Clay Bonnyman Evans

To paraphrase Steve Miller, I'm a writer, I'm a runner, I'm a long-distance hiker, sure don't want to hurt no one.... I got my trail name, Pony, in 2015 when I hiked the Colorado Trail. In 2016, I hiked the Appalachian Trail; 2018, Foothills Trail and Alabama Pinhoti Trail; 2019, Great Plains Trail pilot trail in South Dakota and Nebraska; I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from April 7-Aug. 7, 2021; I completed the ~240-mile Cape Wrath Trail in Scotland in May 2023; I hiked the first 1,060 miles of the Continental Divide Trail in 2022 and will start SOBO to complete the CDT on July 6, 2023. My most recent books are "Bones of My Grandfather: Reclaiming a Lost Hero of World War II," "The Trail is the Teacher: Living and Learning on the Appalachian Trail," Adrift on the Pacific Crest Trail," and "I See by Your Outfit: An Unexpected Cowboy Odyssey."

Posts

Ledlenser HF8R Signature Headlamp Review

Ledlenser HF8R Signature Headlamp Review

Without giving anything away, my single favorite piece of long-distance hiking gear is my USB-rechargeable headlamp. I won’t be caught without it

Jun 24, 2024 : Clay Bonnyman Evans
Starting Big: Brandon Weis’ First Thru-Hike Was a Calendar-Year Triple Crown

Starting Big: Brandon Weis’ First Thru-Hike Was a Calendar-Year Triple Crown

Ottawa, Ohio native Brandon Weis first saw the vast open spaces of the Western United States on a road trip during his freshman year at Ohio State

Mar 27, 2024 : Clay Bonnyman Evans
Topo Athletic Trail Runner Comparison: Ultraventure 3, Terraventure 4, and Traverse

Topo Athletic Trail Runner Comparison: Ultraventure 3, Terraventure 4, and Traverse

After my previous favorite trail shoe brand was sold to a voracious, enormous outdoor-business conglomerate, nothing was quite right anymore. I

Dec 12, 2023 : Clay Bonnyman Evans
The Cape Wrath Trail: The Wild, Wonderful, 230-Mile ‘AT of the UK’

The Cape Wrath Trail: The Wild, Wonderful, 230-Mile ‘AT of the UK’

Of the 720 long-distance “paths” crisscrossing the British Isles, the 230-mile* Cape Wrath Trail in far northwest Scotland is considered the toughest

Jun 26, 2023 : Clay Bonnyman Evans
Jack Wolfskin Prelight Alpha Jacket Review

Jack Wolfskin Prelight Alpha Jacket Review

The Prelight Alpha is the third piece I’ve reviewed from Jack Wolfskin, a German company working on building inroads to the North American outdoor

Jun 14, 2023 : Clay Bonnyman Evans
SkyGOAT CAMP Jacket Review

SkyGOAT CAMP Jacket Review

I am partial to SkyGOAT for no other reason than the company’s most excellent name. You can never go wrong with the word “goat.”That aside,

Mar 22, 2023 : Clay Bonnyman Evans
Deep Hiking: India “Diagonal” Wood May Be the First To Complete the “Colorado X”

Deep Hiking: India “Diagonal” Wood May Be the First To Complete the “Colorado X”

It was 2020 and life was staring India Wood in the face. She’d exhausted herself trying to find an agent for her memoir and just closed her

Dec 15, 2022 : Clay Bonnyman Evans
LightHeart Gear Solo Sil-Nylon Tent Review

LightHeart Gear Solo Sil-Nylon Tent Review

The search for the perfect lightweight solo long-distance hiking shelter is, it seems, neverending. It's tricky to strike a balance between weight,

Nov 14, 2022 : Clay Bonnyman Evans
Topo Athletic Pursuit Trail Shoe Review

Topo Athletic Pursuit Trail Shoe Review

I began my thru-hiking career (Colorado Trail, 2015) in Hoka’s Mafate Speed trail runners, which were extra cushy, incredibly tough, and

Nov 9, 2022 : Clay Bonnyman Evans
BioLite HeadLamp 325 Review

BioLite HeadLamp 325 Review

I’m sometimes asked what my “favorite” piece of gear is for long-distance hiking. Usually, people are surprised when I tell them it's the BioLite 200

Nov 8, 2022 : Clay Bonnyman Evans