Posts
What I’m Giving Up to Hike the PCT
When choosing a path in life such as through-hiking, what you are actually choosing is how you are willing to struggle. Without struggle, you couldn’t fully appreciate the beauty of every little victory you experience along the way. So here’s to ritualizing our reverence for the good things we are about to give up for the great things we are about to gain.
Hike Like a Girl: Facing Fears, Empowering Women
We try to protect our daughters from the world by discouraging them from getting themselves into risky situations, but avoiding fear only hurts girls more. We need to encourage our girls to take risks, so that they learn how to objectively assess their own limits and boundaries in the face of scary situations. Through-hiking alone as a female is the ultimate dance with fear.
How to Prepare Your Feet for a Thru-Hike
Taking five million steps is no small feat! (Pun intended.) So here are a few things you can do to prepare your feet for a through-hike.
How Hiking is Like a Meditation Retreat (And How It’s Not)
If you're into personal growth and overcoming extreme challenges, both a long distance hike and a meditation retreat are worth trying. Here are ten ways that hiking is like an extended meditation retreat--and a few ways it's not!
My Most Magical Experience on the AT
I will never forget the mind-blowing — even spiritual — experience I had when walking the 2.5-mile crest of the Franconia Ridge in the White Mountains of New Hampshire...
Hiking for a Cause: PCT 2018 to Empower Girls in Nature
I'm thrilled to announce that I will be hiking the PCT in 2018 to raise money for nonprofits that are helping young people, especially young women, gain confidence in themselves and in the outdoors. Do you have nonprofit recommendations or opinions about charitable fundraising platforms? I'd love to hear them!
How Thru-Hiking Ruined My Life
Those who thru-hike learn to survive anything—as long as they believe in what they're doing. However, if you want to be the kind of person who can keep your head down, obey authority and suffer through a situation you don't believe in, through-hiking is NOT good training.
What It Feels Like to Finish a Thru-Hike
The final days leading up to finishing a through-hike and returning to civilization are a confusing mix of anticipation, terror, pride, sadness and relief. Here is what you might experience in the final weeks before finishing a two-thousand-mile pilgrimage across the country...
10 Reasons to Shave Your Head for Your Hike
Bald is the way to go for a long distance hike!
My Scariest Moment on the Appalachian Trail
A harrowing tale of getting caught alone in a midnight thunderstorm while camping on the exposed summit of Cheoah Bald, just south of the Smokies.