My name is Maggie, but I'm known on trail as Chuckles. Against better judgment, I've toured across America on a ramshackle mountain bike, spent six months working as a trail maintainer on the Pacific Crest Trail, and eaten way more granola than any human should. I thru-hiked the AT in 2013 and the PCT in 2016, but I am currently living in New Hampshire, where I eat real breakfast and sleep indoors most nights. You can reach me at maggiethewall [at] gmail [dot] com
Posts
Episode 6: Water, Sand, and Giants
Agua Dulce to Mojave/Tehachapi (mile 566) The usual introduction where Chuckles rambles on: We've all adjusted to our desert pace, which seems
Episode 5: From the top of the world to Hiker Heaven
Wrightwood to Agua Dulce (mile 454): Mount Baden Powell, Trail Magic, and the Snoozers We proved today that sometimes when you snooze, you win.
Episode 4: Slacking, Freezing, and Nudity
Onyx Summit to Wrightwood (Inspiration Point), mile 369.4 We've been making good use of our cold weather gear this past week. We've also had
Episode 3: fire closures, hail, and hot tubs
I've decided to start referring to my trail updates as 'Episodes' instead of ' weeks.' I'm not exactly updating every 7 days and it doesn't feel
Week Two: A Horse with No Name
Week 2: Julian to Idyllwild The Anza-Borrega region is bleeding into the Mojave area now, and we are turning into desert animals. Our
Gear Review: ThermaRest NeoAir Xlite
Gear Review: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir Xlite Disclosure: The following product was donated for the purpose of review. Specs: Size:
Sun, Wind, and Pie: The first week
April 17: Campo (mile 0) to Julian (mile 77) Edward Abbey said that the desert does not have a shortage of water, but rather the exact right
Ground Zero: From San Diego to Scout and Frodo’s house
This is the beginning. After years, dreams yielded to plans and to logistics and eventually, to reality. The five of us (yes really,
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Tour
Signs at the entrance led me through hallway after hallway of artist’s studios, diners, and fabric-strewn shops. A door opened into the sunlight and
How to Prepare for Your Thru-Hike at the Office
As you wait out the dreary winter, staring longingly at the start date marked on your calendar, sitting at a desk might feel like an extreme test of