Personal Reflection

This has been a long time coming. The traditional shell is the sign of a pilgrim on the Camino. I received mine in a ceremony offered by the Inland Empire Chapter of Americans on the Camino. At the end of September, I'll be walking the Camino Portugués for about two weeks with one of my sons, starting in Porto, Portugal and ending in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. I had initially intended to walk the Camino Frances in May of 2020, but the global pandemic put a hard stop to th

I've been planning to backpack the John Muir Trail, also known in Paiute as Nüümü Poyo or the "People's Trail," for three years now. But it's been elusive each time. And this year is no exception...I'm now planning for next summer! What's different this time is that it isn't my body that is not cooperating. Instead, it's my husband's. A really bad sprain and ligament tear is putting our plans on hold for this summer. Last year it was my stress fracture and the year before it

I've just received my instructor certification from Leave No Trace! And I'm excited to share the 7 Principles and why they matter to me. As I learned about these during the training and as I consider how I try to live them in my wilderness (and not so wilderness) experiences, I find that they are far less about following a rule and much more about being respectful and participating in outdoor activities with an ethic of care. I also find that they often translate nicely as me