

Squire's Castle/North Chagrin Reservation, Willoughby Hills, OH
A shot from inside the castle Depending on which trail you take, this hike could be considered a Class 1/Easy (Bridle Trail) to a Class 3/Difficult (Castle Valley Trail, parts of the Squire's Lane Trail), but either way, the castle is a cool feature to check out! No need to hike any of the trails to get to the castle, as it sits just off the parking lot at the Squire's Castle Picnic Area & Trailhead (at River Road & Hayes Drive). If you follow any of the directions you find o


Git 'er done - Hiking the NCT in PA
Last year, I set a goal of completing the NCTA Hike 100 Challenge. I blew it out of the park, and ended up with 200 miles on the North Country Trail in 2016. I wasn't going to work towards that again in 2017, but the NCTA came out with a different patch, so I had to do it! In the meantime, though, I came up with a new goal for 2017 - hike the rest of the NCT in PA that I hadn't already done. Since I had already hiked the 20.3 miles of the trail in Moraine State Park and M


How to Hike and NOT Die!
Have you heard the news?!? There's a new book coming out, currently scheduled for the end of October, 2017, named How to Hike and NOT Die - Fundamentals for the Novice Hiker. The book provides all the basic information everyone new to the outdoors needs to know before they go. It includes the basic steps to follow when deciding where to hike, provides fundamental information on hiking terms and plenty of resources for you to gain knowledge and find what you need for your n