bits

• 2013-03-03

  I went hiking at Gambrill State Park yesterday and followed that up with a drive through the Frederick Watershed. Gambrill was deserted, cold, and blowing occasional snow flakes. The Watershed is filled with odd buildings and winding roads. It was an interesting mini trek. 

• 2013-01-16

  

  Photo of a hiker in Alberta by Lowell Georgia, 1973 for National Geographic/Getty Images via Tomboy Style. 

• 2013-01-06

  The boy and I went for a hike today. 

• 2012-08-27

  

  The Leatherman: 

  This is one of those great stories, a piece of American folklore that intrigues and mystifies. It is a tale about a mysterious character called “The Leatherman” – a man who roamed the countryside in the mid 1800s. He wore a homemade suit constructed from the leather uppers of old boots with a matching leather hat and scarf, he rarely spoke but when when he did French appeared to be his first language. He spent a great many years traveling around New York, Massachusetts and Vermont before settling into a 365 mile loop around Connecticut and the Hudson River, which he completed every 34 days like clockwork. The Leatherman slept in caves where he stored supplies. He grew plants around his caves, foraged and picked up  any supplies he needed from the towns along the way. His strict routine and odd look made him a familiar face along his route; newspapers even commented on his comings and goings. People were not afraid of The Leatherman and offered him aid where they could (although he never asked for it) and he came and went as his schedule dictated.

  Via William Gibson

• 2012-08-26

  

  My son and I hiked the Catoctin Furnace Trail at Cunningham Falls State Park yesterday. This is the Bow Arch Bridge, which was moved here from Hazard, Maryland (a place deep in western Maryland).

• 2012-08-12

  

  I’m pretty sure my dog just thought the deer was a funky K9 with really long legs. 

• 2012-07-22

  I took the boy camping at Rocky Gap State Park this past weekend. After a rainy Friday night, the weather cleared up enough on Saturday for us to go for hike, do some paddling, hit the nature center, and sit by the fire in the cool evening. Good times had by all.

• 2012-05-06

  

  An old boot I found partially buried by the Monocacy River while hiking the Monocacy Battlefield National Park.

• 2012-04-30

  

  I was able to squeeze a hike in after work tonight. Part of the trail ran by a cow pasture. My presence was duly noted by its residents.

• 2012-03-28

  Nature Valley Trail View

  Nature Valley Trail View offers 300-plus miles of immersive national parks content, through panoramic views and interactive guides to three of America’s most iconic national parks.

  You pick a park, a trail, and are able to virtually hike it; Google Street View style. This Fast Company article provides a behind the scenes look at how the footage was captured: 

  From a distance, the assembled masses would have looked like a caravan of settlers. The field crew from Backpacker Magazine (or “bear bait” as Patterson referred to them) headed up the front, setting the pace and keeping the operation environmentally sound. Shortly behind them were the agency creatives, who scouted locations and points of interest. The next wave included the tech team—who kept lenses clean, adjusted settings, and kept the cameras out of contact with each other—as well as master cameraman, Brandon McClain. Finally, trailing behind, was a sweeper team, who made sure nothing was left behind. Although some of the crew only stayed for shorter periods, the hike lasted 45 days total.

  How cool would it have been to work on this project? 

• 2012-02-19

  

  I saw this while hiking today. The gate guards the entrance to a little stream that flows out of the mountain. The sign says Maryland State Boundary … whatever that means.