Why subscribe?

As a long-time guidebook author, and trail-design duffer (“expert” sounds too uppity), I’ve been known to hike my socks off on occasion. And I’ll admit that, ahem, I did catch my boots on fire once.

But the key thing is that I’m out there enjoying, exploring, and recording, in words and images, as much of this awesome world as I can, both on and off the trail, usually on foot, sometimes on a boat or a bike. And not just here in the Pacific Northwest.

My travels and writing have extended as far south as Chile and Argentina and east to my New England roots, to Washington, D.C. (where I published one of my guidebooks), and even to Europe.

My posts at Somewhere in the Weeds reflect not just a passion for travel and adventure, but for the stories and local history that help to enrich any experience. Add to that the wild critters, the perfect vista, the storms, misadventures, the sweaty trail work, and a twisted fascination with the anatomical makeup of a good-quality trail (yes, it’s a thing), and you might get a sense of the subjects I enjoy writing about.

So it’s not all about trails. You’ll also find chapters of a memoir called Finding Destiner, my account of a search for my dad’s hand-built, forty-foot schooner (more on that below). And I am well into a futuristic adventure novel based on Mars, which I’ll begin posting in series soon.

For full access to these book-length works, I gently ask my readers to consider at least a minimum paid subscription. Annual subscribers get a free signed book as well! (See below.)

What to watch for

My rough agenda for 2023-24: Southern Utah’s red rock country, the High Sierra, Colorado Rockies, the Tetons, Sawtooths, Wallowas, west Texas and New Mexico, and closer to home, the Cascade and Olympic Mountains, with at least a couple of weeks reserved for the San Juan Islands (sailing and kayaking).

I do expect to be roamin’ and ruminatin’ quite a lot, but promise not to spam readers with every little thing. Anticipate an average of two or three short emails per week, containing links to my latest stories that you can check out at your leisure.

When you do visit the site, I hope you find my travel snippets entertaining—I certainly enjoying writing them. You’ll also find a range of how-to/where-to stuff, plus some inside scoop on writing and publishing my guidebooks.

So, follow my tracks as the journeys unfold, the random encounters, wandering thoughts, special places, and curious stories of people I might run into in the middle of nowhere. And please do tag along as I attempt to hike, scramble, climb, and claw my way up 70 new peaks this year while I’m traipsing about.

Pacific Northwest

Useful trail news, updates, and other stories relating to places closer to home in Bellingham, Washington, and in surrounding states will appear in the “Pacific Northwest” section of the newsletter. Since I also work on occasion as a private tour guide focused on Seattle history, I’ll be sharing some of that as well, including a few odd stories and interesting places to visit throughout the region.

Elsewhere

Although Somewhere in the Weeds is new for 2023, I also wrote quite a lot during our travels in 2022. It was a stellar year for Kris and I, logging hundreds of miles of walking and hiking in northern Italy, Croatia, and Switzerland. As a kid, I drooled over pictures of the Matterhorn (not just figuratively), so as a climber of modest ability, I was ecstatic to finally stand at the base of this unbelievable peak near Zermatt. You’ll find related items and photos posted to the “Elsewhere” section, which may be of interest to active travelers planning a trip to Europe.

In a roundabout way, I’ve also been trekking around Mars via my first attempt at a serious novel. Again, watch for a new “Mars” section and posts on that big idea in the near future.

The Schooner Destiner

Apart from the above, I’ve created a separate newsletter section for a memoir that describes the search for my dad’s gaff-rigged schooner, launched at Morro Bay in 1964. The book is nearly finished and is being posted a chapter at a time.

How it works

Simply hit the Subscribe button to access to my “Somewhere in the Weeds” newsletter. If you chose to become a paid subscriber, I’d be truly honored, of course. You’ll also have access to more of my best work.

If you subscribe at the annual rate, I’ll even send you a free signed copy of either of my last two guidebooks: Hiking Whatcom County, 7th Ed., or A National Jaunt: Footster’s Guide to Washington, D.C.

Again, watch for a couple of short emails each week, with links to the latest articles, most of it free to browse. If something you see triggers a thought or a question, please use the comment feature to join the conversation. I’d love to hear from you and will be reading and replying to comments as often as I can.

So, welcome to a community of people who share a love of the planet, travel, trails and adventure!

And finally…

Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox, so you’ll never miss an update. By all means, don’t hesitate to share links and forward my email to others you think may be interested.

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