Hi! My name is Karen, Tod’s wife and a happy partner in our new hiking adventures.  Perhaps I should chime in on how it came to be that I went from being a couch potato to an avid hiker, all in the span of a few months. I think some of my friends and family are wondering what happened!

Like Tod, hiking is not completely new to me. Growing up, our family went camping almost every weekend. In my 20’s I had a bunch of girlfriends who also liked the outdoors. We would camp at Cactoctin Mountain Park and go hiking. That being said, I’ve never done backpacking and my camping methods were pretty tame. Life got in the way  of adventure and the hiking stopped.

Our visit to the Grand Canyon was life-changing. The feeling I got hiking along the rim was magical. Then, during our stay in Sedona, we went on the Cathedral Rock hike. Halfway up I thought, “This is crazy!  I’ll never get down!” I broke through my fear and had a blast. It was so freeing!

Now, after, several hikes in Maryland I’m hooked. There is something so serene about being in the woods. Being completely out of breath going up a mountain isn’t anything like being out of breath on a treadmill. I love it!

Hopefully, this blog will chronicle some neat hiking and camping options in the DMV area from the perspective of someone like me. An out of shape, old, novice hiker with a heck of a lot of enthusiasm!