Hiking Haggis
a hiking haggis? really?
When people hear of the word “haggis,” they usually think of a questionable cuilinary treat. But haggis are also small mythical wee beasties native to Scotland. Wild haggis come in two varieties: clockwise and counterclockwise. This distinction is a result of their right and left legs being different lengths, which enables them to navigate steep slopes with ease but only in one direction. They are fierce but endearing inhabitants of the hills.
A bit of background
I am a born-and-bred New Englander, used to rocky coasts and cold winters.
I have lived in Virginia for about two decades, enjoying warmer weather, southern friendliness, and NOT shoveling snow!
I married my high school sweetheart 34 years ago and have always regarded that as one of the best decisions of my life!
I became a Christian 25 years ago, and that was also one of the best decisions of my life!
I have four of the most awesome kids ever (not that I am biased or anything!), and they have added two wonderful daughters-in-law, a granddaughter, and a future son-in-law to our family. We are truly blessed!
We homeschooled all four kids from kindergarten through 12th grade — a memorable, remarkable, and transformative journey for all of us.
I love playing handbells!
I am an inveterate reader. I have really enjoyed discovering the extensive literature about walking and hiking.
I tutor and teach high school math, though in the evenings and on the weekends I am often on a trail somewhere.
My entire family walks. My grandfather walked five miles each way to court my grandmother. My parents have hiked a about a third of the AT. Some of my best childhood memories involve walking at Worlds End and other local parks on the South Shore. As a family we hiked mountains and strolled around cities. And now I walk — around my neighborhood, in local parks, and on mountain trails.
My favorite place to dayhike is Acadia National Park, but the mountains of Virginia are pretty amazing!
But Why Backpacking?
I discovered long-distance walking because my daughter and I wanted to vacation in Scotland but we didn’t want to drive on the left-hand side of the road! Fortuitously after extensive online searches I bumped into the phrase “self-guided walking holiday”, which described exactly what we wanted to do. We ended up walking the Borders Abbeys Way.
After returning to the States, I wanted to find a way to do a long-distance walk without flying across the Atlantic! Since almost all trails in the U.S. are in parks and national forests, doing a long-distance walk in the States involves backpacking. So I took a backpacking class through REI and made a very expensive trip to a trail outfitter!
