10/08/2026

October Trails

What’s on the Schedule?

September had some incredible firsts for The Nomadology!

We started off the month with an unforgettable road trip around Iceland, where every day brought a new adventure—

We chased glacier fed waterfalls, hiked around volcanoes, wandered past steaming hot springs, climbed into a cave and across a glacier, spotted rainbows, snorkeled between tectonic plates, relaxed at the luxurious spa, and even found ourselves beneath the dancing northern lights.

We watched Icelandic horses and hundreds of sheep dot the countryside, humpback whales lift their flukes from the sea, and seals bask along the shore. There was singing in the van, dancing wherever the mood struck, lots of laughter, shared meals, and conversations with folks from all across the globe.

We ended the month in the Adirondack Mountains, where we camped and backpacked in the heart of the High Peaks Region. The sun was out, the trails were rugged, and the views were endless. We summited two 4000 footers, and saw the leaves begin to burst with color with every mile. We even got out of there just in time for the leaf peepers to crowd the trails and parking lots!

What’s your Next Adventure?!

Here’s our Upcoming Schedule:

Oct 9-11, Red River Gorge Camping KY: SOLD OUT
Oct 16-18, North Manitou Island MI: 1 spot left
Oct 23-25, Outdoor Leadership IL: RESCHEDULED
Nov 15-18, Cumberland Island GA: 2 spots left
Jan 21-23, Porkies Snowshoe Backpacking Trip: SOLD OUT
Feb 19-21, Northern Michigan Getaway: SOLD OUT
March 12-14, Savage Gulf TN: Posting Today!
April 16-18, Hocking Hills OH: Coming Soon!
April 2027, Colorado National Monument: Coming Soon!

Check out all of our Upcoming Trips!

Call to Action: The Roadless Rule

What is the Roadless Rule, when did it start, and does the public agree with the rule?

Back in 2001…

In 2001 the government decided to save money by ending the maintenance of mining and logging roads throughout a select 58.5 million acres of public lands. At this time, these lands were also protected from future development with the help of the “Roadless Rule”. The protections were granted to save Forest Service time, money, and resources as the road maintenance backlog was building, and with public health in mind. Roadless protections were meant to strengthen ecosystems, provide clean air and water to communities downstream, and cultivate pristine backcountry for hunters, anglers, backpackers, paddlers, and climbers.

Included in these 59 million acres are 5500+ rock climbing routes, thousands of hiking trails, and 550 river miles. These lands are also habitats for elk, trout, sheep, bison, birds, and countless more sensitive species. The protections were a promise to keep our nature as nature intended.

Jump to 2025…

The Trump administration proposed rescinding the Roadless Rule last summer, with the goals of wildfire prevention, deregulation, increased timber production, and energy development for nearly 45 million acres. This rescission would fragment fragile ecosystems, jeopardize clean water sources, and shrink plant and wildlife habitat. The USDA opened a Public Comment Period the following September, and received 625,737 comments- over 99% of which opposed rescinding the Roadless Rule.

After analyzing these comments from the constituents, the Trump administration still moved forward with a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in August of 2026, which proposed a full rescission of the 2001 rule. Public comment was opened again in September; this time the USDA received over 1 million submissions.

Common Ground & Common Sense

Protected public lands are becoming smaller across the globe. In the United States, our designated Federal Lands DO and are SUPPOSED TO deliver for the American public. These lands are a gift to future generations and to wildlife- both groups that do not have a voice and cannot vote. This is why the public has made an enormous effort to submit there concerns into the record to be considered and, if necessary, to be used in court.

The proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule serves one constituency: the ultra wealthy corporations. The administration opened and re-opened short public comment periods hoping that we would stay quiet, but we made our voices heard.

Now, the Forest Service is tasked with analyzing these comments before curating a final EIS and final rule. If the USDA rules to rescind the Roadless Rule, our public comments can be used by States, Tribes, and Environmental Organizations to challenge the ruling in court. In fact, 17 state Attorneys General have already filed letters stating that the proposal does not meet the legal requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the National Forest Management Act.

Although our public comments are not votes, they still matter. As Americans, we own our public lands, and we task our government with managing them. Our representatives are public servants that work for us, and it is our job to tell them what our land means to us.

Informational Links:

Interview with Tracy Stone-Manning (former BLM Director)
The Roadless Rule Explained Rescission Proposal Explained Public Comments Analyzed AGs Defend Forest Conservation

Nomad of the Month

💕 This Month’s Nomad Lady is Amy! 💕

This month, we’re celebrating Amy — someone who has been part of our backpacking community for many years and has joined us on many adventures along the way.

Amy is one of those people whose presence makes a group feel a little more comfortable. She has a gentle way about her, and she’s always ready to lend a hand, take care of a task, or simply be there when someone needs her. And somehow, she almost always has a smile on her face.

Over the years, Amy has become a familiar and much-loved face on our trips, and we’re so grateful for all the miles, campfires, conversations, laughs, and adventures we’ve shared with her.

Read what Amy had to share this month:

Do you have a backpacking experience that stands out as particularly beautiful, memorable, or life-changing?

Each and every trip has contributed in some way that collectively I consider life-changing, mostly in terms of positive relationships with other women that have continued off the trail. Hiking provides opportunities for all kinds of topics to discuss and, of course, to solve the world’s problems. Each stretch of the trail has the potential of a new conversation or the chance to focus on a deeper discussion. I realized in my 50s that if I wanted to backpack and explore new places, a group of all women would suit me best. I immediately felt a sense of belonging.

Tell us about a moment when you were brave.

For me, signing up for the next trip is where my bravery begins! In particular, I’d say going to Isle Royale was a brave move for me. It was a challenge both physically and mentally—in a safe kind of way. Sometimes I was reaching inside for my bravery to start each day and to put the heavy pack on again. In other cases another woman's bravery inspired me (except no one could inspire me to swim in Lake Superior!).

When you first tried backpacking, was it outside your comfort zone to try something new?

Yes, it was outside my comfort zone—pretty much all of it. It had been many years since I’d even camped and had backpacked only once before. I was going off with women I didn’t know to a place I’d never been. It didn’t take long to feel like Nomadology was in fact in my comfort zone. I could learn a lot, take on the challenges and succeed—a wonderful feeling! I’d describe myself as someone who cautiously tries new things. 

Throughout your life, have you received any advice that has stuck with you? 

Something I heard or read is “If not now, when?” Looking it up, it seems it’s part of a Jewish text that reads, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now when?” I realized my interpretation is not exactly the author’s intended meaning in its full text. I use, “If not now, when?” as a motivator to keep challenging myself, joining a group, fostering friendships, etc. 

For women interested in backpacking who haven't found the courage for their first trip, what advice would you give them?

See above response, “If not now, when?”. The Nomadology is such a safe place to try something new. The women seem to embrace one another no matter how much experience they may have. We know everyone is a beginner at some point, and for me, it’s rewarding to see other women trying new things, loving it, and coming back again and again. Gathering supplies is fun for me, with a lot of guidance, of course. Gear is something I enjoy tinkering with and researching.