View from Hog Rock
Monday, January 16, 2017 9:46 pm
Location: Catoctin Mountain: Hog, Wolf, and Chimney Rocks (8.3 miles)
Hike: Day Hikes

My second hike this year, with MAHG, revisits the Catoctin Mountain Park on Catoctin Mountain, following a loop around the national park.

With the temperature above freezing, the landscape today looked much different than what the mountain provided two Saturdays ago. Some very nice weather last week and rain over the weekend assisted in melting the snow that previously covered the mountain, leaving a trail largely clear of the signs of winter.

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Thursday, January 12, 2017 4:11 pm
Hike: News

I’m pleased to announce that in May, I will be giving two talks at the excellent php[tek] conference in Atlanta, GA. One will be a technical talk on computational algorithmic complexity. The other is a comparison of long-distance hiking and software development, which I developed over the course of my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, and which I’m particularly looking forward to giving.

I missed last year’s php[tek] because I was on the Appalachian Trail at the time. This was the first tek I’ve missed since 2010, so I’m happy that I get to go this year partially to talk about why I wasn’t there last year!

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Snowy Trail
Sunday, January 8, 2017 10:37 pm
Location: Catoctin Mountain: Bobs Hill, Cat Rock, and Cunningham Falls (14.2 miles)
Hike: Day Hikes

It’s a new year, which means, it’s time for a new hike! My latest hike with MAHG was on the northern part of Catoctin Mountain, in Cunningham Falls State Park and Catoctin Mountain Park, near Thurmont, MD.

Cacoctin roughly parallels South Mountain (about 7 miles to the west), the mountain the Appalachian Trail follows in its course through Maryland, making this the closest hike I’ve done to the AT in Maryland (besides the AT itself).

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Friday, January 6, 2017 12:48 pm

What’s an Appalachian Trail thru-hike cost? While it’s very possible to do a low-cost hike, mine wasn’t. While starting somewhat price-consciously, the final three states destroyed my budget. Read on to find out why.

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White Blaze
Wednesday, December 14, 2016 11:30 pm
Location: Patapsco Valley State Park: Hilton and Glen Artney Areas (8.0 miles)
Hike: Day Hikes

Earlier today, I again returned to Patapsco Valley State Park for yet another hike with MAHG. This time, our hike followed several trails in the Hilton and Glen Artney areas to form two loops through the park.

read more (600 words, 3 photos)