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04.16.2006 - Lightning!

Friday evening, a line of severe thunderstorms rolled through the Cincinnati area setting off some pretty spectacular fireworks. I grabbed my trusty digital camera and a tripod and set it up on top of my Jeep.

On a 15 second exposure, and after about 20 tries, I was able to capture the image to the left. All danger aside, it has to be the best storm picture I've ever taken. This time I was happy not to be hanging between two trees.

11.29.2005 - Void

It's been over a year since we last hit the trails -- our annual hiking/canoeing trip never materialized through the haze of busy schedules and a hot, humid Summer.

I've been playing soccer pick-up games on the weekends to get back in shape. (Too much time in front on the green glow of a computer monitor.) Hopefully I'll see a difference by the time I have to strap on my pack and walk for 4 hours. Granted, it's a a lot different than sprinting up and down the soccer field in the cold rain but it's got to help a little.

Red and I have been throwing around the idea of going to a Camp Jeep outing or something similar. It looks pretty sweet, but the cost is steep and the closest are usually 8 or more hours away. There's just something appealing about 4x4 camping. Patience patience...

04.10.2005 - The Itch

Today, temps in Cincinnati soared into the 80's. Time to drag out the gear, take inventory, and plan this year's first hike. I'm thinking a nice relaxing (short) hike to start with. I'm not sure I'm ready for another big one.

08.28.2004 - Shawnee Forest

We're planning another trip to Shawnee Forest. This time, we're either going to hike from the main trailhead to Camp 1 or hike to Camp 5 via a parking area near Camp 4 (I think?). This time, we're a lot more prepared than we were on our first trip!

02.03.2004 - Mammoth Cave Web Cam

Found a nifty site that has a webcam overlooking the Green River in Mammoth Cave National Park.

01.26.2004 - Then The Hail Came

I just finished reading a trail journal, titled Then The Hail Came, written by George Steffanos who hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1983. It's an excellent story of personal growth and the challenges that a thru hiker faces on the 2100 mile trail.

11.29.2003 - Hiking Links

Found of good website with tons of links: The Trail Database.

11.28.2003 - Canoe Camping

It's just now starting to get cold here in Cincinnati and I'm already dreaming about next year's trip. We've been talking about canoe camping in the local area (IN,OH,KY, or WV). Here are a few good links:

04.10.2003 - Hammock Camping: Part II

This is Part II of my experiences with getting started in "hammock camping" -- The goal of this series is to log my findings and lessons learned as I prepare for a backpacking trip into Mammoth Cave National Park in May. In this episode, I scare my neighbors by setting up what my wife referred to as a "spider web" in the backyard...

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04.03.2003 - Hammock Camping: Part I

Last year, myself and three friends backpacked into Shawnee Forest in Southern Ohio (see adventure page). From that trip, I learned many valuable lessons -- the most important being "the less weight you carry, the better." This year, we are taking a trip to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky and I've decided to try something different: hammock camping. This is Part I of my series on my experiences with hammock camping...

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