Author Archives: John

Yo Yo and I met up for a quick overnight on the AT at Carver’s Gap. It was chilly up there at almost six thousand feet. Plenty of company. After all, this is what Roan Mtn is known for. The … Continued

Prior to his service as a Seabee during the Second World War, my uncle Jay was quite the prankster. I’ve oft envisioned him scouring the family farm fields on the Jefferson/Hamblen county line, glass jar in hand, filling it with … Continued

So I’m very pleased to be caught up with Frank and reaching the 700 mile marker on the Appalachian trail. This is such an enjoyable section it ranks up there as one of my favorite. I don’t think you’ll ever … Continued

it was the best of times it was the worst of times. Two to three feet snow stopped our summit bid at 17k. Add 30 mph winds and avalanche danger and our team was forced to descend. The bad weather … Continued

we’ve had an incredible experience and it gets better daily.

Virginia is beating a soft spot in my outdoor heart. We left Wednesday March 29 at 7 am from Knoxville. Frank picked me up and had already been on the road for almost two hours from Chattanooga. It was a … Continued

the southern Forest watch had to attend to some business up there last weekend in the cold. But we’re definitely working on a project. It was nice to get back on home turf for a little bit. We did not … Continued

The new Gopro is paying off. Here is a taste of what a 100 foot top belay route feels like. You have no option but to top out. Or swim.

Brittany caught me on my new Colorado favorite.