Author: c8ugno

Growing up in the low mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania, I grew to love those mountains as my home.  All I ever wanted to do was walk through the woods, up and down the hills forever and ever as a kid.  I still do!  When I see the bare deciduous trees that pepper the Appalachian Mountains in Fall, I can hardly hold myself back from the trails.  So I don’t…I put on my boots and a day pack and head out.  It is a place for us to go to in order to commune and understand our natural world.  For many...

“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.”  -Rachel Carson I encourage everyone to spend time outdoors.  It has been the main influence in my life, forming my character and teaching me how to move about in the world.  When I come back to the city after being immersed in nature for a time, it’s sometimes difficult to maintain the balance I felt while out there.  A good friend once told me it is possible to bring that stability with you: just hear a loon’s call when someone honks...

As I set my sights on 2018, I see all of the pathways that Julpak can take me.  Most of the past year I have walked on solid footing, sometimes on rocky ground, but always with that trail front and center.  Wandering but not lost.  Compass in hand.  Looking for True North.  I trek with the confidence of knowing that the skills I have developed over a lifetime will come together and make this journey successful.  I see the precipice and I walk along the edge, I see the rapids and I steer for the standing water. Where Julpak is...