Author: Karen Ingraham
When Aaron North greets a new group of teenage volunteers to serve on one of AMC’s trail crews for a week, he’s sympathetic. For some, it’s their first outdoors experience, and supporting these adolescents as they navigate new situations is one of North’s primary concerns. “Being a teenager is complicated enough,” says North, AMC’s southern […]
The climbing rope my husband, Pete, purchased in 1993 never saw a harness after 1998, but we still have several pieces of it around the house. It has kept kayaks fastened to car roofs, held drying laundry on camping trips, and even towed a stuck car. In the warm months, it is a makeshift tree […]
We’ve all done it: felt that first inkling of discomfort—a growing warmth on our heel or at the base of our toes—and kept right on hiking. “It’s nothing,” we tell ourselves. “It won’t get much worse.” Distracted by the trail ahead and the promise of future vistas, we trek on, ignoring our tender skin until […]
The only interesting fact that I recall from high school physics is that black bears can run up to 30 mph. My teacher, an avid outdoorsman, included this detail in one of many stories told to engage a senior class focused on nothing but graduation. I’ve since learned that the American black bear, which averages […]
There’s something satisfying about the J stroke. The subtle nature of it, how just a small turn of your wrist can provide gentle course correction and keep the boat pointed in the right direction. It’s efficient too, and that can help ensure long, enjoyable days on the water. The J, and four other strokes outlined […]