Welcome!
My name’s Matt, and I love to write and hike. I’m the author of 4000s by 40 and am currently working on book two. When I’m not doing that, I come here to share tales from the trail, reflections on the writing process, and explore hidden truths.
Whether you’re a hiker, a writer, or just someone trying to figure out their own next step, I hope this site encourages you to keep getting outside, keep exploring, and keep making new discoveries. I suppose this place serves as a very public reminder to myself that I need to keep doing the same.
Enjoy it out there!
What’s New
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Skiing Duke’s Trail on Mount Cardigan
Skinning up and skiing Mount Cardigan has been on my wish list for a long time, and yesterday, I finally got my chance. My son and his buddy were planning on trying for Tuckerman’s, but the conditions looked terrible, so I suggested Mount Cardigan instead as a training run. They jumped at the idea, and…
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The Right Answer
“How do you want to be remembered?” she asked, knowing full well I wanted children: a chance to stay, like mangrove roots above the water. “Who would you like to remember you?” “Who?” I asked. The word hung like a prayer I didn’t know how to send. Looking at the ground, I combed the pebbles…
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Weighing Expectations
I recently read an article about Finland’s extraordinary run as the happiest country on earth, in which the author cited one key catalyst for their success: low expectations. The author argued that because the days are short and the nights are long, Finns don’t concern themselves with overachieving. I suppose after centuries of just trying…
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Still Get Scared Hiking
I’ve hiked a lot. Like a lot, a lot. I can’t even process how many miles. I walk for miles every day, even when I’m not going anywhere special, so I can’t guess how many I’ve hiked in my lifetime. Let’s just say it’s a plethora of miles. And in those miles, I’ve run into…