Reginald Spittle's Blog: See my book blog, page 23

What If Masks Were Frightening?

I want to share something that has been on my mind for a while.

I have read that anxiety is a chemical reaction triggered by stress hormones. It helps explain my body’s reaction when I see someone wearing a mask…it is almost as if I am face to face with a mountain lion. And when I see or hear the term “mask up,” my body tenses. “Get over it,” people tell me. “Masks are no big deal,” others say. Some assume I am a deranged anti-masker. I want to say, “Sure, just go hug a mountain lion.”

Mental health challenges continue to be misunderstood, don’t you think?

I have recently discussed several excellent books about anxiety and depression. (See the list of book reviews on my site’s drop-down menu.)

Make Tracks on the Best Rail Trails in America

Begin the bicycle journey of a lifetime (or perhaps several lifetimes) on the rail trails of America, all 24,000 miles of them. If that sounds beyond your pedaling endurance, a book, the Rail Trail Hall of Fame, will show you the 33 premier paths spread across the country.

Setting off from our campsite at Rafter J Bar Ranch in South Dakota’s Black Hills earlier in May, we rode south on the 109-mile George S Mickelson path that begins in Deadwood and ends in Edgemont. First, Sue deposited our payments of $4 each per day at the self-pay station, which offered trail brochures, including an elevation chart.

It was all uphill from there. Until our turnaround point, that is. After six miles of battling the crushed rock surface rutted with tire tracks and horse-hoof divots, we ran out of power, stopping for lunch at a shady bench on our downhill return.

It was a beautiful trail, but we prefer smoother, flatter surfaces, and our second trail from the book was perfect. Beginning in the charming village of Nisswa, Minnesota, we pedaled north on the 119-mile Paul Bunyan State Trail. Paved, mostly flat, with weather to match the beauty of several of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. We turned around after 11 enjoyable miles, pausing for lunch at a trailside park in the inviting village of Pequot Lakes.

The guidebook includes maps, directions, and a summary of each trail. If the book is not enough for you, there is a TrailLink App and so much more available online. AllTrails also has biking information on some of its hiking trails.

Lifetimes of rail-trail bicycling await.

Black Hills: Can You Top This?

If you are scouring the atlas for adventure and beauty, the Black Hills of South Dakota may end your search. The 4.6-mile Lover’s Leap loop trail climbs nearly 700 feet to this view of Custer State Park and beyond.

Many more trails, lakes, a wildlife drive, and four presidents at Mount Rushmore invite exploration. Bring your hybrid or mountain bike and plenty of pedaling power for the 110-mile Mickelson rail trail.

Pitch your tent or park your RV at one of a seemingly unlimited number of campsites. Our favorite is the Rafter J Bar Resort, with more green space than any park we have visited. In May, we almost had the place to ourselves, with views of forested hills and pristine (except for clusters of deer poop) green fields.

Finally, you will be close enough to explore Badlands National Park, another one of our favorite hiking destinations.

Thunderstruck Weaves A Tale of Intrigue

Fact or fiction?

Hawley Harvey Crippen, a doctor, and his wife (disguised as his son) board a ship bound for America in the early 20th century.

Crippen’s journey would become linked to wireless technology developed by Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi.

One of them had committed one of the most famous murders in English history.

In Thunderstruck, a work of non-fiction, Erik Larson weaves the tale of two men who would never meet, but would be linked in a way neither could have foreseen. Grisly, suspenseful details emerge as the reader is left wondering for most of the book how the stories of doctor and inventor will merge.

Larson has a gift for making fact seem stranger than fiction. This is my third Erik Larson book. In Devil in the White City, he blends a compelling story about the Chicago World’s Fair with a gruesome murder. Dead Wake tells the story of the Lusitania.

The Biggest Dune: Where Is It?

Where is the tallest sand dune in North America? A hint: it is the state with 58 fourteeners, mountains higher than 14,000 feet. The Great Sand Dunes National Park has a sandy peak 755 feet tall. Sue and I passed on the climb, which would have taken the better part of a day in the squishy surface. Star Dune is the name of the big pile of granules. Where is it? Colorado!The Sangre de Cristo Mountains rise behind the great sand dunes range.

Colorado Mountains Draw Us Higher and Higher

Sue and I enjoyed a day hike and the views in the mountains above Durango, Colorado with friends Emily and Rich. The next day our trusty truck pulled us and our trailer on a spectacular drive over the Continental Divide in the San Juan Mountains.

Bicycle Odyssey: Feel Adventure Up Close

For me, life without adventure is not life at all.
As I near my 70th year, I seek even more exhilarating experiences, whether backpacking the long-distance trails of Europe or exploring the trails and bikeways of the USA while traveling in a small travel trailer.

When I can’t get out there, I pursue adventure through reading about others’ experiences. Bicycle Odyssey took me on the trip of a lifetime.
Consider what author Carla Fountain and her husband Dermot accomplished in a year. Planes, trains and buses transported them and their bicycles to the United Kingdom, continental Europe, Kenya, Uganda, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Bali, and many more places. They rode in weather and situations that would keep most of us indoors.

The American couple quit their teaching jobs so they could spend the night in a tent while hippos shook the ground around them. They snorkeled off the Kenyan coast. They survived the dangerous roads of India, where truck drivers honked rather than move over. They confronted their fears with courage.

Fountain uses her journal to recreate the 1991 journey and her story comes from her heart. Her account feels fresh, brought to life through recreated conversations and fascinating details about cultural experiences. Her adventure causes Fountain to re-evaluate her life, including her marriage. She is introspective in a relatable way.

As much as I feel compelled to tackle risky experiences, I doubt I will come close to an adventure like Fountain’s. However, her story inspires me to stretch the boundaries of my life.

Capitol Reef: I Found a Cure

I can’t travel overseas to backpack the trails of Europe, where my worries fade. But as I sit with my morning coffee near Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park, the cure for pesky troubles is my view.

Capitol Reef’s Longest Trail Pays Off

What a hike! After two hours of climbing, I caught a glimpse of Navajo Nobs, top photo, in Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park. The rounded rock “nobs” loomed from afar. Sue and I wondered, “What do you think?” It seemed so far away and our legs were rubbery and sore. We had seen few other hikers on the park’s longest trail, but two women descending from the final rock scramble encouraged us to push on. We were so glad we did. One of the toughest hikes we have done, but what a great feeling to thrust arms in the air and say, “We did it!”

Capitol Reef: One More Gem in Utah

Is there a better place to trek than southern Utah in spring? An outcropping near Cassidy Arch in Capitol Reef National Park provides the killer view. The up-and-back is 3.4 miles and 670 feet of climbing. No, that is not me on all fours above the arch. Just a day earlier, snow swept through the area.

For day hiking, I use Osprey’s Talon 11 backpack. Big enough for an extra jacket, a monster lunch, a bladder and a few odds and ends. Comfortable, with plenty of ways to attach poles and other things to the outside.

For my feet, I have found none better than Salomon Ultra X shoes and, for tougher terrain, boots. They are lightweight, sturdy and grip sandstone like you want them to.