Personal

I have two sons, Patrick (30 years old) and Dominik (27 years old). Patrick is married to Paloma Goncalves, a native of Portugal and Brazil, so I also have a daughter-in-law!

My family of origin consists of my mother, Shirley McLaren, who lives in Harrisburg, PA, my father, Tom McLaren, who passed away in December of 2012, my sister, Beth Durand, who lives in Paris, France, my brother, Mark McLaren, who lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and my sister, Debbie Shultz, who lives in Harrisburg, PA. I have 7 nieces and nephews: Mason, Claire, Hadley, Christophe, Reece, Zachary, and Hannah.

In April 2010 my son, Dominik, was confirmed in Saarbrücken, Germany.  Click on this sentence to see some photos from that event.

I love to travel! Click here to see the countries in the world that I have visited.

	Bruce and family, at nephew Mason's wedding, March 2024 From left to right: Paloma McLaren Goncalves, daughter-in-law; Patrick Goncalves McLaren, son; Reece McLaren, nephew; Mark McLaren, brother; Dominik McLaren, son; Shirley McLaren, mother; Bruce McLaren; Debbie Shultz, sister; Claire Durand, niece
	Bruce and his sons, Patrick and Dominik, and mother, December 2018
	Bruce and his sons, Dominik and Patrick, January 2017
	Bruce and his sons, Patrick and Dominik, August 2011
	Patrick and Paloma, Wedding in Australia, June 6, 2020
	Patrick and Paloma, Wedding in Australia, June 6, 2020
	Bruce and his sister Beth Durand at Charel, 2011
	Bruce and his sister Debbie Christmas, 2016
	Bruce and his sister Beth Durand in the Black Forest of Germany, 2009
	Sister Beth, Brother Mark, Mom, and Bruce, 2016
	Bruce with sons Dominik and Patrick at Stonehenge, July 2009
	Bruce and Dominik with Dad and Rose in Strasbourg, France 2007
	Dominik skiing in Austria, 2007

Here are some older family photos.

Personal Life and Interests

Below are some other interests I have:

• Music. My favorite type of music is "new" folk. I particularly enjoy the following musicians:
  
  
  • Passenger
  • John Gorka
  • Shawn Colvin
  • The Indigo Girls
  • David Gray
  • Nanci Griffith
  
  I also like a lot of classic folk rock. For instance,
  
  
  • Dan Fogelberg
  • James Taylor
  • Livingston Taylor
  • Jackson Browne
  • Crosby, Stills & Nash


• I participate in many sports and activities, including volleyball, skiing, hiking, camping, biking, and jogging.
• I'm a huge sports fan. My favorite teams, since I was a very young boy, are the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Adventures on the Appalachian Trail

In 1989, I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail (AT), from Georgia to Maine. The AT is over 2,000 miles long and typically takes 5 to 7 months to complete. I started my hike in late March, 1989 and finished in late September, 1989.

Only about 1 in 5-10 people who start the AT actually complete it (see Trail Completion ). There are many lonely hours, bad weather, and physical problems to overcome. On the other hand, there are glorious sunsets, fresh air, and many friendships made with fellow hikers.

This was truly the adventure of a lifetime for me (although I hope they'll be some more before it's all said and done...).

I enjoy sharing my experiences and reliving my hike from time to time, so please send Email if you'd like to know more about it. Below is a photograph taken early in the adventure. In April I was hit with about a half-foot of snowfall, and I slept with just a tarp over my head! This photo was taken at Carter Gap on April 6, 1989.

	Camping in the Snow of Carter Gap
	Mt. Moosilauke, in the White Mtns. of New Hampshire
	The Mahoosuc Notch
	West Peak of Bigelow Mountain, Maine
	Another shot from the West Peak of Bigelow Mountain