About 

 Hiking Close to Home started when a librarian asked me to put together  a program on local hikes. After a few weeks of visiting my favorite trails and taking pictures, I offered the presentation for the first time. It was in August 2018 and over 50 people attended. That winter 3 more local libraries asked me to offer the presentation and each time the room filled to capacity. After each program people came up to say, "What about this hike?" Or "You didn't mention that one." Or "The bollards are too close together on that bike path to allow wheelchairs access." This spurred me to go out and explore further, contact land owners and trail planners and to add to my evolving presentation.

Repeatedly people urged me to write a book or start a blog. I felt pressured and a bit overwhelmed. I'd published Flip Flop on the Appalachian Trail the year before. It took 6 months to hike and a decade to write and I worked full time. So I reached out to my old friend, Jack Hartt and asked him to partner with me on this project. With just a moment's hesitation he said, "Sure!" 

Jack had recently retired as manager of Deception Pass State Park and was involved with Transition Fidalgo, the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, and Skagit Land Trust. Besides being trail savvy, Jack has published several books himself and has a great eye for photography. This project would not have been possible without his help. 

I've been an outdoor educator and trail guide in the Pacific Northwest for over twenty years. My work took me from the Columbia River Gorge to Southeast Alaska. I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2006. And walked the Coast to Coast Path across England in 2023. Still, Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands have been my home base. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to live here. So I am happy to offer this book of local hikes and share some of our favorite places with you.

Admiralty Inlet Preserve

 Hiking Close to Home is dedicated to those individuals and organizations that work to secure the land, build and maintain the trails and protect our natural areas for all of us to enjoy.
​And to all the trail users who follow my mother's advice,
"Leave a place better than you found it."