Start: 4:12 a.m.Finish: 9:30 p.m.Stats: 46.17 miles, 7677 elevation gain, 15h49m moving time, 17h18 m elapsed timeRoute: Pen Mar Road (drop off site) to Virginia state line (sign reads “Entering Harpers National Historic Park”) and then to Chestnut Hill Road (pick up site)Method: Day hike with support I wanted to hike the Four State ChallengeContinue reading “My 40th Birthday: The Four State Challenge”
Category Archives: Adventures
Ultra-Trail Harricana 65K: Race Report
My body vibrates with excitement and nerves. Can I run 40 miles? Matt, friend A., and I pull into Parc national des Hautes Georges in La Malbaie, Quebec. A blow-up arch marks the start line. At the car, I pull on my bulging running vest, filled with one liter of water and dozens of energyContinue reading “Ultra-Trail Harricana 65K: Race Report”
Ultra-Trail Harricana 65K: The Preparation
Meticulously. I planned for my 65K meticulously. It is race day. On the drive to the starting line, I recite the mileage between aid stations. “4.1 miles to Water Station Geai Bleu,” I recall to Matt and my friend A, “There I will fill my pack with two liters of water and grab chips.” TheyContinue reading “Ultra-Trail Harricana 65K: The Preparation“
Joy’s Birthday Party: Sept. 10
Hello, welcome to my birthday party! I turn 37 on September 8; to celebrate, I am running the Ultra Trail Harricana 65K on September 10. This race is my birthday party! I invite you to attend my birthday party digitally, or in person if you would like to travel to Quebec. To attend my virtualContinue reading “Joy’s Birthday Party: Sept. 10”
Taconic Crest Trail Hike
J and I hiked the Taconic Crest Trail on August 12, 2022. It was the second New England Ultra 8 hike that we did together. August 12, 2022 3:45 a.m. My alarm sounds. I lay in the darkness. I will myself out of bed. 4:30 a.m. J and I stream out the door with ourContinue reading “Taconic Crest Trail Hike”
Moosalamoo 14 Miler Race Report
Matt and I always enjoy the day before the race as much as the race. On Friday, July 29, we lazily drive up to Goshen, Vermont from Essex, Connecticut. We stop for a first-rate vegan breakfast at the Whistle Stop Café in Deep River, CT. We quest for bagels in Brattleboro, VT. We stretch ourContinue reading “Moosalamoo 14 Miler Race Report”
Vegan Power 25K Race Report
The race really begins with the preparation. Berkshire Botanical Garden The day before the race, Matt and I arrived at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, MA to stretch our legs. We drank in the quaking aspens, the pond full of water lilies, and the blooming big leaf magnolia. This magnolia has leaves bigger thanContinue reading “Vegan Power 25K Race Report”
Made It to the PA Appalachian Trail!
At 3:30 p.m. on Friday, I crossed over the Delaware Water Gap on the Appalachian Trail (AT) and made it to the Pennsylvania AT! On November 23, 2018, I first began hiking the New Jersey Appalachian Trail. Composed of 72 miles, it took only five hikes to finish it. My NJ AT finale began overContinue reading “Made It to the PA Appalachian Trail! “
Glimpses of the Presidential Traverse
3:05 a.m. My alarm sounds. Groggily, I open my eyes to the darkness. 3:45 a.m. Packs on, we stream out the door. 4:31 a.m. Other hikers linger at the lot. We step out, turn our headlamps on, and plow up the Valley Way. 4:31 a.m. – 7 a.m. Silently, we step upthe well-set stonesas nightContinue reading “Glimpses of the Presidential Traverse”
The Heart of Endurance: The Ice Cliffs of Cliff Mountain
Every year, I receive a star word that helps me making meaning out of my year. [1] This year, my star word was endurance. On what turned out to be a terrible hike up Cliff Mountain, life-saving endurance came in the form of love. On January 20, the night before Matthew and I hiked CliffContinue reading “The Heart of Endurance: The Ice Cliffs of Cliff Mountain”
Joy of the Journey 