Hello! I'm Oz. As a proud Gen-Xer I'm enjoying my encore career as a backpacker. I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2022 and the Arizona Trail in 2023. I start my SOBO hike of the Continental Divide Trail in 2024. In the off season I enjoy playing video games, and dispensing unsolicited advice to my husband and adult children.
Posts
From Where I Left Off….To a SOBO CDT Hike
Peeps – hello again! When last I wrote last November I had finished the Arizona Trail and my knee prognosis seemed grim. I worried that future long
Arizona Hike: Post-Hike Review Part 2
The Nitty - Gritty Here's my feedback on different aspects of the Arizona Trail. Great experience overall! SOBO Thumbs Up My schedule dictated
Arizona Hike: Post-Hike Review Part 1
So - How Was the Hike? After reading my blog entries, my sisters asked me if I enjoyed this hike. I wondered if I had unknowingly portrayed a
Arizona Trail – Push to the Finish
Day 36 – 13.3 miles My nero in Tucson was less than restful. Even in the comfy hotel bed my knee interfered with sleep. Worse, I woke to
Arizona Trail – Peak to Peaked
Day 30 – 21.7 miles I had originally planned to take only one zero day, but my right ankle and shin had swelled once I was off trail and I took an
Arizona Trail – Tale of Two Trails
In which the real Arizona Trail reveals itself. Over the next eight days I traversed through three wilderness areas that make the 100-mile wilderness
Arizona Trail – Dropping Off the Rim
Day 14 – 14 miles Magic Mike dropped me back off at the trailhead by noon and I walked the mile back to the AZT. I was disconsolate. While I love
Arizona Trail – Flagstaff Bound
Day 7 – 20 miles I was up by sunset and headed back toward the Grand Canyon village and the Yavapai Lodge. I partook in the breakfast buffet while
It’s All About the Ditch
100 Miles in on the Arizona Trail Going SOBO the first 100 miles of the trail bring you from the Utah border to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Donning the Thru-Hiker Cape – My First Day on the Arizona Trail
A friend asked me recently how long it took me to get back into the thru-hiker groove once I was back on a trail. I responded flippantly that it took