Journal
Essays and trail journals by Leah LaRocco.
August 30, 2017
I recently camped alone for the first time in the Elkmont campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was a great first solo camping experience because I was alone without being alone. I wanted to camp by myself to get over the fear of camping by myself. Baby steps. Read More
July 25, 2017
"Bear. Leah, there's a bear!" I look up from the trail where my eyes have been scanning back and forth for snakes to see a cub tumbling down a hill in our direction. I shout, "BABY BEAR, where's the mama?! We need to find the mama!" My friend Leann and Read More
July 14, 2017
Last year in Yosemite, I was awestruck by dynamic scenery on the Panorama Trail. This year the experience was entirely new in the month of June. The views are even more awe-inspiring since the waterfalls are in full force and colors burst forth from wildflowers. The entire trail is approximately Read More
July 12, 2017
The use of seasons as an analogy for what we experience in life is a weary one, worn out from centuries of use by humanity to describe the phases of our lives that ebb and flow. Relationships, families, jobs, the paths we travel on all have seasons. The most dramatic Read More
July 7, 2017
If someone had told me I would go to Yosemite twice in the span of a year, I would have thought them overly optimistic. But thank goodness for friends who love to travel because last September, I went with Alicia and we scouted the place out. Along for the ride Read More
April 5, 2017
Back around Thanksgiving when I was visiting family and half the people there were sick, I managed to catch a cold. A cold that turned into a sinus infection, that turned into an ear infection, that turned into sudden hearing loss, that turned into one of the most painful illnesses Read More
September 28, 2016
There are too many incredible places in this world to see, too many incredible places in our country to see. And I don't just want to see them, I want to experience them. This year marks the centennial of the National Park Service and what a happy birthday it's been. Read More
August 12, 2016
Years ago one of my girlfriends introduced me to the glass artwork of Dale Chihuly via some grainy photos on her phone and I was hooked forever. Then he brought his magic to the Cheekwood Botanical Garden in Nashville and I haunted that place every chance I got just to Read More
July 12, 2016
I grew up camping in Vermont. While other kids in school were going to Disney World, we would pack up the car and head up to the Green Mountains where we stored a little camper in a place called Camping On The Battenkill. My memories of this place are of Read More
June 17, 2016
This past weekend a good friend from college and I headed out to the Smokies to hike on some of the mountains known for their flame azaleas and rhododendrons. The second weekend of June this year seemed to be a bit early for the flame azaleas, but we lucked out Read More
April 8, 2016
Today I saw a turkey running full speed up a grassy hill, head waving haphazardly back and forth like he was being chased. It was a hysterical moment in my morning and I found myself laughing loudly between NPR segments. I'm convinced he was just happy it's spring. As I Read More
March 15, 2016
As the weather warms up and I'm starting to sweat on my daily walks, I keep thinking back to a month ago when Rob and I headed to the Smokies again for some more winter hiking. Hiking in the winter has some serious advantages. There are less people, the views Read More