Off the Grid

There are certain unspoken rules that apply to people sharing a shelter in the wilderness. They include, but are not limited to, such things as: Clean up after youself, keep your gear tidy, and don't pitch tents inside shelters. More often than they should be, these rules are broken. It's common to believe that things are different in the [...] Read more

Domestic dogs are a huge annoyance to cyclists and hikers. I have been chased by pit bulls, german shepherds, labs, and even dogs in packs. I’ve never been attacked. Here’s the mindset/method I use to deter them. Before you folks at PETA get bent out of shape, know that this is the same mindset I adopt when a human sprints after me while screaming [...] Read more

Alabama has a different standard for roads. This was obvious the second I passed the “Welcome to Alabama” sign. Things we take for granted like signs, lines, and actual pavement aren’t standard fare. That’s ok though, because there isn’t really that much traffic. So, I’m glad they don’t waste money…but, seriously, it’s like Mexico out here. Here’s [...] Read more

I expected the bicycle I had outfitted for my ride through Alabama to Springer Mountain to arrive in Mobile last Wednesday. When it did not arrive on Thursday, I called Light Street Cycles in Baltimore for the UPS tracking number. After playing phone tag, I finally talked to the owner of Light Street on Saturday. She informed me that the bike was [...] Read more

With my trip along the Florida Trail complete, I've collected quite a few check-ins. Each night I checked in with a Spot Satellite Messenger. This device relayed my position to a satellite. From there, family is notified via email and friends are annoyed on facebook with a quick message and a link to my GPS coordinates. The following KML File is a [...] Read more