Travel by Mule

My Ride up the Virginia Highland Horse Trail Ends but the Journey Continues

The other day, I accompanied my wife Julia to film one of her Trust Technique sessions. The husband and wife she was working with met us at their barn, and the husband gave me a confused look. “Hey, I’ve been following your mule ramble on your website,” he said. “I thought you were still on the trail.”

On the trail: my mule Brick following my saddle mule Cracker, who I’m riding, up the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail (outside Cripple Creek,… Continue reading

Watch Two Mules Walk up the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail in Hoof Boots

I recently wrote a post on how my Renegade hoof boots were performing on the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail is rough in places, littered with rocks, logs, mud, puddles, boulders and yes, the occasional horse shoe that was ripped of a horse or mule’s hoof. My hoof boots did great. Here’s a short video of how they performed on a flat but rocky section of the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail.

I’m proud to report that after 80 miles of sometimes… Continue reading

What It’s Like For a Mule to Nibble Your Beard

One of the best things about being on a mule ramble is to have time to hang with your mules – really hang with your mules. In some cases, they interact with you in ways that they don’t back home. In this case, mule Brick decided she wanted to nuzzle my beard. She’s never done that before. It tickles and it would be great if, once in your life, you could experience it, even if you don’t have a beard.… Continue reading

How I Rode my Mules up the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail

Hey, I drew you a map of my first five days riding my mules Brick and Cracker up the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail.

A very rough map I sketched of my first five days riding the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail with my mules Brick and Cracker.

I sketched the map into Katie’s notebook. Her parents, RJ and Christina, invited me for supper while I was camped at Fox Creek Horse Camp. Here are some photos of our time together.

Pondering… Continue reading

Scenes From a Grayson Highlands Mule Camp

I recently wrote of catching up with Badger, the Baron, Jimmy Dean and Sleeper at the Scales camp on the Virginia Highland Horse Trail. They taught me how to speak AT lingo. Here are some more photos from that gathering you’ll enjoy.

Jimmy Dean and the Sage (their AT trail names) hanging with Cracker (aka Crab Man)
Cracker enjoying a drop-in visit (Scales camp, Virginia Highlands Horse Trail)
Mile2Go: He’s hiking sections of the AT and works in tech… Continue reading

Meet my New Neighbors While Riding the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail

My mules Brick and Cracker are riding the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail. Meet my new neighbor Ms (or Mr?) Fly. How could I ever get lonely out here?

Get A Free Copy of my New Photo Book 19 Million Mule Steps

I’d love to give you a heads up when my new book Two Mules to Triumph, comes out. Two Mules to Triumph is about riding my mules Brick and Cracker 2,300 miles from North Carolina to Idaho. Just… Continue reading

How to Speak AT (Appalachian Trail) Lingo With Sleeper and His Tramily

What’s your trail name? Who’s in you’re tramily? Mules Brick, Cracker and I had a damn amusing encounter with some hikers on the AT (Appalachian Trail) this week. Meet Sleeper, Jimmy Dean, The Bard and Badger. They’re going to teach you the lingo you’re going need to sling if you ever hike the AT.

Sleeper, Jimmy Dean, The Bard and Badger hangin’ with Cracker (Scales Camp, Grayson Highlands, Virginia, Virginia Highlands Horse Trail)

AT Lingo With Sleeper, Jimmy Dean,… Continue reading

Join my Mules For a Cup of Coffee Cooked on Our BioLite Wood Stove

Howdy. Instead of carrying a conventional camping stove on my mule ramble up the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail, I used a BioLite wood stove. It uses sticks instead of gasoline or propane. Click on the video below to join me for a cup of wood-brewed coffee.

For an in depth review of what it’s like to spend a month cooking on a BioLite wood cook stove, check out this review I wrote. It’s called Now We’re Cooking With Wood… Continue reading

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