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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Not Smarts Mountain
Some days, nothing goes as planned. I was supposed to ski Tuckerman’s, but then the weather didn’t look right for it. Then I was supposed to hike with a buddy, but he had to cancel. So, instead, I found myself hiking alone on a 7.5-mile wet pile of stew that should have taken four or…
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How Hiking Became Part of My Writing Process
In between talks about 4000s by 40, I’ve started work on my next book. The writing process feels different this time, but some things are surprisingly the same. One thing I didn’t expect? Recording audio notes again. Since 4000s by 40 was an active adventure about hiking, I recorded a lot of notes while climbing…
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At the River
At the river, I found the movement I couldn’t see in life. The sounds and rhythm of a flow that moves forward without losing its depth, and sings against the rock and dirt, regarding them, not as obstructions but as parts needed to make the music. Drawing in a long breath, I imagined the drive…
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The Covered Bridge
I found myself on a road last night, one I never planned to be, and I cursed the drive, as is my right, for the time it took from me. I wanted to speed, to transcend space blast past these twists of the earth, and give this fevered want to erase a moment to prove…