My go-to peak when a hike is needed.
Now that I’m back home, I’m looking forward to hiking some of my favorite places. Today I chose Mount Cube, a small peak along the Appalachian Trail north of here. It’s only a 45-minute drive, a 2-mile hike, and leads to some pretty nice views. It’s my go-to hike when I need a short morning outing. When I set out, early this morning, I was driving through dense fog and (seemingly) cloudy skies, but I knew Mount Cube would rise above all that. It did not fail to deliver.
Driving home from San Francisco.
I’ve always wanted to drive across country, that is, across the United States from west to east. In my mind, it was always a leisurely road-trip wandering from state to state, exploring the national parks, historic sites, and cultural touchstones along the way. So, I was pleased when a series of duties and events aligned, finally allowing me the opportunity to drive from California to New Hampshire. The schedule did not allow me to wander leisurely about the landscape – let alone to explore any place in depth, or to pause for serious photography – but the trip nonetheless presented a smorgasbord of scenery, a cross-section of roadside dining outlets, and brief glimpses of Americana.
Third visit in three years!
I never expected to be able to visit the beautiful Maroon Bells Wilderness Area, outside Aspen Colorado, for a third summer in a row. On my first visit in 2024, I enjoyed a spectacular hike to Maroon Lake and Crater Lake, enjoying the photographic opportunities as well as sightings of moose and coyote. On my prior visit in 2025, I was able to visit Maroon Lake and the scenic loops near there, but ran out of time to make the hike up to Crater Lake. Those visits were possible when I attended a conference in Aspen. This weekend, I’m back in Aspen for a wedding – and enjoyed the opportunity to share this beautiful hike with my two sons, neice, and nephew.
Four days in the mountains of northern Wales.
I chose to spend my final week in the U.K. hiking with Dartmouth friends in Snowdonia, the mountainous region in northern Wales. Much of the region is protected land, as part of Eryri National Park. Although the mountains maintained their characteristically cloudy summits throughout most of our four-day visit, we were spared any rain and enjoyed one gorgeous sunny afternoon on Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), the highest peak in Wales.
Along the River Cam from Cambridge to Grantchester and back.
When I visited Cambridge, last month, I was in town for just the afternoon and had very little time to see the city or explore the university. I’m back, this time for five nights, to attend a computer-science conference (MobiSys). I chose to arrive early and go for a hike: from Cambridge to Grantchester, and return, along the River Cam. (Get it? Cam-bridge?) Along the way, I encountered four swans a-swimming and dozens of punters a-punting, dined al fresco in an orchard famed for its literary heritage; and explored a church nearly 900 years old.
A midweek ramble through forest and art.
The weather is summery and I had some free time today, so I decided to take a walk in Hampstead Heath – a large, forested park in northwestern London – and stop for lunch in Kenwood House, a historic mansion that now serves as a public art museum. It was reputed to have a lovely café, so I stashed my laptop in my backpack and took the #24 bus to its endpoint near Hampstead Heath.
A sunny hike through English countryside west of London, with a stop at 2000-year-old Roman ruins.
Another sunny day called for another excursion outside London, for a walk through the beautiful English countryside. I hopped off the train in tiny Mortimer, which is little more than a train depo, a church, a pub selling Indian cuisine, and a few houses. Soon I was traversing fields of wheat, crossing pastures with grazing cows, and following a lazy stream across the flat terrain. I tried to imagine what this landscape looked like two thousand years ago, when the Romans arrived and built an amphitheater. I was about to find out.
A quick loop hike surrounded by splendid scenery
It’s not often I have an opportunity for a mid-week ‘bonus’ hike, but on a day spent driving across Wales, from Conwy on the north coast to Cardiff on the south coast, it’s hard not to stop somewhere in the midst of that magnificent countryside and go for a hike. I selected a small mountain called Ysgyryd Fawr, better known as Skirrid, because the AllTrails description touts its spectacular panoramic scenery. Of course, as I pulled into the trailhead car park, rain started to fall and I found myself sitting in the car, wondering whether it was worth heading out. It was!
Hiking around a high point in Lisbon.
As part of three-day holiday-weekend visit to Lisbon, I took advantage of the beautiful late-spring weather to hike the trilho azul de Monsanto (blue trail) loop around Parque Florestal de Monsanto (Monsanto Forest Park), the largest green space in Lisbon, perched on a hilltop overlooking the city. In the cool morning air, I had the entire park virtually to myself – with blue skies, a gentle breeze, and wildflowers blooming.
33rd consecutive weekend hiking!
Another weekend in London – another opportunity for hiking! Today was a lovely day – warm and sunny, with flowers blooming in the parks and dooryards. I was a bit short for time so I selected a hike on the northeast edge of London, from Hackney to Walthamstow at the end of the Tube’s Victoria line. Although most of the walk was along streets or paved bike trails, the scenery varied from residential areas, to pedestrian streets on market day, to the vast Victoria Park, to the locks and canal boats along a series of three canals, to the meadows and forests of Hackney Marsh and Walthamstow Marsh.
David Kotz 