Hiking in the Catoctin mountains after heavy rains really drives home why this area is called the Frederick City Watershed. Temporary waterfalls are everywhere.

Hiking in the Catoctin mountains after heavy rains really drives home why this area is called the Frederick City Watershed. Temporary waterfalls are everywhere.
Last week, I ended more than 30 years of public service as a federal employee and Air Force officer. The people I worked with over the decades were dedicated, amazing people who care deeply about what they do. But there’s a special place in my heart for NOAA, where I spent the past 17 years. Simply put, it’s the best mission with the best people, and I was privileged to work there.
Spring is the best time to hike in the mountains. Here’s a Shagbark hickory coming to life on a rainy, cold day.
Did some hiking this evening and a few casts in a small, spring-fed creek that’s home to some small, spring-fed brook trout. Glad we still have brookies in Frederick County, Maryland — and just look at how clear that water is.
The frogs are announcing that spring has arrived to the mountains north of Frederick, Maryland. What a racket.