I am an author, adventurer, photographer, and historian who has written several books about my outdoor exploits, my fascination with hiking trails, and the people and places found just off the beaten path. My debut book, Appalachian Odyssey: A 28-year hike on America’s trail was hailed by the former Executive Editor of National Geographic as “a classic of nature and travel writing” and set off a national tour (in a 1985 VW camper, no less) — a vehicle I still tour in and use as my "wandering base camp."

My newest book (my fifth and my first hardcover) "This Land Was Saved for You and Me," is about how a combination of well-known and many more lesser-known advocates made the protection of America's public lands possible.

Over the past three years, I have given talks in hundreds of venues, including the USFWS National Conservation Training Center, the Harvard Travellers Club, the L.L. Bean Flagship Store, the Maine State Library, and scores of other libraries in Maine, New York, Virginia, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and thirty other states. I have also performed numerous radio, TV, and podcast interviews. Interviewers often remark on how passionate and knowledgeable I am about the outdoors and the history of the conservation and outdoor recreation movements in the U.S.