Brian Kresge - Maine Israelite Outdoor Society

Appalachian Trail, Featured, Hiking, News

New Permit Requirements on AT in Shenandoah

Starting this month, you will now be required to buy a permit at Recreation.gov in order to complete the Shenandoah National Park portion of the Appalachian Trail. The previous system,...

Featured, Gear Reviews, News, On The Water

Tucktec Kayaks: A Wet, Freezing Review

Autumn in Maine Hot apple cider. Pumpkins and the array of reds, oranges, and yellows that dot the Maine landscape. I fell in love with autumn in grade school at Lafayette Elementary in...

Featured, Hiking, Video

The Best Thru-Hiking Videos

User-created thru-hiking videos are a great way to get through winter, even as early-bird Appalachian Trail folks gear up to head out as early as February. We’ve rounded up some of...

Appalachian Trail, Featured, News

Elul’s End

A Synagogue President Reflects on the Appalachian Trail The sun finally set on The Horns Pond in the Bigelow Range. I returned to my campsite, with my hammock strung between two sturdy...

Featured, Hiking

A Spring Trip to a Bold Coast

We were looking for a spring destination, and we found an excellent trip along Maine’s dramatic Bold Coast. Situated between Milbridge and Calais in Maine is a not-so-hidden gem of...

Appalachian Trail, Featured, News

Thoughts on “2,000 Miles Together”

In 2018, the Crawford Family, consisting of two parents and six children, hit my “Appalachian Trail / lives in Maine” radar, over a debate as to whether they should be allowed...

Featured, Hiking

Old, Reliable Gear – Bal Taschit

One of my biggest gripes about backpacking is the overstated focus on gear. When I completed my first thru-hike, I did it with “crap gear,” some of it replaced during the trip...

Featured, Trail Recipes

Trail Recipe Series: Sephardic Trail Recipes

In this piece, we share a couple of Sephardic recipes conducive to backcountry cooking. Common ingredients include chickpeas, ground lamb or beef, dried and fresh fruits, stuffed...

Camping, Hiking, Travel

Destination: Katahdin Woods & Waters Monument

Over the course of August 2020, I visited Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument twice. This marvelous and remote stretch of land is a solitude-lover’s paradise. Winding streams,...

Trail Recipes

Trail Recipe Series: Ashkenazi Favorites

The first in our series on Jewish wilderness recipes covers a few Ashkenazi staples, from borscht to cholent....

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