With less than a week to go, our camping trip is fast approaching but we are prepared. Below is a list of supplies we are bringing along for our hike of the Appalachian Trail.

• Cuscus 70L Internal Frame Backpack w/ 2L hydration bladder
• 3 person lightweight Tent
• Camping cookware (pot, pan, plate, cup)
• Camping silverware

more...

This past father's day I decided to go on a hike in the Blue Hills Reservation right outside of Boston in Canton, Massachusettes. The Reservation allows horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, and backpacking. The thing I love about Blue Hills is how the trails intersect one another frequently. This allows you to create your own trail and journey to specific locations you want to see. To begin my hike, I traveled to the Trailside Museum where the Red Dot trails starts. I followed the trail southeast up one of the largest hills in the range where Eliot Tower is located. This stone watch tower boasts a spectacular view of the Boston skyline and harbor as well as being able to see for miles in all directions. From the right point you are able to see Houghton's pond, another great aspect of the Blue Hills.

My trip to Beaver River was a good experience. It was fairly easy to find; only a few miles off Rt. 95. When I first arrived it started to rain but despite the weather I wanted to see Beaver River. As soon as I was under the trees it didn’t even feel like it was raining anymore. The trees provided a lot of coverage and kept me pretty dry (not fully dry though). The trail splits soon after you enter the forest; I made a right and followed the yellow trail marks located on the trees. I walked over a couple of wooden bridges crossing some streams which led me deeper into the forest. After hiking about a ½ mile and down some steep rocks the trail splits again.

Last week we traveled to Pergatory Chasm located in Sutton, Massachusettes (about a 40 minute drive from Providence). Only a couple turns off of highway 95, the State Reservation is very easy to find. Driving down the entrance road you can see huge rocks, almost mini-mountains rising out of the earth, very break taking. Steve and I parked in one of the last lots by the chasm, and set out on the closest trail (funny story about this later). The clearly marked trails snaked through the valley of rocks and trees. Traveling along the main trail, one can see several smaller paths which spread throughout the reservation and  rock formations which provide a spectacular backdrop to the hike. Every once and a while we would coast off the main trail to climb a few rock walls and follow some of the secondary paths.