On My Way: Waking up on the water
My kayak sped over the water on a downwind sail. The water shushed the hull and my paddles splashed. I was just waking. The early pink and purple dome of the sun showed over...
On My Way: Cross-Island hike
The birds sang from their hidden perches somewhere in the trees.
The songs rang out on the gorgeous day of abundant sun and blue sky, with a stirring of air in the soggy fields, throughout...
On My Way: Crossing through curiosity
We sat in our kayaks and looked across the pond. A storybook of large dunes, some streaked with swaths of white and others draped in a country green, sat on the far shore.
The morning...
On My Way: Voyage to the pond
In May 1869, John Wesley Powell and nine men pushed off from the banks of the Green River in four specially designed and constructed wood boats on a voyage of exploration. On August 29,...
On My Way: Walking with Becham on South Beach
Becham dug excitedly, and when he had a hole large enough, he stuffed his nose in, not minding the sand all over his face and in his nostrils. No voles were present.
We were on...
On My Way: A walk in the clouds
We were above the treeline traversing the summit in the clouds for a moment.
This is not entirely true. Trees were all around us, and at 236 feet or so, we were not in the...
On My Way: Mapping a new trail
A few weeks ago, I had the rare opportunity of following a bouncing ball.
Have you ever wondered how a trail makes its way onto a map, into a guidebook, or onto an app on...
On My Way: Community spirit
The annual 5K for KJ is a Thanksgiving tradition in my family.
Our first participation in the event was in ’16 or ’17, when my son Peter was first a member of the Martha’s Vineyard...
On My Way: Hiking Cedar Tree Neck
Are you looking for a mellow hike of a few hours in a terrain as varied as the Island? If so, the 400 acres of the Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary, located in rural West...
On My Way: Reflecting on the Red Trail
The Red Trail is not the hilliest trail. In fact, it is flat. Nor is the Red Trail a long trail. The trail of which I speak is a stretch of not even a...
On My Way: Riding the gravel trail
The gravel ride from the meadow of Quansoo Farm to the meadow of Nat’s Farm, with all sorts of surprises in between, was fun the entire way. The All Star All Gravel course, slotted...
On My Way: Kayaking the Chop and beyond
I have long been enamored of the small, circular Oak Bluffs Harbor that summer folks flock to in droves. The numerous million-dollar yachts tied up to the slips along the concrete wharf are always...
On My Way: Life is good
I took a long sip of the large Cumbie’s iced coffee flavored with a shot of amaretto — the indulgence a reward for a hard and sweaty ride.
An hour and a half earlier, I...
On My Way: Cross-Island hike
An electrical current coursed through the cool air.
I leaned against a tree and stretched my legs. Folks congregated outside the Trustees building. We had looked forward to the day. Even a conversation about the...
On My Way: Poking around the pilings
I paddled out from the shore. A seagull swooped down in front me. I heard the wash in the water. I had made the right decision.
A few days earlier I had the idea of...
On My Way: The climb
The Battell trail was a climb from the start. Right away I was working. I was planting my poles and making steps. My blood was pumping. The trail wasted no time weaving upward. I...
On My Way: Looking for the cut
The sound of the surf, the chill in the air, the blue sky and the yellow sun, the tan beach and the Atlantic Ocean were reasons enough.
I drove to the left fork of South...
On My Way: The Ocean View
South Road. Middle Road. North Road. Fulling Mill Brook. Peaked Hill. And just for the heck of the double hat trick: Ocean View Farm.
The first time I did this hike — with my trusty...
On My Way: A frolic in the pond
A sunny sky with temperatures in the low thirties and 0 to 5 knots of wind. These were the conditions I was looking for to take my kayak out on the pond on a...
On My Way: The surprises of Chappy
Chappaquiddick Road was paved in yellow bricks. The road was level and straight, with low brush on either side. Becham, my trusty terrier-mix companion, walked by my side. I felt a sense of Oz-like...