I have seen animals go silent just before the earth started to shake. They sensed the tremors coming. In some parts of the world, people...

Mary Anderson is hiking the 3,000-mile Continental Divide Trail and writing a book about it. This post was written in early June, while...

Anticipation is a funny thing. So often I anticipate something only to be disappointed when the event actually happens. Sometimes the...

A few nights ago I camped by a small, rundown cabin. Today I walked past a huge new house set back off a remote dirt road. The contrast...

A hiker reminded me recently of the value of curiosity. She said when she felt like quitting she would work on becoming curious. She...

Thinking seems like a bit of a lost art to me, even here on the trail. I see most hikers hiking with ear buds, listening to music or...

Today I was watching three tiny bugs spend a half hour going around and around on the top of one small flower. I wondered what it would...

It happens every time I walk into a grocery store. I feel overwhelmed by all the possible selections, and my brain seems to shut down. I...

Self-discipline is often hard. When I am home it is easy to find reasons to put something off until the next day. But out here on the...

“How we deal with the same-old same-old will influence much of our lives.” Continental Divide thru-hiker Mary Anderson is now in the...

I cut steps into the steep snowy slope, forcing myself not to look down. I don't want to freak out. I remind myself that panic is the...

Walking through one of the most gorgeous places on earth. Doing it again the next day and the next. Walking by at least a dozen...

Editor's note: Mary wrote this post on June 21, the day she began the southbound portion of her thru-hike of the Continental Divide...

For me, trust is an important part of many long-distance hikes. First, I must trust that what people have written about the trail is...

By Mary Anderson I am heading down to visit my son before I set out on my hike. He will help me get my phone and electronics in shape for...