Hiking
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Mill Prong, Rapidan Camp & Hightop Mountain via the Appalachian Trail
I arrived at the trailhead at 7 AM, and there was only one other car in the parking lot, even though multiple trails branch off from here. I was doing Mill Prong, Rapidan Camp, and Hightop Mountain via the Appalachian Trail. We headed left on Mill Prong Trail, following the blue blazes. So far, just…
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Little Devils Stairs Trail: Shenandoah National Park
Little Devils Stairs has been on my list for a while, and apparently I wasn’t the only one with that idea. When I arrived, the parking lot was completely full, and I had to park along the road section. Parking there can get a little tricky, because people might not be smart. More on that…
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Lesesne State Forest
Lesesne State Forest isn’t the kind of place you roll into with a plan, a printed trail map, and a perfectly packed daypack. If that’s your expectation, you’re going to be annoyed within the first ten minutes. This is more of a “figure it out as you go” kind of place, which honestly makes it…
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Camp Hoover Trail Loop
Some hikes are about waterfalls, overlooks, and photo ops. This wasn’t one of those. This was a walk-into-it kind of hike, quiet, steady, and surprisingly grounding. I took Zina and Remi out to the Camp Hoover Trail area, starting near Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park. When I pulled in, my car was the only…
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Fun Fact: I Already Earned My First Trail Quest Pin
Here’s the part that made me laugh a little when I officially committed to the Virginia State Parks Trail Quest: I’d already started. Not intentionally or even strategically.Just by living my life and saying yes to hiking the trails over the last two years. Which means, before I even “started”, I had already earned my…
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Why I’m Doing the Virginia State Parks Trail Quest
On paper, the Virginia State Parks Trail Quest sounds simple. Hike a list of state parks.Collect stamps.Earn a little sense of accomplishment. Easy, right? But the real reason I’m doing the Trail Quest has very little to do with checklists, prizes, or bragging rights. Those are nice. They’re just not the point. I’m doing it…
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Hiking Occoneechee State Park
Beaver Pond Trail (5.38 Miles)Beaver Pond Trail is a multi-use loop open to hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders. It’s a wide, easy trail, great for hiking, walking, or even trail running. I hiked it clockwise, which meant turning left at the start. About 1.5–2 miles in, you begin to see views of the lake. The…
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What Walking Every Day Taught Me About Decision Fatigue
Walking with the dogs every day, before emails, before breakfast, before the world gets loud. It started as a health thing, but it became a ritual. A sanity-saver. A compass reset. And here’s what I noticed: on days I walk, I make better decisions. I don’t mean life-altering, move-across-the-country decisions. I mean the small ones.…
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Natural Bridge State Park: Awe and a Leashed Walk with Milo
There are some places you don’t really need to hype up. They carry their own weight.Natural Bridge State Park is one of those places. You don’t arrive wondering if it will be impressive. You arrive knowing it will be, and instead, you start wondering how it’s going to feel. Overwhelming? Peaceful? Rushed? Reverent? The answer,…
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Solo Hiking on a Budget: What I Use
Let’s get this out of the way: you do not need to spend a small fortune to enjoy hiking solo. If Instagram has you convinced you need top-tier gear, a brand partnership, or a sherpa to carry your organic trail mix, you’ve been duped. Here’s what I actually use: Fancy? Nope. Functional? Absolutely. Solo hiking…
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What the Forest Taught Me About Unfinished Business
I once hiked a trail I hadn’t finished years earlier, one I’d turned around on halfway because it felt like too much. Even though Zina was with me, I was feeling uncertain and unsteady. And honestly? It wasn’t the view that hit me. It was what I remembered: the first time I tried it, I…
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Why You Don’t Need to Travel Far to Find Adventure
We’ve been sold this idea that adventure requires plane tickets, passports, and a hefty bank account. And as someone who has lived and traveled in Europe growing up, it isn’t all that appealing to me. But what if it just took a tank of gas and an open afternoon? Some of the best adventures I’ve…