About Stumbles

Welcome! Now that you're here, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about me to help you know what to expect from this blog.  If you are curious as to why I'm writing this blog, check out my very first post.


I like to think of myself as an avid hiker and backpacker.  I try to go on an extended backpacking trip in a beautiful place at least once a year, and I am always interested in exploring a new trail.  But a good trail for me has views, cliffs, scenic meadows, waterfalls, rivers, or lakes.  I've met outdoorsy people for whom the most pleasant hike in the world is a long walk in a deciduous forest.  I am not that person.  Along the same lines, I may be fairly young and fit, but I am not one of those seriously hard-core hikers who get up at 4am every weekend to "hike" (sprint) 20 miles in a day.  (My idea of a good time does not involve seeing how near death I can drive myself.)  The hikes I enthusiastically recommend on this blog will tend to be no more than 12 miles for a day's work and will involve some visual "wow."  Since I live on the East Coast, my work is cut out for me. 

Views, water, cliffs, oh my!

And Now for the Disclaimers

Now that you know a bit about who I am, let's talk about who I am not: a champion orienteer, a dendrochronologist, or a forest ranger.  Unless I am citing a specific source, my trail descriptions are based on my personal observations and may not be scientifically correct.

In addition, please take appropriate cautions whenever heading out on a hike.  For starters, when selecting a trail, always take into consideration your own capabilities and experience, not to mention the trail conditions and weather that day.  Tell people where you are going, give yourself plenty of time for the hike, and bring along the Ten Essentials.  If you aren't sure you are adequately prepared, don't go or find someone with sufficient training or experience to guide you.