Top Five Philadelphia-Area Fall Foliage Day Hikes

Even though autumn is technically still two weeks away, it one of my favorite times of year here on the east coast. The smell of the leaves, the spectrum of colors, and the impending arrival of winter! I'm hoping I can get it to come faster by writing about some of my favorite places around Philly to take in the fall colors on the trails. Each of these hikes are fun to do regardless of the season, but are particularly beautiful in autumn, and all are 100 miles or less from the city. They're in no particular order. Enjoy, and leave your fall foliage experiences in the comments section! 

The Pinnacle/Pulpit Rock

Photo by Paul H., Oct 2009.

The moderately strenuous Pinnacle/Pulpit hike provides some of the area's most beautiful vistas. No matter the season, the trail will be enjoyable!

From the Hamburg Reservoir parking lot, follow a gravel path to the white blazed Appalachian Trail. The trail meanders up to Pulpit Rock, then flattens and continues on for another two miles to the Pinnacle. A giant cairn marks the Pinnacle, and the nearby cliffs offer incredible views of the valley below. Backtrack from the vista to the cairn, keep right, and follow an abandoned road to descend. Finding the descent trail can be the trickiest part. The blue blazed trail passes a grassy area and turns left into the woods. At the intersection with the AT, turn right to retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

Trail Length and Time: Loop hike, 8 miles, 5-6 hours
Distance from Center City Philadelphia: 1 hour 25 mins, 80 miles
Maps: the best I've found are on trails.com.
More Information: general Appalachian Trail information 

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Autumn leaves, Nov 2008.

Right near the Pinnacle/Pulpit, Hawk Mountain is a perfect place for foliage and bird watching. Trails wind through woods, around literal rivers of rocks, and up the mountain itself to spectacular views of the Lehigh Valley.

There are eight miles of trail options with some following paved areas and wide, sandy paths and others requiring hand-over-hand scrambling. If you arrive to find the parking lot full, don't despair; the majority of visitors stick to the easily accessible trails!


My favorite loop combines a walk through the woods with the River of Rocks and the North Lookout. From the parking lot, follow the wide partially paved path to the sanctuary entrance, follow the trail up and turn right on to the red blazed River of Rocks trail. The trail can be difficult to keep track of; make sure to keep looking for blazes. After looping around the entire River of Rocks, ascend to the Skyline Trail via the Golden Eagle connector trail. This is where the real fun starts! The blue blazed Skyline trail is, in most places, a pile of boulders. Be careful here and take your time. I'd suggest changing plans if it's been raining; the rocks are slippery when wet. Continue along the ridge following blue blazes, and one final short, steep hand-over-hand section will bring you to the lookout. You'll likely find a crowd at the top, but remember, you took the fun way up! Descend via the Lookout Trail (yellow blazes) back to the visitors center. 

Trail Length and Time: suggested loop hike is 6 miles, 4-5 hours 
Distance from Center City Philadelphia: 1 hour 35 mins, 90 miles 
Maps: Hawk Mountain provides this map online and a printed one at the visitors center. 
More Information: The Hawk Mountain website has plenty of information for you before you go, and I definitely suggest looking through it. Take sturdy shoes for this one and be aware of the entrance fee, which helps the Sanctuary continue to operate. It's a bit higher in the fall ($7 instead of the normal $5). 

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area - Mount Tammany

Photo by Carl Ewald, Oct 2008

Located on the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap, it's a perfect short day hike for beautiful views of the Delaware River. It's also a popular one with numerous other trails in the area, including the Appalachian Trail.

Take the steep Red Dot (Tammany) Trail to the summit from the Dunnfield Parking Area, and enjoy views of Mt. Minsi across the Delaware. Lucky hikers might have the chance to see trains moving along the river below, and it's a perfect place for a lunch break. The Red and Blue Dot trails meet just past the top, and the Blue Dot Trail is best for the descent. It's much easier on the knees than completing the loop in the opposite direction. The Blue Dot Trail ends at beautiful Dunnfield Creek and joins the AT back to the parking lot. 

Trail Length and Time: Loop hike, 3 miles, 2-3 hours round trip
Distance from Center City Philadelphia: 1 hour 45 mins, 100 miles
Maps: National Park Service area map and brochure
More Information: NPS Delaware Water Gap NRA website

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area - Mount Minsi

Changing leaves, Sept 2009.

Right across the Delaware River from Mt. Tammany, the Appalachian Trail passes through the town of Delaware Water Gap, PA and over the top of Mt. Minsi. Less popular than Mt. Tammany, but equally beautiful in autumn, it's a more leisurely way to get your fill of Water Gap fall foliage. If rock climbing is more appealing to you, there's plenty of that as well.

My preferred route follows the white blazed AT from the Lake Lenape parking lot. The trail crosses a wooden bridge and meanders through the woods at first, then ascends gently. Cross the wide Mt. Minsi fire road and continue to follow the AT to what's left of a fire tower, which marks the top.  You can also shorten the hike here if need be by turning on to the fire road before summitting. Backtrack to the fire road and follow it back down to the parking lot to complete the loop.

Trail Length and Time: Loop hike, 4 miles, 2-3 hours round trip
Distance from Center City Philadelphia: 1 hour 45 mins, 100 miles
Maps: National Park Service area map and brochure
More Information: NPS Delaware Water Gap NRA website

The Wissahickon Gorge

Livesy Rock area, Sept 2009.

The Wissahickon is, in my humble opinion, the best part of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park and one of my favorite things about the city itself. Encompassing 1,400 acres of steep ravines and beautiful scenery, it's easy to forget the park is within the limits of our country's sixth largest city. When autumn comes, all of the gorge's deciduous trees turn shades of yellow, orange and red, dropping leaves into the Wissahickon Creek.

Forbidden Drive, more of a gravel road than a trail, runs for just  over five miles along the edge of the creek from the beautiful Valley Green in to a small parking lot on Lincoln Drive. But hikers could spend all day wandering around in the park taking in the autumn leaves. I'd recommend purchasing a map to help guide you through the more than 50 miles of trails.

Trail Length and Time: as long or as short as you'd like it to be!

Distance from Center City Philadelphia: 10-15 miles

Maps: Friends of the Wissahickon puts out the best map I've found, available here

More information: Friends of the Wissahickon, Fairmount Park Commission

TerraMar Trip Report: Hiking and Pie!

TerraMar's first Hike and Pie event of the season took place Saturday, and it's a particularly fun event to lead. I've discovered our members are much more enthusiastic about getting through the toughest parts of a hike when there are four freshly baked pies waiting for them at the bottom! It was great to be out in the Delaware Water Gap for the first time this spring. I really enjoy seeing a place as it changes throughout the course of the seasons.

Mount Tammany, despite being a short hike, is one of my favorites in that area. The trail doesn't afford you much time to warm up; it begins climbing steeply right from the parking lot. But the further up you go, the more rewarding the view is. Each of the three viewpoints on the ascent provides a more spectacular view of the Delaware River. Even though you're quite close to I-80, you'd hardly know it. The higher you go, the more the sounds of rushing cars falls away.

One of my good friends, Lauren, came along on the hike to learn about being a TerraMar guide. She and another super strong #badassgirl, Carla, are the newest proposed additions to the TerraMar team. On the ascent, Lauren mentioned how methodical my steps were, and how purposeful. It got me thinking, of course, about life in general, and how I approach journeys from one destination to another.

I think a lot. I analyze things a lot. I like to be deliberate with my movements and my decision, each being carefully and critically thought through. I'll do my best to make sure I've got as much information as possible to avoid uncertainty, and if I haven't done that work, the event/day/hike/etc. becomes more stressful. I'll likely look for someone else to make a decision about that event.

I've done the Mount Tammany hike at least half a dozen times, but still felt better looking at the map Carla printed out to verify the colors of the blazes we were following. Verifying what I already knew was comforting. Dan and I planned to camp near Ralph Stover that night, and try to find our way to the crag the next morning without a guide book or help from people who'd been there before. But the thought of not knowing where the crag was or anything about where specific routes were really ate away at my climbing motivation. The fact that the temperature dropped to the low 30's at night and topped out at 45º the next day certainly didn't help! We ended up finding the campground, but when we woke up the next morning, we decided to explore a little town in the area, then head to PRG Oaks for indoor bouldering instead.

I know that uncertainty is part of life, and that I'll never evolve in climbing, or in anything I do if I let that uncertainty get to me. I'm learning to tell myself that it's alright if things don't go exactly as planned - it doesn't mean the plans were a failure, it's just life's way of teaching me to be more flexible. And it means I'll know more about how to plan next time. Part of my personal evolution is becoming aware of how I react to situations, why, and what I can do to manage those reactions. It's an ongoing process, without a doubt!

TerraMar Trip Report: Pinnacle Winter Hike

It was a perfect, beautiful Sunday for a hike to the Pinnacle, touted as one of Pennsylvania's greatest vistas. AT thru-hikers have remarked it's one of the prettiest views in the state, and I'm beginning to agree with them! We did the hike as a group this past August, but visibility was so awful from a thunderstorm rolling in that we didn't get to see more then three feet in front of us when we got to the vista. I told other TerraMar guide on the hike with me that I didn't believe there was any vista at all! But I was definitely proven wrong this time.

We left Philadelphia at 7:30am and were out on the trail by 10 in a group of 16. It was in the mid-30s in the morning and snowing, but midday the snow let up and the sun came out. We all had trouble finding room for extra layers in our backpacks when it warmed up. I was comfortable hiking in a base layer with my rain coat and rain pants on, despite having brought my down jacket and assuming I'd need it.

The trail begins with a gentle incline, then rises sharply a mile in. After another mile and a half of climbing, we reached Pulpit Rock, pictured at the left. It was beautiful, and also marked the end of the really hard part of the hike! The trail was pretty well packed down up to that point with obvious steps up to Pulpit Rock. No one wore crampons or used trekking poles, and we rarely punched through the snow. It was great! Pulpit Rock is a turnaround point for some hikers, and others proceed another mile toward the Pinnacle and bail out on a red-blazed trail. The trail between Pulpit Rock and the Pinnacle wasn't as well stomped down, but we still had no trouble navigating.


We reached the Pinnacle just after 1pm, pictured right, and the view was certainly worth the trip! It dispelled any doubts I had about its existence. The snow still fell a bit, but the sun was weaving in and out of the clouds, casting shadows on the hills around us and the landscape below. It was beautiful. We stopped for a snack break and photos, then proceeded down an abandoned fire road back to the parking lot. We met a group of snowmobilers on the way, and I was thankful they'd packed down the snow for us!

We arrived back at the cars just after 2pm, which is the fastest I've ever hiked that trail with TerraMar. A group of us were anxious to make it back home to watch the Canada vs. US Olympic gold medal hockey game. I walked in the door just as the second period started, and spent the afternoon watching the game while Dan, who's Canadian, bantered back and forth with American friends on the phone.

It was a perfect day for a hike, and a great, enthusiastic group of TerraMar folks. We're doing the Pinnacle/Pulpit hike again in April, but the next hike we've got coming up is one of my all-time favorites - Mount Tammany Hike and Pie!

TerraMar on Twitter

I'm happy to announce that my adventure group, TerraMar Adventures, now has a twitter account! Follow @TerraMarAdv for the most exciting upcoming events, notes from group guides/organizers, and anything else that has to do with playing outside around Philadelphia!

This is particularly exciting to me because I blog about events I do with TerraMar all the time, but to my greater readership, I'm not sure I've done the best job of explaining what TerraMar is and what my role is within the group.

Essentially, TerraMar Adventures is the largest outdoor adventure group in the Philadelphia area. We specialize in local and regional outdoor events that help our members meet other like-minded individuals, and help them understand what beautiful Pennsylvania has to offer. We work with some of the best guiding services and experts to bring safe and exciting experiences to our members. From hiking to adventure racing, from powered paragliding to skydiving, and from rock climbing to ice climbing, we've got it all!

I found the group when I first moved here via the meet-up webpage, http://www.meetup.com/PhiladelphiaAdventure, and the group has easily doubled in size since I joined. I wanted to meet people who liked hiking and climbing, and people who knew where the heck to go around Philadelphia to do it! I've ended up meeting most of my best friends in Philadelphia thanks to TerraMar. I was brought on as an assistant organizer/guide/Adventure Consultant for the group to help manage the climbing-related events, and haven't turned back!

If you live around Philadelphia, in New Jersey, in Delaware, or just want to check out what I spend most of my weekends doing, check out our website, http://www.terramaradventures.com, or follow the group on twitter at http://twitter.com/TerraMarAdv!

Valentine's Day Ice Climbing

I'd venture to guess most of you who read my blog don't believe in a typical Valentine's Day celebration, or at least find creative ways to express love. Don't get me wrong, I adore flowers and being doted on and celebrating and dinners out! But I can't think of a better way to spend a Hallmark holiday rooted in the celebration of love than playing outside.


Sunday was a beautiful day in northern Pennsylvania, and a perfect day for what might have been my favorite TerraMar Adventures event to organize of all time: a mountaineering and ice climbing skills day! I started working with Brett Simpson, Associate Director of the Quest program at Bloomsburg University, a month before the event. Of course, with a sport like ice climbing that's so dependent on weather, we did our best to plan and crossed our fingers, hoping the ice would stick around long enough. Working with Brett was an event organizer's dream come true - everything was as smooth as butter on my end!

After several days of 40º F temperatures at the end of January, I was a little concerned about the conditions. But then Mother Nature walloped us with two feet of snow, it got considerably colder, and all was right with the world!

We met at Ricketts Glen State Park and spent an hour getting geared up. We hiked an hour in through snow covered trails and around beautiful waterfalls. The park is know for its 22 named waterfalls, one of which is 94 feet tall. Perfect for ice climbing! 

We split into two groups during the hike in. The first group, led by Brett, was comprised of more experienced climbers, i.e. those of us who'd used crampons before. We got right down into the gorge and on the ice. The second group, let by Jeremy, spent a little more time learning how to walk with crampons and move with an ice axe.

Brett and his team from Quest (Jeremy, Lee, and Tabitha) had set up four topropes for our group of 16 people. We had the gorge to ourselves all day, which surprised me. I couldn't wait to get started and jumped right on a 30-40' NEI 4. The Quest team had set up ropes on three other climbs as well, and I'd guess the rest were NEI 2-3. The ice was perfect, just soft enough, and I managed to make it up the NEI 4 climb with a few falls, mostly a result of poor technique. Two other TerraMar members, both first time ice climbers, made it up that route by the end of the day. We were all whooping and hollering when Carla, a brand new ice climber and triathlete extraordinaire, made it to the top on our last climb of the day.

RE: bad technique - I have a tendency to stand up on my toes when I have a solid grip on the ice with my crampons. Lifting your heels or moving your feet too much at all once you've placed them wiggles the crampon points around in the ice, causing them to slip out. It's an unpleasant surprise if you're in the middle of placing your ice tools!


We all rotated through the four climbs, getting in two or three climbs on average. Other things we were able to cover included:

• belaying - a good number of people had never belayed before
• ice screw placements
• ice anchor building
• movement with an ice axe
• characteristics of ice that is safe to climb

I was incredibly impressed with how well everyone did through the course of the day, considering many had never seen an ice tool before! Making it up an ice climb for the first time is an incredible feat, much less those who were able to climb the NEI 4 on their first day. It was a great learning experience and a whole lot of fun!

A big thanks to Brett, Jeremy, Lee and Tabitha for taking such good care of us, and for helping us all have a unique and incredible Valentine's Day on the ice! Check out the Quest program, too, they have a couple of really amazing international trips coming up, including Portero Chico rock climbing! And thanks to Cory and John for the photos!

26 Years of Evolution

evolve (v) - to come forth gradually into being; develop;undergo evolution

Today - I have existed on this planet for exactly 26 years.

Last year on this day - I was preparing for a joint birthday party with one of my good friends, which turned out to be one of the best-attended parties I've ever had, a testament to how amazing my friends are here. I was also packing for my first trip overseas ever. Destination: Dublin, Ireland.

 My best work buddies and I at my birthday party, January 2009

 
Two years ago - I was starting to adjust to life in Philadelphia and still trying to find places to play outside. I had just discovered TerraMar Adventures, a group that would soon become one of the most influential parts of my life in the big city. I didn't attend an event until about a month later, and it was an evening climbing event at Go Vertical.

S

Spending quality time with some of my best buddies at home, winter 2008

Three years ago - I was living in Anchorage and learning how to ski. Dan and I were packing for an overnight trip to Seward that weekend where we'd watch the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen over the harbor.

Outside of the Chugach National Forest in Alaska, winter 2007

Four years ago - I was just beginning my last semester at Cornell University. Having just returned from our annual swim team training trip to Hawaii, I was tan and exhausted! But I was so looking forward to enjoying my last semester of college to the absolute fullest. I had just started rock climbing.

One of my favorite walks at Cornell, right behind Mann Library, spring 2006

Although January 1st officially marks the start of every new year, I can't remember the last time I actually used that day to reflect on what had happened in my life over the past 365 days. Sure I'd watch the news and read about everything that happened in the world over the past year, but it wasn't until my birthday this year that I really stopped to think about what's happened to me, how my life has progressed, and how I've evolved (if at all!). When I think about how I've gotten from where I was even five years ago to where I am today, I'm shocked and amazed.

So, this past year has been pretty incredible. I thank my lucky stars for all of the opportunities I've had this year to develop as all around outdoorswoman, a climber, a TerraMar guide, in my career, and as a human being. I've been fortunate enough to have done some amazing things this past year.

• I resurrected this blog, prompting me to really think about how to share my thoughts meaningfully with others.
  
• I learned how to lead climb, and went on my first and second real outdoor climbing trips. I had to face fears I've previously ignored, but definitely still have work to do.
• I competed in my first, and then second bouldering competitions ever, and loved every minute of it! The support from other climbers and friends during those events still makes me smile.
• I went on two strenuous backpacking trips and learned great lessons about preparedness and group dynamics.
  
• I visited some of the most beautiful National Parks in the country, including Mount Rainier, Olympic, and Joshua Tree.
  
• I went ice climbing and summitted the second-highest ADK 46er in January...and have the video to prove it!
  
• I've accomplished a lot at work, and am enjoying my job and how it challenges me.

But more significant than the things I've done are the people I've done them with. None of the trips I've taken or the adventures I've had would be complete without having shared them with friends, new and old, and without the support of my family. I can't thank all of you enough for the gift of your presence in my life. From my fellow TerraMar guides to my three Philadelphia-based "adventure girls," and from my hometown buddies to the absolutely incredible group of people I've met on twitter, I think I might be the luckiest girl in the world.

And I do think I've done a good bit of evolving this year, mostly in my relationships with others and in learning new activities that test my mind, body and soul. I'm learning what makes me tick, what I'm passionate about, and how best to put that passion to good use. I am gradually coming into being, into my being. And whatever that final being may be, I thank all of you who've been a part of my evolution this year.

TerraMar Trip Report: Pinnacle Hike, Thuderstorm Safety

taking in the "spectacular views" from the Pinnacle in the rain!

Yesterday marked yet another successful hike with TerraMar Adventures. The weather was dismal when I rolled out of bed, the result of a giant rainstorm moving across PA. I jumped in the car and drove to the Hamburg Reservoir parking area to meet the four other adventurers who'd agreed to brave the weather with us. Luckily, by the time we reached the reservoir, the rain had stopped. The weather forecast included additional showers and thunderstorms during the day, but we moved ahead with our plans anyway. After a small handful of wild raspberries, we took off.

The Pinnacle/Pulpit route mostly follows the white-blazed Appalachian Trail, depending on which route you take. We followed the trail indicated in yellow on the map to the AT, and branched off toward the Pulpit. The trail is quite wide all the way up, and we were able to walk side by side for most of the trip. Near the Pulpit, the trail gets rocky and can be slippery in the rain. The view from the Pulpit is supposed to be breathtaking, but our view was more than obscured by the low-lying clouds. I'm hoping to get back sometime when the weather is better!

though hazy, the views were still great.

   
We continued on to the Pinnacle, at which point the rain began to fall and we heard the distant rumble of thunder. We immediately started back down the trail along the AT toward the helipad area on the map. This route kept us further in the woods and out of exposed areas along the ridge. We reached the helipad and branched off to the left, heading south toward the Hamburg Reservoir. By the time we reached the reservoir, we were shedding rain gear and layers as the sun peeked through the clouds and the thunder stopped. 

The end of the day turned out perfectly, and after nearly nine miles of trail, we were ready for food. Our little caravan made it to CJ Hummel's restuarant in Lenhartsville, where I had one of the best restaurant-made grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever had! Try it Philly cheesesteak style - cheddar, onions, mushrooms and sweet peppers - on whole wheat bread.

The day was great overall. Leading group hikes with people you've never met can be tricky, especially when the weather turns sour. But our group was fantastic, very positive and upbeat the entire day. Of course, things could have taken a terrible turn had the thunderstorm been closer to us. We should have considered changing our plans, but being as excited as we were about the day on the trail, we did not. I'm sure many of us have found ourselves in a thunderstorm while engaging in outdoor pursuits, and I wanted to share a little information with you about how to manage thunderstorm risk.

Safety Tips for Hiking in a Thunderstorm
Information here and here from the Red Cross. 

The two most dangerous places to be in a thunderstorm are in open spaces and under trees, which is where hikers normally are! Of course, the best thing to do is not to get stuck in the storm in the first place. Change your plans to avoid the storm, and minimize risk as much as possible. If you do find yourself in a storm without shelter nearby, keep the following in mind:

• Plan your hike around the weather. If you know a storm is coming, keep in mind they typically develop mid-afternoon in the summer. 
• If you're outdoors away from vehicles and other shelters, find a low area with short trees or shrubs. 
• Avoid tall or isolated trees, utility poles and fences, and areas that are obvious draining or runoff areas. 
• When you find a spot, crouch low to the ground on the balls of your feet. Do not lay down. 
• Do not take shelter under overhanging rocks. They can be targets for lightening. 
• If you're camping, make sure your tent is not the tallest object in the vicinity. 
• Don't camp on a hill, under isolated trees, or near any metal objects.

Happy Independence Day Weekend!

At the Jersey Shore about to get really sunburned. (M. Pierwola)

The cynic in me had an urge to write about how, despite the fact that everyone in the United States was likely celebrating Independence Day this weekend, most were not celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. But after thinking about it a bit, I began to reason through the fireworks, parades, and hot dogs - indirectly, we are celebrating independence by taking part in traditional American celebratory events. We spend time with friends and family, and whether we really think about our nation's history, we're celebrating by being able to do all of the things an independent nation's people can do. Or something.

Regardless, I had a great weekend. I spent my (corporate holiday) Friday mountain biking and trail riding with my wonderful little brother, whom I decidedly do not spend enough time with. We had a good, slightly above average dinner at Derek's in Manayunk. I arrived home pretty early, and called my good friend Lauren to see how the TerraMar July 4th camping trip, which I'd 99% decided against going on, was progressing. I'm not a huge fan of the Jersey shore, mostly because of the traffic and the usual stigmas associated with it. Lauren and our friend Evan did some serious convincing, mostly using s'mores, campfires, and warm sun on the beach. A few minutes later, I found myself frantically packing for the very early morning drive to Adventure Bound Campground in Cape May.

I arrived at camp around 8:30am Saturday morning, just in time for breakfast. I noticed a large PA system set up under a tarp several sites away, and Lauren explained the Spanish-speaking group of 50 had woken them all up with some sort of air horn and loud music. So much for campground etiquette. We spent all day on the beach, and I came back to camp with a nasty sunburn on my legs from failing to reapply my SPF30 sunscreen throughout the course of the day. Ouch. Our group of 12 TerraMar members in three cars somehow managed to stay together and end up in the same spot to watch the fireworks in North Wildwood.

The rude, obnoxious crew next to us woke us up on Sunday morning, this time with loud clapping and yelling. One of the leaders wanted his group up at 7am, and decided doing so by waking the entire campground was the best solution. Awful, awful person. I left early to avoid traffic while some of the TerraMar folks went on a whale watching trip, and spent the day trying to figure out how to sit without hurting my sunburned legs. But it was a great weekend. 

When I normally think of how I'd spend the perfect Independence Day weekend, my thoughts drift to summer in the 1,000 Islands with my family. We'd go to our cottage, eat until we exploded, then head to Clayton, Cape Vincent, or Alex Bay for the fireworks. I miss spending time with my whole family, but being apart is one of the consequences of all of us growing up and moving away. Maybe next year...

Gear Review (Ahnu Tilden II) and Good Times

the Ahnu Tilden II's and I near the Puget Sound.

One my favorite feelings in the world is arriving at camp on a long backpacking trip and removing my dirty, stinky, feet from my ankle-protecting, extremely stable and unflexible hiking boots. I love allowing my feet a bit of freedom while setting up the tent, cooking dinner, and organizing things for the next day. 

I bought the Ahnu Tilden II sandals a month or so ago after deciding flip flops weren't cutting it as around-the-camp shoes. They'd slip off, and don't provide any sort of stability. In the Adirondacks and Catskills, we'd cook a few hundred feet from camp to keep the bears out of our campsite, and getting around in flip flops was impossible.

Ahnu Tilden II's to the rescue! I couldn't find a pair of Keen sandals I really liked, despite the countless recommendations I heard. I have narrow feet, but am a size 10, and all the Keen's I've tried made my feet look enormous. I haven't taken the Tilden sandals on backpacking trips yet, but did test them out on lower elevation trails in Mt. Rainier National Park and this weekend in French Creek State Park. 

They're very comfortable, pretty darn cute, and did very well on light hiking trails. I found them to be quite grippy, not like the Vibram soles on my hiking boots, but more than I was expecting from a pair of water sandals. They are extremely breathable and light.

The only problems I've found so far are that they don't dry very quickly, aren't 100% friendly to my high arches, and were a little difficult to get on the first few tries. But in general, they're a great sandal. Priced at $85 on rei.com, they're a great value, and I anticipate they will last a long time. They also contain recycled polyester and bamboo, which makes me feel better about buying them.

Member Jason taking in the view on Mount Tammany.

I had a chance to test them out both light hiking and mountain biking yesterday at TerraMar's Annual Adventurer's BBQ. It's an event we hold for our members around this time every year to eat cookout food, goof around, and to thank them for spending time with our group. We met around noon at French Creek State Park, and split off into various activities. I led a short, flat hike around the park, then went for a quick half-hour mountain bike ride around Hopewell Lake. I definitely need to get the bike on trails more often, I was pretty out of practice. But I came back dirty and sweaty - characteristics of a successful ride, in my opinion. It was a great afternoon with great people.

Saturday was our second Hiking and Pie event, this time up Mt. Tammany in the Delaware Water Gap area of New Jersey. The summit provides some incredible views of the Delaware River, and is part of the Appalachian Trail. The river forms the border between PA and NJ in that area, and between PA and NY further north. The hike, just over three miles round trip with 1250' of elevation gain, was just challenging enough to allow us to work up an appetite for pie from the Village Farmer Bakery, located on the PA side of the Water Gap. One apple, one mixed berry, one pecan, and one pumpkin pie later, we were all full and happy. It was a great weekend in PA.

How Not to Die in the Woods: Wilderness First Aid Training

Running through scenarios at WFA Training. (M Pierwola)

I spent this past weekend with twelve friends, eleven of them TerraMar Adventures guides, getting Wilderness First Aid certified. It was a re-certification for most of the group, but for a few of us, it was our first time taking the class. 

As TerraMar guides, we are required to complete WFA training before we are allowed to lead any trips on our own, specifically hikes, to ensure the safety of our members. Most members find TerraMar via meetup.com, and we are the only Philadelphia-based outdoor adventure group to require WFA certification for all of the guides. And we all know that WFA training can't guarantee nothing will happen on any of our trips, but it can help ensure that if something does, each guide is prepared to handle it.

It also helped me better understand precautionary measures to take before we even leave the trailhead. We all practiced writing pre-hike leader speeches that encompassed what we learned about pre-trip preparations last fall, but this class reinforced the need to make sure we've done our homework. Although it might seem tedious to ask every hiker to fill out an index card with their medical history and current meds, it could help us help them if anything happens. Our instructor, Ryan, from the Hawk Mountain Ranger Training School, had interesting stories and helpful recommendations when we brought up specific issues we've had during past events.

WFA training was almost a rite of passage for me. As soon as the certification cards come in the mail, I'll officially be able to lead group hikes by myself, and feel better knowing I'm equipped with enough knowledge to respond to problems on the trail. Thinking about every possible thing that could happen on the trail will make you crazy, but preparedness is invaluable. While in the Adirondacks two weeks ago, I was definitely concerned about hypothermia and potential ankle injuries on the trail during our Mt. Marcy hike. Now that I've learned more about how to handle those situations, I definitely feel more prepared should I encounter those issues.

Apache Wilderness Tracker School

I "work" (read: organize and guide events voluntarily) for a Philly-based outdoor adventure group based in my spare time - TerraMar Adventures. I help organize events for a group geared towards helping people meet others in their area with similar interests . I stumbled upon TerraMar via a wonderful website called Meetup when I moved to Philly in 2007. TerraMar, and the people I've met through the group, are largely responsible for my maintaining my sanity here.

I've been an organizer for TerraMar for almost a year now, and thank my lucky stars for the unidentifiable forced that led me to it. I've organized everything from a three-day camping trip to beer tasting classes to weekly indoor climbing events. I simply can't get enough of playing outside and the feeling I get when I have the chance to expose someone to something they've never tried before.

This Saturday, I woke up at 6am to spend the entire day learning Apache wilderness tracking from the world-renowned experts at Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School. After surviving the pre-dawn wake-up call, this single-day foray into tracking turned into one of the coolest days of my life.

Learning how to read tracks in a giant sandbox.

Our instructors taught us about what true awareness of your surroundings means, and how even the smallest broken twig tells a story. They taught us about wide-angled vision and all the things a track can tell you - how athletic a person is, if an animal's bladder is full, even if they're happy.

My favorite activity involved playing in a large sandbox. Pairs of group members would act out a scenario in the sandbox - carrying each other piggy-back style, walking toward each other from opposite directions and hugging - while the rest of us had our backs turned. When they finished, we had to figure out what they'd done. Much to our surprise, the youngest in the group, age 12, had a much easier time figuring things out than the adults did!

I was speechless by the end of the day, amazed by things they could see in a patch of forest that looked just like a patch of forest to me. It was truly inspiring, and that kind of connection with the Earth is the closest I'll ever come to believing in God. I could go on and on about exploring thoughts of how disconnected humans are from the Earth, how if everyone suddenly became aware of their environment, the world would be a better place...but that's for another day. Read Last Child in the Woods, if you haven't already.

I can't wait to do the event again! Read more about Tom Brown and the Tracker School here - http://www.trackerschool.com/