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 →
I have a pair of shoes. Basically just the one. I also have a couple of fun pairs from over the years that are totally impractical, climbing shoes, and a pair of mountaineering boots for when it's really cold, but otherwise everything falls on my trusty single pair of shoes. I had a pair I... 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 →
I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail earlier this year (2016). My dad thru-hiked back before it was really even much of a thing, in 1978. Obviously, a lot has changed about the trail in 40 years, but just how much? While we were on a little hiking trip on the AT in Georgia this holiday season,... Continue Reading →
While on a walk in downtown Seattle, I saw a cart that said, in bright red decal letters, "equal and unconditional love for all our fellow creatures" and "I am walking across the world. I do not have any money and do not want any. I just need food and water." I wondered whose it... Continue Reading →
I just went snowshoeing this weekend, and after seeing this article about the practical benefits of snowshoeing, I thought I'd add my own, less objective reasons to snowshoe. I think it's one of the most underrated activities out there, maybe because it seems like hard work (which it is, but it's fun work!) It's cheap... 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 →
This is part 2 of this little story. For part 1, click here. The first day, google maps estimated I would walk 25 miles to get to my first Airbnb host. I was still thinking in hiking terms, so I started at 6AM thinking there was no way I'd finish before dark. It was strange... Continue Reading →
