Well, I'm with them in spirit . . . .

The last few days while I've been worrying and fretting about the Sophomores there's been another thing that's been on my mind. Every other person I see these last two days stops and looks at me funny and says, "Say, aren't you supposed to be out with the sophomores?"

No, I'm not with the Sophomores! It's such a hard thing, especially since half the people I talk to think I'm getting away with something by not being on the trail. But actually I would rather be out with them! I wrote a bit about this last year as well.

In fact my first ever experience with NHS was as a professional wilderness instructor for the program seven years ago. In those days Brian Abbott was running the program and he hired me on to go out on a longer version of the Gilman's Corner route. Check it out here's a picture from that first year of the trip with my group on the Summit of Mt. Moosilauke. Look, t-shirts, what the heck has happened to the weather these last seven years?

I miss it dearly but after helping guide the trip on the trail for those first few years it's also been satisfying to guide the trip in a different way from behind the scenes.

So if you see me on campus, no - I don't get to go any more. But that's okay - I'm with you in spirit!