It’s dawn on the ridge. The sky casts an orangey hue over the recently-exposed leafy ground, ground that has been hidden by ever-thickening layers of snow for the past couple weeks---until this weekend, when temperatures climbed into the 50s and the rain washed all signs of winter away. Down the hill, on our lane, canoes …
The arrival of winter.
Winter snuck up on me this year. It seems like just yesterday that I was returning home from Japan, with the end of summer and all of fall ahead of me. The leaves were still green, the air was still warm, and friends gathered around the fire pit outside. Now, the first snow of the …
Cold feet, warm heart.
I woke up this morning with a sore throat that felt like it was on fire, the sickness I'd be fighting for the past couple days still hanging on despite my attempts at curbing it with various tea concoctions. Going out into the cold and riding a bike wasn't exactly the most appealing thing at …
Building wheels.
It's the wheels that make the bicycle. They're what keeps you rolling, what takes the brunt of the impact through that rock garden or off that drop. A bad pair of wheels quickly ruins a great bike. So, needless to say, they're important. And so, for this reason, hand-building a bicycle wheel is an incredibly …
A couple hours on Trough Creek.
When it comes to paddling in Central Pennsylvania, Trough Creek (aka Great Trough Creek) is undoubtedly one of my favorite spots. Nestled in a forested, rocky gorge, the class II-III run offers just enough whitewater to be fun without being too nerve-wracking. But it's an illusive gem, only runnable at high water after a heavy …
A fat-tire’d, mud-slingin’, rock-skippin’ Sunday.
Lately, the world of mountain biking for those of us living in the vicinity of Raystown Lake has changed a bit. This fall, the Army Corps of Engineers is drawing down the level of the lake more than twice the usual seasonal 2-3 feet in order to perform shoreline maintenance. For those of us with …
Continue reading "A fat-tire’d, mud-slingin’, rock-skippin’ Sunday."
Wednesday night.
Outside the cabin, a motley crew of people gather. Some have been strangers until now, some are friends reunited after too long, some know each other all too well. Some ride every day, some a couple times a week, but for a few, this will be their first ride in months. Our ages range from …
The Triple Header.
Triple-header (n) :Â three games played one after another on the same day In the case of two weekends ago, this meant 12 miles of hiking, 14 miles of paddling, and 24 miles of biking, all within 12 hours of daylight. This adventure was to take place around the area of Delaware Water Gap, on the …
The length of the lake, and a little bit more.
Last week, knowing that we both had off on Friday and that we were both in need of an all-day outdoor adventure, Evan and I had a very brief conversation that ended with the decision that we would paddle the entire length of the 30-mile-long Raystown Lake. And so, we woke up just before 5am, …
Continue reading "The length of the lake, and a little bit more."
Teens with saws.
There is nothing that makes me feel more socially awkward than standing around in a group of high school students. Though it wasn’t all that long ago that my mid-20’s self was in their shoes, I now find myself feeling like I’m unable to relate, and my usual fun-loving and personable self seems to shut …
helena kotala 