TMB Day Three: Refuge du Bonhomme to Refugio Elisabetta *The Tour du Mont Blanc is the most famous and celebrated hike in Alpine Europe and is the fifth Bucket List Hike that Brian and Sylvia have completed together. It is also our first hike together of any kind in Europe.* Morning of Day 3 began with our Isreali roommate bursting […]
A hundred Miles of Up and Down
Countdown to the Tour Du Mont Blanc… The TMB — one of our Bucket List Hikes — and the majestic French Alps are looming close, and we’ve been busy getting ready for what promises to be the adventure of a lifetime. This means physical, mental and practical preparation. It also means spending a lot of money on things like this…a universal […]
The TMB Just Three Weeks Away! (and of course the French train workers are on strike)
Update on the Tour Du Mont Blanc So… We’re just three weeks out from the Tour Du Mont Blanc…our hundred plus mile circumnavigation of Western Europe’s highest peak! The excitement is building for this, the most ambitious thing we have ever done. Brian’s ‘Tarzan French’ is improving daily to the point where he now believes he can communicate with any […]
The TMB Hits a Snag, the Next Hike…and Waterfall Week!
We are now weeks away from the Tour Du Mont Blanc, and it’s beginning to sink in that we are actually going to do this thing. There is no turning back now! Finally, we going to be in the Alps! It is a dream of mine of as long as I have been a hiker. It’s also the next of […]
What’s Been Going On?
Taking a much needed rest the last few days. But we’ll have more posts soon! The the meantime we have updated our Bucket List, Best Hikes in the Southern Appalachians and Local Hikes pages. We are also finished with all of our preparations for the Tour Du Mont Blanc, now just a few weeks away! Brian is hastily cramming to […]
Climate Change Resources for the Skeptical
New Page Added — Climate Change Resources for the Skeptical Climate Change — aka Global Warning — is a very complex subject over which there has been significant debate in recent years. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being skeptical about this or any other subject, especially one as highly politicized as Climate Change. But when ‘skepticism’ continues even in the face […]
…And Of Course the End is Always a Downer
Santa Cruz Trek Day 4: The Final Day **An older version of this post originally appeared in 2015 on the old legacy blog. We hope you enjoy this updated version! The last day of our hike is here! I emerged from the tent to clear blue skies and three freshly deposited cow turds. Folks I will say this up front…if […]
Gimme Shelter (for less than four hundred bucks if possible)
Gear Review: The REI Quarter Dome 2 Tent *Note that BecauseItzThere receives NO compensation of any kind from any brand, retail store or outfitter. The products you see reviewed here are purchased with our own funds and objectively reviewed under field conditions.* **Please also note that in writing this article Brian did in fact refrain from using the phrase […]
The Downhill Run
The Standing Indian Loop, Day III We emerged from our tent on the last day surprised to find that the shelter and campground were almost empty. The early departure of the hikers did not surprise me – Thru hikers have their miles to bag and therefore are used to getting an early start. What did surprise me is how quietly […]
Our (mis)Calculations Prove Right!
The Standing Indian Loop, Day II The second day dawned crisp and sunny through the newly budding trees of Beech Gap; the night had proven to be nowhere near as cold as the previous one. Sylvia reported no issues with her ‘manos’ and was generally in better spirits, the lingering effects of her fall having passed on like bad weather. […]