Composting Privvies – how do they work?

During my summer as a Maine Appalachian Trail caretaker, I was “privileged” to take part in an event called “a mixer”.   All 4 caretakers, plus some MATC volunteers, converged on the Horns Pond shelter area for a mid-year roundtable summit, a bit of a swim, and some hard, disgusting labor. Horns Pond is high…

Trip Report – VT 4000 footers

I spent 3 days in Vermont, bagging the 4 remaining 4000 footers (I did Pico/Killington years ago). New gear / new hiking methods tried this trip: Coolmax socks + coolmax/silk liners – giving this a try since I still get these weird blisters on the outside of my heels Skipping breakfast and eating on the trail…

2002 Caretaker season logs – Piazza Rock, Maine

I found my old logbook from when I was a caretaker at the Piazza Rock shelter area on the Appalachian Trail in Maine.  What a terrific experience, it really opened my eyes to Leave No Trace as a philosophy, and the overall effect that small impacts have when multiplied by hundreds.  I spoke to hundreds…

Hiking closer to home: Foster Land Trust Hayfield property

I took a few hours the other evening to do a stroll through some tame woods in Foster, RI.   The property was left to the Town Land Trust some years ago, and has recently had its old roads and game trails blazed. The map is here.   No major elevations, just a stroll through…