wandering matt

Been doing a lot of writing and book “stuff” lately. Couple that with the deluge of rain these last few weeks, and there hasn’t been much time to hit the trail. Looking back on some of the pictures taken of me over this heavy stretch of typing and talking, one thing is clear: I’ve gotten fairly out of shape! All writing and no hiking makes Matt a chubby wanderer. Middle Sugarloaf: An Easy 52 WAV…

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 to capture the experience. It made sense there. But even though this next book isn’t…

I’ve been knocked out by a brutal cold for the past week, unable to do much in terms of climbing or writing—only able to focus on boring, old regular work. But my head is starting to clear now, and while I don’t have enough energy to get back out there yet, I figured I’d take advantage of my grounded vessel to reflect on some of my most recent climbs. Chocorua seemed like a good place to…

We thought we knew what we were doing. We thought, hey, this will be a great bonding experience for the family, and the kids will someday thank us for taking them. We believed we were doing the right thing, baking in a little character with some smiles. After all, I had climbed the Presidential Traverse several years ago, all in one day. Surely, taking the kids would be devoid of drudgery or…

Have you heard the words of youth,or merely waited them outto tell the storyyou've been trained to tell?The story that made you thinkyou could someday be safe,but never stopped nibblingat the heart and at the mind?Have you ever moved yourselfto the side of you,and looking about, seen your squinting face?Have you seen the lines?If so, why do youtry so hard to deny them?All of the yous flit…

It seems that where it’s less crowded, we tend to seek each other out, and even more so when we’re in the midst of a more challenging effort. 

The river pours and fjords its way,bursting over seams in the glade,calling bramble and brash to playbefore exhaling in cascade. Where it cannot push, it dances,when it cannot burrow, it leaps.Determinedly, it advancesas it descends the mountain steep. And paused there in the evening blueI can now see that I was wrong.I'm not the river running throughbut the earth that creates the song.

One Step, Then Another Bit by bit, I'm making progress with my health and getting out there again. #climbing #health #thankful

This week I managed to get back to the top of a mountain. It wasn’t the biggest mountain nor was it the smallest, but it was a mountain nonetheless. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to climb. The damage to my nervous system has made exercise impossible these last few years and the only thing I can really manage is walking. Sick and tired of my limitations, I took one of my sons on an…

They're BaaaaaaaaAaaaack Just when I think I've got them out, they come right back in. #fatherhood #humor #happythanksgiving

I’m really so confused. Wasn’t the talk a few years back that American kids were falling behind a bunch of other countries in academics? Wasn’t that what “common core” was all about? Aren’t we scared that our kids are getting dumber relative to the world, and even more so now that they’ve lost so much quality education time because of covid? Yes? Then why in God’s green earth are we giving them…

Kids, Get Down Here and Watch TV - NOW! I'm sick of managing my kids' screentime and just want to watch TV like the good old days... #fatherhood #humor #goodolddays

When I was a kid, the most exciting night of the school week was when my dad told me to come downstairs and watch The Wonder Years with him. I’ll never forget it. I still remember that it aired on Wednesdays and even if I had a big homework assignment due the next day, it didn’t matter. First came The Wonder Years. It was mandatory viewing for me and the old man. I LOVED Wednesdays. Then a…

Not Enough Time To Cover it All Writing is just like life - there's not enough time say all that you want to say. So just start and see where it takes you... #amwriting #writing #thatslife

When the writing bug strikes there are these moments where your ability to write can’t keep up with the entirety of your thoughts, and you end up losing some of the complexities you were hoping to deliver. Your hands might be able to catch up with two or maybe even ten of your ideas, but now and again you come to a stop and realize there was some thought you really wanted to communicate, but now…

Finishing What You Started - Dusting Off the Book It's time to get cracking people! #writing #motivation #writingcommunity

Ok it’s time. Time to finish this thing. Awhile back I finished the rough draft of my first book, which chronicled my efforts to tackle all of the 4000 footers in New Hampshire before I turned 40. It’s taken forever for me to get back to it and do the final edit. Life interrupting me with chronic nerve pain has made it so that every time I sit down to give it one last look, I can’t get into the…

I am a Terrible Mother It didn't take long to figure out... #fatherhood #humor #amwriting

Ever since my wife went back to work full-time, I’ve had to step in and take on some of the more “traditional” mothering duties, and let me tell you, women might be able to do anything a man can do, but I certainly can’t do everything a woman can. Not well at least. I am a bad, bad, mother. For starters, what a logistical nightmare mothering is. When our role shifts began last year, my wife…

Healing or Complaining, Write or Wrong? Just let it out, it can only help. #amwriting #health #writing

When I started this blog I was hoping it was going to be about mountains and writing, and perhaps be a platform for some more creative writing pursuits that I’ve got planned, but instead the bulk of my entries so far have been about this damn nerve pain. It wasn’t supposed to be this way! I wanted to write about happy things and about going out and living your best life, not pain and finding the…