By Audrey Andrews | January 16th, 2021 A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson has long sat on my to be read list. Although a hiking classic, I continued to avoid it because I often find myself much more interested in memoirs authored by women. Fortunately, my sister gifted me [...]
By Audrey Andrews | January 7th, 2021 Grants Pass, Oregon Out & Back:2 miles750 feet elevation gain Dollar Mountain is the first hike I've completed in Oregon. The trailhead lies just northwest of downtown Grants Pass and is about 2.5 road miles from Interstate 5. With a trailhead in a neighborhood and close proximity to a major [...]
By Audrey Andrews | December 14th, 2020 Memory of Trees: A Daughter's Story of a Family Farm by Gayla Marty fell into my hands. I drove to a Target to purchase a few household items. When I arrived, I noticed a green sign announcing "BOOKS" next to the entrance. Of course, I had no choice but to [...]
By Audrey Andrews | November 8th, 2020 Colorado Springs, Colorado Loop:5.7 miles1,224 feet elevation gain The Section 16 loop is a popular hike on the outskirts of Colorado Springs. It's notoriety has earned it a Fastest Known Time route and it is quite popular with locals during afternoons and on weekends. If completed counter-clockwise, the first two [...]
By Audrey Andrews | November 2nd, 2020 Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed is one of the few books I've read twice. Although published in 2012, the book has already become a classic in both memoirs and outdoor literature. Wild permeated book lists so extensively that I thought it may [...]
By Audrey Andrews | October 25th, 2020 Colorado Springs, Colorado Out & Back:6.8 miles1,529 feet elevation gain High Drive connects two of the most popular hiking areas of Colorado Springs: North Cheyenne Cañon Park and the Section 16 loop. While the route can be traversed as an out-and-back either direction, start from the Section 16 trailhead to [...]
By Audrey Andrews | September 18th, 2020 Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer is one the books I selected to bring me comfort and happiness through reminders of life outdoors during my brief return to New York City. I've seen the book on many reading lists [...]
By Audrey Andrews | September 10th, 2020 Manitou Springs, Colorado Manitou Incline & Barr Trail Descent:3.9 miles1,818 feet elevation gain The Manitou Incline is a staple of Manitou Springs, just west of Colorado Springs. To enable social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, free reservations are mandatory to adventure up the incline. I did not have [...]
By Audrey Andrews | September 8th, 2020 Pike National Forest, Colorado Out & Back:3.9 miles331 feet elevation gain Rampart Reservoir is located in the Pike National Forest above Colorado Springs. Garden of the Gods connects to the twisting and steep Rampart Range Road, which crawls from about 6,000 to over 9,000 feet with amazing views [...]
By Audrey Andrews | August 31st, 2020 Black Forest, Colorado Out & Back with Loop:7.2 miles774 feet elevation gain Colorado is quite the gem in regards to incorporating outdoor spaces into residential and business areas. Black Forest Regional Park is just northeast of Colorado Springs, Colorado and accessible from most of the city in a [...]
