I've always hated the word and concept of "training." Maybe it's a particular personality quirk or maybe it's pointless semantics, but I do a lot of things that other people would consider training for their own sake. They have the side benefit of keeping me in shape, I guess, but it's hard for me to... Continue Reading →
This photo is in San Francisco! I see other cities sometimes! If you've ever wanted to walk around your city to explore it but can't figure out how, here's a handy guide to the things I do when I walk around, which I sure do a lot! So I'm basically an expert. Here's some expert... Continue Reading →
To see my essay about hiking very fast instead of very slowly, click here. Things that have happened when I walked slowly or without any ambitious goal in mind: When Wade and I went to a small park in Washington we didn't know anything about, we explored the network of short trails without a plan. ... Continue Reading →
"I have fond memories of that playground at the Mason-Dixon," Philip said, and we all knew exactly which playground at the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania. He was talking to me, Wade, and Toni (who we knew by her trail name, Sphagnum P.I.). So many things had come together for us to be having... Continue Reading →
Thru-hiking will always impart a heavy sentimentality to my memories. For me, it added a kind of legendary vibe to place names, rumors handed down the trail, real names and occupations no longer relevant. This place in Washington evokes a field where Jiminy Cricket materialized after vanishing from our world for 500 miles. When I... Continue Reading →
Note: This is not actually meant to be a method of judging people to be fit or unfit as hiking partners, it is just a slightly tongue-in-cheek idea I had after some conversations about What Makes a Good Hiking Buddy (an undefinable concept). It might be a good way to get to know people before... Continue Reading →
The answers to this survey were so diverse and thoughtful, I put off writing this for a long time because I was trying to figure out a way to do it justice. The responses were surprisingly diverse, with people from every region of the US, an equal number of past thru-hikers and aspiring thru-hikers (20%... Continue Reading →
Wanderlust: A History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit This book was a meandering but accessible description of why, culturally, we walk and how this has changed over the course of history. Everybody walks (well, almost), so the culture of walking is relevant to almost every field of study and every person. Walking, as Solnit says, is... Continue Reading →
You don't have to be a thru-hiker to notice some surprising physical and psychological benefits of walking. Some of the most magical effects of traveling on your own power include: You sleep better. One of my friends on the Appalachian Trail once said, "My favorite part of the day is when I get in my sleeping... Continue Reading →
