(Some photos on these posts are courtesy my friends Bryan and Topher and posted with their permission. This series of posts will be fairly photo-heavy.) Day Three – Zealand Falls Hut to Mizpah Springs Hut (I’ll supply an elevation profile for each day, courtesy GPS data from Bryan and processing done by Google Earth.) ...

(Some photos on these posts are courtesy my friends Bryan and Topher and posted with their permission. This series of posts will be fairly photo-heavy.) Day Two – October 11 (Galehead Hut to Zealand Falls Hut) (I’ll supply an elevation profile for each day, courtesy GPS data from Bryan and processing done by Google Earth.) ...

(Some photos on these posts are courtesy my friends Bryan and Topher and posted with their permission. This series of posts will be fairly photo-heavy.) Getting Started – October 10 I started the day early Tuesday, out the door by 5:30 AM, heading east and then north. In the back of my car was a backpack, a pair of trekking poles, a pair of boots, and a change of clothes for Friday evening. On the seat next to me was a printout of directions to the parking lot of the Mt. Washington Cog Railway (in case my GPS crapped out or something), where I was meeting my fellow hikers, two friends from work (Bryan and Topher) and a friend of theirs from outside the office (Jeremy). ...

Some news to start: next month I’m heading on a three night, four day hike through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, staying overnights at the High Huts of the White Mountains with some friends from work. So I’ve been gearing up and doing practice hikes as often as I can. I have yet to do a real tough mountain hike (I plan to hit up Wachusett before the hike, but am not sure when I’ll make it happen), but this Labor Day I wanted to hike several days in my hiking boots to break them in and make sure I shook out any issues. ...

I wanted to post every month, but I never got around to posting during August. So I’ll give a short update on what August was like, before moving on to more exciting September content. First off, these feet definitely earned the right to be called eager during August. My Fitbit tells me there were only two days in August when I got under 10,000 steps, and my average was over 13,000 — so that’s cool. Since our trip to Sanibel I’ve been focused on my fitness more, have dropped some pounds, and remembered how much I enjoy the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other. Many of those steps came in walks, either around the office or around the neighborhood. Sometimes the neighborhood reminds me how much I enjoy it. ...

These Eager Feet love to travel, whether it’s a day trip to a new hiking trail or a month-long road trip (still the best trip I’ve ever taken). It’s always difficult to decide when to take on new adventures and when to return to comfortable ground. It’s like going to a restaurant — order the tried and true meal or branch out and order the special with the garnish you’ve never heard of? ...

There’s something about the mountains of Vermont which speaks to me at a deep level. The winding roads, the gentle green slopes, the contrast between the lush mountains and the blue skies … it relaxes me almost immediately. Add to this the excellent local food and beer, and the fact that we can get there without touching the Mass Pike, I-495, or I-95, and you can begin to understand why I keep coming back. ...

For the past two years, I’ve wanted to take a kayak or canoe along the Quinebaug River Trail between Lake Siog and the East Brimfield Reservoir. But whenever I’ve had the time, the river’s been too low, whether because of drought (last year) or just general late season low flow. But this spring has seen enough rain to keep all the nearby rivers fat and happy, which made for a great opportunity. ...

I neglected to post in April, as per my goal at the start of the year, but I’ll write up April quickly now that we’re halfway through May… We like to go camping (or, perhaps, “stay in a cabin”) for Mother’s Day each year, but this year we couldn’t, so we scheduled a trip around April vacation instead. We rented a cabin for two nights in KOA Mystic CT, which used to be called Highland Orchards RV Park. Jess and her family used to camp there when they went to nearby Misquamicut beach. Jess and I camped there when we had only been married a month. We celebrated my thirtieth birthday there, with friends and family and fun. It’s in a nice spot, easy to get to without a long drive, and near interesting destinations for short trips (spend a day in Mystic, spend a day at the beach, etc). There’s a great playground for Evie and a giant bounce pillow, and in season you have a nice pool tool. ...

At the start of this year, I said I wanted to write more about general experiences with less focus on just the outdoors. In early March, I went on my annual retreat into gaming culture, and I wanted to share some of it here. It’s not fishing or hiking in the mountain air, but it’s something that gives me a break from “real life” and fuels me in much the same way. ...