Year end update

Since I have not written a post after my August backpacking trip, I wanted to do an "end of year" update.  So here we go -

In September I was privileged to be able to attend a biology teachers workshop at Acadia National Park in Maine.  A group of 25 of us spent 3 full days exploring the park, learning about its natural resources and educational opportunities.  We hiked Gorham Mountain, went birding and visited tidepools with NPS naturalists, and made 2 excursions out onto the water.  It was a great experience.

Cross country season was a success.  My team finished in 2nd place at 3 championship races, and by my estimation was better than all but 2 of my other teams.  I have been coaching since 1996 so that's now quite a few years!   You can explore team results and photos here.  I am pictured here with my coaching staff at VanCortlandt Park in NYC, site of the 75th annual Jesuit Championhips.  I had run 14 miles from our hotel to the park that morning, so I was feeling pretty good!


Cross country sucks up huge amounts of time, so we did not have many other adventures to share from this fall.  We did get out for a nice hike on the AT on a beautiful fall weekend, a short jaunt to an overlook in VA called Bears Den.  This spot is about halfway between Harper's Ferry and the northern boundary of Shenandoah.   Views to the west take in much of the route of the Tuscarora Trail, including the section I hiked on my 40th birthday last year.  Just out of sight was the southern end of the rocky section I hiked earlier this summer.

Tatiana has been very busy working on her dissertation.  The girls continue to grow up very fast! Calista is in Kindergarten and loves it.  Linnea goes to day care most days and really enjoys that as well.  We did venture out to Wintergreen Resort for Thanksgiving, before driving to Cary, NC for the final race of the cross country season.  We hiked to Crabtree Falls, a scenic and icy cascade, and enjoyed a lovely feast at one of the resort restaurants for our Thanksgiving dinner. We also had a "family Thanksgiving" on an earlier weekend in November, in New Jersey after the Jesuit Championships.

Christmas has been the usual whirlwind of activity, with a trip to Grant and 3 separate trips to Hampstead.  Fun to spend time with extended family.  Some photos are here, including skiing behind my parent's house in Grant and Calista in the church Sunday School program.