Richard
Useless fact: I named my left quad "brute-force" and my right quad "ignorance". Alternative fact: originally from the UK, I've lived in the USA for over twenty years. I've spent most of my trail-time in the western states of the US, but also hiked in Scotland, Canada and New Zealand. I planned on being in the PCT class of 2020, but had to postpone. My 2021 SOBO attempt was interrupted by fires and closures. In comparison, my 2023 CDT thru-hike was almost problem-free. --Richard, aka "LowRange"
Posts
Across The Finish Line
It was a disappointing start to the day. I'd chosen my hotel, in part, because of its free breakfast, but they wouldn't be serving anything that
Into Arizona’s High Country
According to the weather report, temperatures in the Phoenix metro area were 10 degrees above normal. Meanwhile, about 30 miles to the northeast, I
Kearny To Four Peaks
The town of Kearny has a reputation for being one of the friendliest "Gateway Communities" on the Arizona Trail. In my opinion, its reputation is
Sky Island Dots, Desert Dashes
Even at lower elevations, views from the Arizona Trail were impressive - there were no pesky trees to get in the way. There was also nowhere to hide
AZT, PCT, ETC
A journey of 800 miles begins with a single misstep. That's how my Arizona Trail (AZT) thru-hike started, anyway. I should back up a little so that I
Don’t Ditch Your Sawyer Filter Just Yet
Despite syringe back-flushing regularly, the flow rates of the Squeeze and the Mini dropped much faster than I expected. The Sawyer website states
What Worked and What Didn’t
Here's a short list of gear that performed better or worse than I expected on the PCT. I couldn't hike the entire trail due to fires and closures,
The Kindness of Strangers
When I first started going on solo backpacking trips, one of the things I enjoyed was having to be self-reliant. It was empowering to be miles away
This Is The End, Part Two
No, I didn't lose my mind on the PCT. However, boredom was a constant problem, and I did sometimes struggle to create a distraction. Making up
This Is The End, Part One
I hadn't been waiting at the Humber Park trailhead for long when Bunkhouse and Spud (B&S) arrived. While we were discussing our options for