterfalls from the mountains of Western North Carolin ...

Updated: May 02, 2013 3:31pm PST

Gallery Categories

North Carolina Hikes : 39 galleries with 1799 photos

North Carolina Hikes

39 galleries with 1799 photos

Updated: May 25, 2013 4:47am PST

History : 43 galleries with 1532 photos

History

43 galleries with 1532 photos

Updated: May 13, 2013 7:00pm PST

Michigan Hikes : 72 galleries with 3391 photos

Michigan Hikes

72 galleries with 3391 photos

Updated: Sep 29, 2012 8:54pm PST

Ontario Hikes : 17 galleries with 793 photos

Ontario Hikes

17 galleries with 793 photos

Updated: Oct 06, 2011 9:06am PST

Colorado-Utah Hikes : 8 galleries with 461 photos

Colorado-Utah Hikes

8 galleries with 461 photos

Updated: Feb 13, 2009 10:31am PST

South Dakota Hikes : 10 galleries with 441 photos

South Dakota Hikes

10 galleries with 441 photos

Updated: May 17, 2011 9:02pm PST

llinois-Iowa-Missouri-Wisconsin Hikes : 9 galleries with 441 photos

llinois-Iowa-Missouri-Wisconsin Hikes

9 galleries with 441 photos

Updated: Aug 24, 2011 9:59pm PST

Indiana-Ohio Hikes : 1 gallery with 37 photos

Indiana-Ohio Hikes

1 gallery with 37 photos

Updated: Jun 13, 2010 3:27pm PST

Kansas-Nebraska Hikes : 2 galleries with 54 photos

Kansas-Nebraska Hikes

2 galleries with 54 photos

Updated: Feb 13, 2009 10:32am PST

Mid-Atlantic (PA,NJ,MD) Hikes : 2 galleries with 53 photos

Mid-Atlantic (PA,NJ,MD) Hikes

2 galleries with 53 photos

Updated: Jul 30, 2009 8:46pm PST

New Hampshire Hikes : 2 galleries with 49 photos

New Hampshire Hikes

2 galleries with 49 photos

Updated: May 28, 2009 6:31pm PST

Georgia & South Carolina Hikes : 4 galleries with 189 photos

Georgia & South Carolina Hikes

4 galleries with 189 photos

Updated: Apr 17, 2013 3:53pm PST

Virginia-West Virginia Hikes : 4 galleries with 163 photos

Virginia-West Virginia Hikes

4 galleries with 163 photos

Updated: Jul 30, 2009 8:01pm PST

Florida Hikes : 4 galleries with 113 photos

Florida Hikes

4 galleries with 113 photos

Updated: Jan 20, 2013 6:35pm PST

Waterfalls : 3 galleries with 58 photos

Waterfalls

3 galleries with 58 photos

Updated: Oct 05, 2008 2:15pm PST

Lighthouse : 5 galleries with 239 photos

Lighthouse

5 galleries with 239 photos

Updated: Jan 17, 2013 5:20pm PST

Wildflowers : 5 galleries with 541 photos

Wildflowers

5 galleries with 541 photos

Updated: Jul 10, 2011 5:49pm PST

Places : 4 galleries with 322 photos

Places

4 galleries with 322 photos

Updated: Mar 08, 2012 8:09am PST

Inspirational : 1 gallery with 41 photos

Inspirational

1 gallery with 41 photos

Updated: Oct 05, 2008 5:22pm PST

empty gallery

Other

1 gallery with 0 photos

Updated: Jan 14, 2012 8:18pm PST

On the Road : 2 galleries with 251 photos

On the Road

2 galleries with 251 photos

Updated: Apr 11, 2008 10:06pm PST

Lords of the Air : 1 gallery with 64 photos

Lords of the Air

1 gallery with 64 photos

Updated: Jan 09, 2013 4:33pm PST

Slideshow

Friends & Family

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