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

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

Jun 28, 2022 : Richard
Into Arizona’s High Country

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

Jun 21, 2022 : Richard
Kearny To Four Peaks

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

Jun 14, 2022 : Richard
Sky Island Dots, Desert Dashes

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

Jun 7, 2022 : Richard
AZT, PCT, ETC

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

May 31, 2022 : Richard
Don’t Ditch Your Sawyer Filter Just Yet

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

Mar 22, 2022 : Richard
What Worked and What Didn’t

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,

Mar 15, 2022 : Richard
The Kindness of Strangers

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

Mar 8, 2022 : Richard
This Is The End, Part Two

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

Mar 1, 2022 : Richard
This Is The End, Part One

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

Feb 28, 2022 : Richard