In the current economic pinch it seemed crazy to drive a 2,932-pound Prius 18 miles round-trip just so I could ski a few miles in circles. The Piedmont ski trails currently have the best classic ski conditions around, however, and my family relationships don’t do well when exercise and time outdoors are curtailed. The day … More Working through the anxiety
When in doubt, just start at the beginning. Take one step at a time, and eventually you’ll reach your destination. For those of us who suffer from decision fatigue, this is the most practical way to get going on a project. I remind myself of this all the time. Just start at the beginning! This … More The end of the beginning
For the first time in a quarter century, I brought the perfect book back to this secret cabin on the Pigeon River. The choice of reads, being such a weighty decision, always stymies me. The journey back to this cabin demands serious effort and unwavering commitment, requiring 4-8 hours journey through 4-5 feet of snow, … More Our 2,000 year old Little Library, a great read, and an epic adventure.
It’s always enough just to discover that the cabin hasn’t burned down, or isn’t occupied by another party. Getting there and entering the old shack, which to the best of my knowledge dates to around 1922, is a victory in and of itself. I wrote about this place in my book extensively, and never tire of … More The Pigeon Lives!
Yesterday I paddled out to the largest island in the St. Louis River estuary, which some refer to as being the largest freshwater estuary in the world. It just might be. If you peer off into the distance of the aerial shot below, you can see the very head of the Great Lakes, Superior, the largest … More An Epic Voyage to Whiteside (Clough) Island
Rivers are popping out of their banks like gushing bottles of over-exuberant champagne. Get out and enjoy one near you today! If you’re feeling cooped up on a cold and wet day, I can hardly think of anything better than slipping on a pair of rubber boots and marveling at all the high water. This afternoon … More Water a plenty as winter gives way
Walking slowly and carefully, I scanned the woods in all directions for any sign of a wolf. Blanketed in white and devoid of leaves and brush, it seemed as if my vantage was absolute. Then—stunned beyond belief—I caught the eye of a timber wolf watching me AND my son. Intelligent. Assessing. At the moment we made eye contact, … More Of Wolves and Pecans. The Call of the Wild in all aspects of life
This past week I made the annual pilgrimage to this abandoned shack that lies astride the Canadian border. The newbie on the trip brought along one of those fancy Garmin GPS things. Preferring zero connectivity and an apparent affinity for buttons over zippers, this made me uncomfortable. I must admit that change can be good, however, … More 48 degrees north!
This is my newly stacked cache of firewood, illuminated by the light of the morning after: All of the wood used to heat my small writer’s “shack” is hand-cut. Most of it is junk wood that is eschewed by everybody else. Following walks with the dog, I often arrive home dragging a branch that previously … More Combustion
Anything worthwhile, literally anything, requires serious effort. Here my family and I are returning from obtaining a bucket of clear, cold, and fresh, spring water during our stay at the Lily Pond cabin in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Each journey to obtain the precious drink involved … More Anything Worthwhile Requires Effort. Amazing Vacation at the Lily Pond Cabin in the Fabulous Porcupine Mountains.
Ed's Big Adventure 