Reginald Spittle's Blog: See my book blog, page 17
June 16, 2022
My Book Was Plagiarized
At first, I thought the message was a fake. A reader of my first book wrote that she had discovered another version of Camino Sunrise: Walking With My Shadows on Amazon. “I started reading and realized I had already read it…with new and peculiar grammar,” her note said. I found the book on Amazon, with … Continue reading My Book Was Plagiarized →
June 15, 2022
Acadia: A Climb to the Top
On our first nice day in Maine’s Acadia National Park, Sue and I laced up our trail runners and headed up the South Ridge Trail to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the north Atlantic coast. All Trails rates the climb to 1,527 feet ”hard,” but it was a moderate uphill except … Continue reading Acadia: A Climb to the Top →
June 12, 2022
A Couple’s Secret for Living to 100
Whether we walk five or 20 kilometers and carry a backpack or just water, Sue and I walk nearly every day, quarrel or not. We may not live to be 100, but each day Is better when we find a trail. I found this gem on Facebook.
June 9, 2022
PCT Trekker Brings Home the People
I’ll admit that I am addicted to distance-trekking books, not because I have written a couple of them, but because good ones make me feel like I am back on the trail. Rick Rogers’ Walking Home brought the Pacific Crest Trail to life like no other account I have read. It is more about the … Continue reading PCT Trekker Brings Home the People →
June 1, 2022
The White Mountains: Nightmare or Dream?
New Hampshire’s White Mountains draw complaints from many Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, but attract legions of walkers seeking to enjoy the sights and challenges of day hikes. Known for its rugged, steep terrain, the area has been our home for six days as we climbed and descended five trails, leaving many more for next time. The … Continue reading The White Mountains: Nightmare or Dream? →
May 22, 2022
Adirondacks Climb to Formidable Peaks
The Ausable River, which drains more than 500 square miles of New York’s Adirondack Mountains, squeezes through a flume below hiking paths that form a mountainside web. We went for the view and climbed to Flume Knob, about 1,300 feet above the river. After some serious rock scrambling, Sue celebrated as black flies joined us … Continue reading Adirondacks Climb to Formidable Peaks →
May 13, 2022
13 Reasons Why: A Search for Answers
After a loved one takes their own life, family and friends are often left wondering. What did I miss? Could I have prevented it? They try to answer the big question: Why? Guilt and confusion sometimes accompany grief and even anger. Before 17-year-old Hannah Baker commits suicide, she narrates 13 cassette-tape recordings on seven double-sided … Continue reading 13 Reasons Why: A Search for Answers →
May 7, 2022
A Peek at Life on the Appalachian Trail
Our six miles on the Appalachian Trail during our tour of Virginia stirred affection and respect for one of the world’s great long-distance paths. In Shenandoah National Park, we entered the AT at the Thornton Gap trailhead parking lot. The trail led us over a mostly rocky surface with more than 1,700 feet of climbing. … Continue reading A Peek at Life on the Appalachian Trail →
April 26, 2022
Tackling the Appalachian Trail (sort of)
While in the eastern U.S., Sue and I just had to walk the Appalachian Trail. Not all 2,135 miles of it and not even the 544 miles of the AT that runs through Virginia. The Massie Gap Trail in Grayson Highlands State Park took us up to the AT, where we witnessed some of the … Continue reading Tackling the Appalachian Trail (sort of) →
April 23, 2022
Hike or Ride Virginia’s New River Trail
If 57 miles of smooth, hard-pack trail along a beautiful river valley are your thing, then grab your bike or hiking shoes and head for southwest Virginia. The New River State Park, which snakes from Fries to Pulaski with a side trail to Galax, is built on a railroad line that once served a thriving … Continue reading Hike or Ride Virginia’s New River Trail →
