Section Hiking
A 70-Mile Section Hike on the Bay Area Ridge Trail: Long Distance Hiking in San Francisco’s Backyard
Training to hike the Meeting the trail I began my hike climbing a hill from Sneath Lane in the unique darkness of the lunar eclipse. I hiked quickly, hoping to...
The Making of a Trail Name: From Dreamer to Headlight
Hello, fellow Appalachian Trail hikers. Allow me to re-introduce myself, cause I haven't been around in a very long time. We all know how that is; sometimes life steps in...
A tale of two insects, and Julian
The vortex of Julian only grazed us - we had Mom's pie of course, and we walked over to Carmen's Place, where we immediately fell to the task of devouring...
7 surprises from my section hike
In May, I hiked Section A. I researched my trip deeply - at one point even pushing the patient Zog to say, "Damn you ask a lot of questions!" Despite...
Trail depression – a few thoughts
We've all heard that hiking long trails will ruin your life. Meant to be a warning I suppose. It sounds kind of sexy in a way, piquing some weird masochistic...
Rodriguez Road and the Milky Way
I've always wanted to see the Milky Way. Over the years I've seen all the photos, the same ones you've seen - the cloud of stars like a necklace,...
Pipsissewa, Trillium, and Shaffer: Histories and Personal Heroes
Shaffer and the trail In 1948 Earl Shaffer put on a backpack. He laced up his boots and started walking step-by-step out of Mount Oglethorpe in Georgia. According to the...
Learning How to be Alone: My First Three Days on the Northville Placid Trail
Hello, there! Let me start by giving you an idea of who I am. I’m Rachel, I’m originally from Western New York, and I just graduated from Amherst College...
Super Dave and the air mattress mistake
I was shaken down again in Mt. Laguna by Keith, who drew another, larger, similarly interested crowd. Everyone was hot and putting off leaving, so a shakedown was welcome change....
I Walked 1,000 Miles: An Open Letter To The Proclaimers
Dear Charlie and Craig, In March 2017 I set out to hike as much of the Appalachian Trail as I possibly could. I quickly realized this meant accomplishing something you...