I'm Abby Evans (they/them) and I go by “Shitwater Fireball: Queen of the Salamanders” on trail, but usually just the first part. I'm trying hard not to light all of my gear on fire and I enjoy helping salamanders cross the trail. I finished thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2023 and I'm headed out on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2024. Huzzah!
Posts
The Top Nine Lessons From My PCT Thru-Hike
An aside: Before you read this article, please consider donating to relief for AT trail towns in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Spoiler alert: it’s my
From Floods to Fire: Climate Change Hurts Trail Communities and Hikers Need To Step Up
There has been extreme weather on both coasts this season. Whether or not you believe in global warming — you can’t deny it. There were
The Invisible Things That Carry Us Home
I had just made the biggest logistical mistake I ever had on a thru-hike. I hiked down off of trail to avoid a fire closer and wound up in
Crippled But Continuing: 400 PCT Miles Left
I almost scream every morning as I stand up for the first time. It’s getting to the point in the hike where my body is giving up. Despite all my
Trail Days: The Beginning of the End
One moment I was walking through a thick forest in southern Oregon — sunlight dappling the forest floor through drapes of Spanish moss, the fronds of
The Catharsis of Trail: Crying my Way to Canada
“What’s been your favorite part of trail?” The man who was driving the car I hitched in asked while he squeezed a grip strengthener tool in a white
Ashes to Ashes: The End of the True Thru
The sky was a violent shade of orange. I couldn’t see more than twenty feet ahead of me. Ash rained on my shoulders as I walked hesitantly
How to Mend a Broken Heart in 1,631 Miles
“If you don’t feel free and you don’t feel like you can be yourself — then what’s the point of a thru-hike?”My friend Necktie asked me as I sat
Spiraling with the Windmills: An Escape from the Desert
Walking across the LA aquaduct was the first time I felt like a true PCT thru-hiker. Walking through countless windmill farms was the sixth-fifth
Cajon Pass McDonalds Causes Spontaneous McSharts
I knew things were going to go downhill after my order number was 666 at the Cajon Pass McDonald’s. But I didn’t know quite how downhill.