“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” - Henry David Thoreau
I remember reading Thoreau as a teenage literature fanatic and feeling mesmerized by the idea of living in solitude off the land as he did at Walden Pond. As I grew older and more acquainted with the conveniences of the modern world, I sort of forgot all about Thoreau and his transcendent views of nature, sustainability, the good of man. That is… until about eight years ago, when I re-discovered a love for the wilderness.
Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to explore a lot of the US midwest and many other areas of our beautiful country. During a section hike of the Appalachian Trail (AT) in 2024 I was given the trail name “Gravity”. As you might know, everyone hiking the AT is given a name that suits them in some way. This one, my hiking mates felt, best suited me in many ways. It stuck with me and I’ve embraced it.
What does Gravity Hikes mean exactly?
Well, as the tagline suggests… I’m pretty down to earth, level-headed (most of the time), calm, genuine, and well… I am also a walking trip hazard.
I like to stay true to who I am – you won’t get a lot of BS with me – you also won’t get much polish.
Take it or leave it, I guess. We’ll have a great time!
I love to spend time in nature, hike new trails, explore fun places, get mud on my shoes, and maybe FALL in the mud occasionally – especially if those rocks are slippery or that tree root jumps out and grabs my ankles at just the right time. It’s all part of the adventure, I say!