Miles Howard
Outdoor author and urban trail builder. Creator of Mind The Moss, a newsletter about walking. Bylines in National Geographic, Mountain Gazette, The Boston Globe, Outside, WBUR, The New Republic, and AFAR. I founded the Walking City Trail of Boston. He/Him.
- Inspired by the (cathartic) videos of ICE agent slipping on literal ice, I wrote about how to avoid taking a bad spill on slippery surfaces this winter, whether you live in a city, suburb, or the countryside. www.mindthemoss.com/p/traction-a...
- I once worked in a food service establishment where we had to be very mindful about storing prepared food safely. I’m amazed by how many people are totally comfortable ordering the stuff they’re about to eat from DoorDash; a company known for overworking and screwing the drivers!
- Boston really should ban space savers
- In 48 hours this week, I got to see Boston at its best and worst. When the snowstorm arrived, it felt like everyone on my street was helping each other shovel out. And the next day, people were using parking space savers and being horrible to each other.
- I wrote about how a major destabilizing event like a monster snowstorm--or a wave of state violence--can bring out the best in people *when the disaster is unfolding* (as opposed to the aftermath, when more hearts seem to harden) www.mindthemoss.com/p/shovel-pat...
- Reposted by Miles Howard"The secret fear of the morally depraved is that virtue is actually common, and that they’re the ones who are alone."
- Last week in Minnesota, I watched ordinary people risk their lives to protect their neighbors. In the process, they not only won a significant—though not final—victory against authoritarianism, they proved virtually every MAGA social theory wrong. (gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
- Today's Walking City Trails newsletter is unlike previous newsletters. But it's very much part of the widening consensus that what's happening in American communities right now violates the most sacred tenets of human dignity, and that *we* must stop it. walkingcitytrail.substack.com/p/a-moment-f...
- Question for Boston residents. Has anyone walked around the Bunker Hill area today? If so, how were the sidewalks? Lots of snow and/or ice? Or somewhat cleared? Asking because I’m on the fence about holding or rescheduling an outdoor event there.
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- Nationalize the general strike
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- Reposted by Miles HowardOutside the Twin Cities this morning, where it is -19F— Minnesotans are gathered early outside the Whipple Federal Building. ICE and DHS agents currently arriving at work to much disapproval.
- Reposted by Miles HowardI think people underestimate how big this is. Like a city-wide strike is not something that has happened in the US for nearly 100 years
- there are a bunch of big names on this list, including multiple beard award winners, and some places i never would have guessed in a hundred years (the malt shop?!) and i'm genuinely floored and delighted to see so many participants bringmethenews.com/minnesota-li...
- I don’t think you can make a triumphant declaration like this in a state where housing, healthcare, and utilities are getting more and more expensive each month.
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- Healey just launched her reelection campaign and it’s looking like she’ll have three Republican challengers and no challenger from the left. At what point do Democratic voters in Mass. start taking a closer look at our leaders and their records?
- Since the Massachuetts state legislature just shot down Wu's latest effort to get temporary property tax relief for people, here's one of the features I wrote last year; a look at how the state has an unreasonable amount of power in deciding what Boston can do. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/24/o...
- I'm at the point of throwing up my hands. So many of the things that Boston has tried to do lately...to make life better and less expensive here...has been vetoed by the Massachusetts state legislature. Because they have that power. And it's suffocating the city. www.nbcboston.com/news/local/m...
- IT'S BONE TEMPLE TIME
- I wrote about how we’re losing Third Spaces, why this is a civic emergency at a time when we’re watching the world burn through our phones (and in our streets), and what an intervention might look like. www.mindthemoss.com/p/stealing-t...
- Reposted by Miles HowardSeeing Zohran instantly getting a bunch of shit done in like a week makes you realize that politicians could always do that on some level if they wanted it bad enough and very few of them actually do.
- Boston: I'm going away for a week and taking a brief social media breather, so I decided to announce the next Boston Night Hike on the Walking City Trails a little earlier than usual. This time, we're going up Bunker Hill...and under I-93 :) Deets below walkingcitytrail.substack.com/p/upcoming-e...
- Reposted by Miles HowardThis is surreal. 4 Oglala Lakota men kidnapped by ICE in Minneapolis have finally been located. One of them was released but the other 3 are being held at Fort Snelling, a former concentration camp used to imprison Native people incl. the Dakota 38 during Dakota Wars. ictnews.org/news/north-c...
- Amidst...everything...Boston Night Hikes continue. On Monday evening this week, over 40 people turned out for a climb to one of the city's greatest high points.
- The closure of Boston’s Time Out Market in Fenway deepens my conviction that we should legalize rent control and deal with consequences as they arise. When people are forking over this much of their income to landlords, they can’t support local businesses as much, small or big. Something has to give
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- In light of recent events, I wrote about why we should go outside more often when the weather is not looking good. www.mindthemoss.com/p/its-bad-ou...
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- Boston Common tonight
- It’s not too early for politicians to be calling for the prosecution of Noem, Miller, Trump and the rest; whenever this is over. Don’t just react to every horror and outrage. Start planning ahead.
- Reposted by Miles HowardLike those before it, that insane, vile DHS statement about the Minneapolis shooting isn't about covering anything up. It's performative lying. They aren't trying to persuade anyone that their agents did nothing wrong. They're trying to project that their agents can get away with anything.
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- I think, at a minimum, if the City of Boston is not going to do municipal snow and ice clearing on sidewalks, then every resident should receive a free pair of ice cleats from the city. The cost would be a tiny fraction of what it takes to clear the roads.
- Knowing how much money there is in creating social media "content" for travel (and how little money there is in travel writing these days), I decided to take a free webinar in content creation today. I lasted 30 minutes before it became too depressing to keep watching. The flattening of culture.
- This one's been a long time coming. For Yankee Magazine, I wrote about a real deal Finnish sauna hidden in the woods south of Boston...and how saunas are often a barrier-free third space beyond the U.S. (Too often, we treat them more like a luxury amenity) newengland.com/yankee/magaz...
- Some news. I will continue writing about the outdoors, culture, politics, and where they cross paths in 2026. With one big change. Mind The Moss will be paywall-free going forward! (But you can still support my writing.) Also, there's a book coming soon. www.mindthemoss.com/p/the-next-w...
- Did you know that the City of Malden has a municipal program for creating barrier-free outdoor adventure opportunities? It's called "The Great Malden Outdoors" and this week, for one of the final Mind The Moss stories of 2025, I interviewed the guy who created it. www.mindthemoss.com/p/walk-stars...
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- I wrote about the lost holiday tradition of WASSAILING. People would liquor up, bundle up, and show up at the homes of the ruling class; singing, dancing, and demanding gifts. And if gifts weren't provided, things would get gnarly! What if we brought this back? www.mindthemoss.com/p/here-come-...
- Boston. It's almost time for a Walking City Trails holiday tradition. We're going back to the Franklin Park "Wilderness" for a Night Hike that will showcase the beauty of this landmark urban forest. And we'll finish at Drawdown Brewing. More details here walkingcitytrail.substack.com/p/upcoming-e...
- I’d like to see a breakdown of what the City of Boston Nightlife Czar has done since the position was created. Not saying this sardonically; I’d really like to see more nightlife activity in Boston, and if the city is going to have a director for this, they should offer updates.
- Boston Night Hikes have officially gone beyond Boston. Last night, a group of us explored the woods and hills of Pine Banks Park in Malden. Join us for the next one by signing up for the Walking City Trails newsletter! walkingcitytrail.substack.com
- Reposted by Miles Howard"I can't afford to support my favorite author right now, I—" Reviews. Reviews are free AND they are a gift to authors that can keep on giving (i.e., exposure, marketing, algo boosts, etc.) Please, give the gift of reviews to your authors this holiday season. It really can make a difference!
- For @BostonGlobe, I wrote about something which has been a bee in my bonnet for years. Boston is a winter city, and it's about time that we leaned into this and supported more fun, creative happenings throughout the winter; not just during the December holidays. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/03/m...
- Are you a renter in Massachusetts? Have you tried to persuade a current or former landlord to get a MassSave energy audit, or make Mass-Save reimbursable upgrades? And did your landlord deny your request? If so, I'd like to talk with you for a story. DMs are open.
