May 5th is a New Moon, offering a perfect opportunity for a dark enough sky for some stargazing. It’s also the cusp between the first half and last half of spring, the exact mid-point. Some folks call this cross-quarter day between the equinox and solstice “Beltane,” after the Celtic name for this time of […]
Author Archives: Trek
New Moon: Kislev
Kislev is the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar. Every New Moon is an opportunity for us to work on various aspects of own spiritual selves. Kislev comes from the Hebrew word kesel, which means “trust” or “security” and one of the senses attributed to this month by the Book of Yetzirah, is that of sleep. Sleep […]
#OptOutside
“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” –John Muir Last year, REI Co-op decided that it was more important to encourage people to get outside than to get them into their stores on the notoriously […]
Spring after Winter
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” ― Rachel Carson Unseasonably warm weather may have kept us outdoors a while […]
Walk, Walk to Yourself
“The Eternal said to Avram, “Leave your land, that which birthed you, and your paternal home and go to the land that I will show you.”” (Genesis 12:1) Lekh-Lekha is one of my favorite portions in the annual Torah cycle. The word lekh means to “go” or “walk.” Lekh-Lekha essentially means “walk to yourself” or “go to yourself.” The […]
Rainbows
“When I bring clouds over the earth, and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living creature…” (Genesis 9:14-15) Over the course of the my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, I was witness to over a dozen rainbows. Even though rainbows are simply a refraction and dispersion of […]
Tohu vaVohu
This week’s Torah portion starts off with a most awe-inspiring statement: “In the beginning, when The Eternal began the heavens and the earth, the earth was unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep…” (Genesis 1:1-2). Translating Hebrew into English can sometimes lead to an unsatisfactory rendering of the original text. This is […]
Fellowship in the Wilderness
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir “The Appalachian Trail is a footpath for those who seek fellowship in the wilderness.” – AT motto When I first started my thru-hike of the Florida Trail this past January, I had the idea that I was a pilgrim on […]
The Hundred Mile Wilderness
CAUTION! IT IS 100 MILES SOUTH TO THE NEAREST TOWN AT MONSON. THERE ARE NO PLACES TO OBTAIN SUPPLIES OR HELP UNTIL MONSON. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS SECTION UNLESS YOU HAVE A MINIMUM OF 10 DAYS SUPPLIES AND ARE FULLY EQUIPPED. THIS IS THE LONGEST WILDERNESS SECTION OF THE ENTIRE AT AND ITS DIFFICULTY SHOULD […]
KATAHDIN
CuppaTea met us at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy HQ and off we went. CuppaTea is really sweet and I am so glad to have met her. We stopped in my home town of North Billerica, Massachusetts on the way to Maine, staying at the home of some dear friends.We stayed for two days and got […]
