Recent content by MichaelMerry

I also lift and row quite a bit. The lifting is something I’ve done for 25 years. I just added the rowing a couple years ago when I had some running injuries as a way to maintain my cardio. I really like the full body workout it gives me in addition to getting the heart rate up. I also backpack...

I did a ton of frog hunting by canoe in my younger years. It’s less frequent now, but I love that headlamps have improved enough so that a frog can be spot lit. Before they got this good, we had to balance the gig on a large flashlight and hold it all steady long enough to get the frog. Much...

Four of us just returned from a nice little backpacking trip in Quehanna. The foursome included my wife, father in law (78 years old) and our old, very experienced friend (81 years old). We kept the mileage pretty low at 16 miles over three days. We hiked 5.25 Monday, 6.75 Tuesday and the...

My wife’s winter backpacking valentine surprise for me.

Yeah, I’m in no rush for this wonderful winter to end. I’ve spent more time strapped to skis and snowshoes than I have in many years. It’s replaced my running for most of 2026 so far! And I’ve had 6 great backcountry nights in the beautiful snow as well. Love it! Before I know it, I’ll be...

Quehanna is one of our favorite places in the world.

We rely on our gear for warmth. The fire is ambiance. I don’t prefer the odor of the fire on me or my gear and worry about sparks damaging my gear. Even when we stay in lean tos, we prefer to sleep in a cold lean to and, if we have a fire, have it outside. I’ve been following that Sierra dump...

We broke trail about half the time. Another snowshoer, ironically from the Cleveland area, came through some of our route from the opposite direction. It saved a lot of energy for that portion. The days were unseasonably warm. Once the sun was up, temps quickly climbed above freezing. Clear...

If weather allows, we cowboy camp. We pitched the tarp for frost as the nights were incredibly still. The first night, we arrived to a brief, intense snow squall. The only reason we ever really use a tent is to keep insects away. That is one of many reasons we love winter wilderness travel. We...

We got in late Friday and hiked out Sunday afternoon. Two nights! Thanks for the kind words. We love to do this and spend a lot of time out there.

My wife and I just wrapped a perfectly wonderful snowshoe backpacking trip on the Morrison trail in Allegheny National Forest, PA. It’s a favorite place for us to play in the deep snow because of multiple loop options, plowed parking lots and great camping. We hiked about 14 tough miles. Snow...

The lady slipper on the lichen carpet makes for a striking photo!

Frozen Lake Erie today off sunny Cleveland.

Snowshoe day trip in cuyahoga valley national park with my wife, father in law and Abby just before a snow squall hit yesterday afternoon. Beautiful.

Grew up on a NE Ohio farm. I’ve eaten many groundhogs. Better to stick with the young ones.