My Blogs

By Matt Kells

Tag: Hiking

Hikes with Matt and Pepper take time to reflect

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On December 1, 2020

In Dogs, Hereford Zone, Hikes, Prettyboy Reservoir, Trails

Through all of this, I have been surprised at how much I have enjoyed doing this blog. It hasn’t felt so much as an assignment as it has being a hobby. I thoroughly hiking with my German Shepherd Pepper through the Hereford Zone and venturing to beautiful unknown areas we are bound to return to. It definitely makes me think that I could do this as a little hobby should I choose to stick with it, whether it be with hiking or other topics I’m passionate about.

For the goals I set for myself going into this blogging journey, I said I had hoped to learn how to write blogs, and I believe I have. I have incorporated both photos and videos in each of my blogs to document the stunning visuals of the trails Pepper and I have explored. I also learned somewhat how to structure a blog, and talk about certain specifics at a given point in my writing.

For my other goal, I have learned about new trails as well as visit old ones to strengthen my knowledge for the breathtaking paths we walked upon. I visited two trails I had gone on previously, on both occasions going farther to truly reveal what the trail brings to the serious hiker. Going on hikes with my wonderful dog has also showed me not only how much I enjoy hiking, but how Pepper loves walking along trails that remain virtually untouched by the footprint of humankind.

The key lesson I learned is to never undervalue the presence of those you love. I take for granted the loving and caring dog I have for a pet, and with her going through surgery for a lower injury from an accident, I enjoy them more now knowing that anything can happen tomorrow and how nothing is certain.

To end on a positive note, the next steps I would need to take to continue with my blog is to buy a domain for a website to start my blog. This would certainly be a start, but I would also have to market my blog to those I know to draw foot traffic to my work because otherwise I would just be praying for visitors.

I loved having the opportunity to share my hiking experiences with my dog Pepper and my brother Jimmy with you all, and hope you have liked reading about different hiking trails in northern Maryland. Thank you and hoppy holidays!

Hikes with Matt and Pepper take Gunpowder Road

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On November 17, 2020

In Hikes, Prettyboy Reservoir, Uncategorized

Hello folks! Today Pepper and I went on a glorious adventure with my brother Jimmy to a trail on Gunpowder Road. We drove around for about 25 minutes trying to find a good trail that we could have for ourselves and one we hadn’t already ventured on. When we stumbled about to this path, we were flabbergasted by the beauty it displayed to us upon our wonderful hike.

First off, I would recommend this trail to anyone regardless if you’re a biker, horseback rider, or a hiker. It is very welcoming to those who enjoy different means of traveling. The trail is certainly wide enough, it is quite long in distance to test the endurance of animal or man, and also gives you one hell of a workout along the way.

The weather when we hit the trail was cloudy and windy to start, as we had not gone completely into cover from the forest around us. But when we got a ways in, the wind was essentially non-existent and it was rather pleasant.

We were faced with two trails, one on our right and our left, and we decided to go with the one on the left because we inferred the right would lead us right back to the road. As the quote from Indiana Jones goes, “You chose… wisely,” as the trail we chose went on for miles and provided us with more than enough exercise on a chill November afternoon.

The trail was smothered in leaves, as the trees around us looked as bare as newly shaven sheep. The aesthetic the trail gave us upon traveling was incredible, with the brisk fall air and the crunch of our shoes hitting the leaves beneath us gave off a very calming vibe. Along the path we saw horse droppings which told us the trail is commonly used by all walks of life.

As documented in the photo above the trail is extremely wide, making way for even horses to have an enjoyable time on the trails of the Reservoir.

As displayed in this video, although the trail never got seriously close to waterfront, beyond the countless trees the glistening waters of the Reservoir can be seen, making for a peaceful jaunt.

The trail itself has multiple points of entry, as displayed in the map photo above. There were several side paths leading to the road in case one point of entry had a visitor parked there.

As displayed in the background of my brother and Pepper, the elevation changed countless times, with steep inclining hills and deep dipping declines. I would not recommend this to the faint of heart as this trail truly goes on for quite a while as it took us over forty minutes to go one way, and we hadn’t even reached the finish line of the trail.

I do however recommend this trail to those seeking a challenge and are looking for a personal moment of reflection. This trail is certainly long enough to work through personal problems that have been nagging to the point of mental exhaustion.

I absolutely loved this trail on Gunpowder Road and will most definitely be returning for another hike soon enough. For Hikes with Matt and Pepper, I’ll see you next time.

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