Welcome to my local hikes section, where “local” is loosely defined as anywhere I happen to be rambling that isn’t one of the big hikes that have their own dedicated sections.
I hike primarily in the hills around the San Francisco Bay Area, but also in Florida when I’m visiting family — which means lots of miles and very little elevation gain. You win some, you lose some.
Through July 2026, most posts here will be weekly training logs in preparation for hiking the UK Coast to Coast in August. My training logs include stats for every hike that week, plus a more detailed writeup of one featured trail. While I’m on the trail in England, you can follow my progress in my daily journal. After that, this section will continue to serve as a record of wherever my feet take me next.
If you’re looking for my structured training plan, you can find it here.
Latest Posts
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Training Week 10: July 18-24
Boot swap, PT visit, shockwave therapy — my heels finally got the attention they’d been asking for. Given my heel pain, I decided to switch from the Topo Vistas to La Sportiva boots this week. I think I need a bit more heel drop (from 5mm in the Topos to 10mm in the La Sportivas)… Read the full post →
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Training Week 9: July 11-17
Five days, three hikes, one near-fall, and heels that are making their opinions known again. The week began with what was supposed to be 48 hours in Florida, made shorter by American Airlines (see last week’s post). With so much to do, the focus wasn’t on hiking or even working out. But after returning to… Read the full post →
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Training Week 8: July 4–10
Sun, lake, family, mud, bugs, and one unforgettable porcupine. I love Skaneateles in the summertime. The lake is so clear and beautiful, and by July has usually warmed up enough for me to enjoy swimming in it. Plus the 12 of us get to spend lots of time together, chatting, playing games, and relaxing on… Read the full post →
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Training Week 7: June 27–July 3
Back from one adventure, already packing for the next. This week started and ended on planes. I returned from the Colorado Trail trek at the start of the week and then got back on a plane Friday, this time with Lee, for a week off together. After being apart last week, I’m really looking forward… Read the full post →
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Training Week 5: June 13–19
From Yoga Mat to Mountain Air… These last two weeks have not been how I envisioned them when I put my training plan together. Instead, they were an exercise in restraint to make sure my feet were in good shape for the Colorado Trail. My blister was on the mend but still not fully healed,… Read the full post →
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Training Week 3: May 30 – June 5
Featuring Pipeline Road Trail and the river I didn’t cross A big week with lots of ups and downs (literally and figuratively). I logged my longest-ever hike — 16.7 miles on the Bay Area Ridge Trail — and got some serious miles in ahead of the MammothMarch, but I’m also struggling with some footwear/blister drama.… Read the full post →
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Training Week 2: May 23–29
This was a lighter training week by design — I only got three hikes in, and didn’t follow my usual program. But we closed on our new-to-us house in Treasure Island (it’s elevated, so it should fare better in future hurricanes) and I spent quality time with people I love… Read the full post →
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Training Week 1: May 16–22
My first full week of training hikes! After retiring at the end of April, I went to the Formula 1 race in Miami, spent the following week in Florida and the week after that in Rome with my brother. I’m excited to formally start my training plan! … Read the full post →
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My First Post-Retirement Hike (Sort Of)
Every hike has to start somewhere. Mine started at REI. On Monday afternoon I dropped Lee off at the airport and made a detour to REI in Tampa. After a leisurely 2.5 hours, I walked out with a daypack, trail running shoes, a sun shirt, a bucket hat… Read the full post →
