Our Tales from the trails series is a collection of stories and insights from genuine outdoor enthusiasts. Written by real people, for real people, we are bringing together like-minded spirits. Sure we love hiking and backpacking but the real benefits of getting out come from the daily life lessons to be learned in nature.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I thought, as I pulled myself out of the slick mud for the third time in as many minutes. From the waist down, I was one with the Kauai rainforest—completely caked in twigs, leaves and reddish-brown mud. Sweat dampened my hairline, and the air was so humid that […]
“What did we get ourselves into?” I thought as I scrambled up and over what felt like the 100th boulder. “What if one of us falls? What if we never get to our campsite and we have to turn around? What if we just aren’t cut out for backpacking?” A few hours earlier, my wife […]
The northern terrains of Pakistan have such hidden gems that they will leave you breathless. One such undiscovered beauty that is receiving quite some footfall from trekkers and tourists is the Dudipatsar Lake trail. Away from the crowds of bustling Naran, in the deep wilderness of Kaghan Valley lies Dudipatsar Lake, endearingly called, “Queen of […]
I met James at a café in Puebla, Mexico. Outside the window, a parade trundled past. Priests wearing black cloaks with large, coned hats strode by as locals watched a floating Jesus bob down the packed streets. It was Viernes Santo (Holy Friday) of Semana Santa – a public holiday widely celebrated across the orthodox […]
Tales from the trail come from all kinds of unlikely sources. Friends, colleagues, folks met on the trail, and even social media are all teeming with opportunities to hear about adventures had, lessons learned, and more. One of 2021’s favorite tales from the trail comes from the Sutton family. Josh and Cassie Sutton are parents […]
Caroline Sullivan, of Knoxville, Tennessee, is a full stack web developer by day and an avid outdoorswoman by evening and weekend. In fact, she’s hiked more than 300 miles in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the past year and is eager to explore more. This mileage has come with quite a few tales […]
For Jessica Kendall Thomas of Carmel, Indiana, the time she spends exploring the outdoors with her family is “a blessing.” Jessica and her husband John are avid outdoors people and introduced their children to the wonders of nature and exploration at a very young age. From hiking across the Tetons and taking in aspens while […]