CDT
A Beginner Hikes the CDT Day 92-95 August 1-4
August 1st day 92 I missed This First, I have to say that today is the first day I haven't been in the Air Force or in Air Force ROTC...
A Beginner Hikes the CDT July 23-31 Day 83-91
Day 83 July 23rd Even Easier I had a ten-mile jaunt into the trailhead where supposedly there was enough traffic every day to get an easy hitch into Pinedale. It...
Carl “Professor” Stanfield: Reflections on the Calendar Year Triple Crown
In 2022, I set out to backpack more miles in a calendar year than had ever been done. My goal was to average nearly 30 miles a day over 365...
Three Things I Did Right
I did a lot of things wrong on my PCT thru-hike, but at least three I got right. One I knew would be important from the start, one quickly became...
My 5 Favorite Trail Towns on the Triple Crown
If I learned anything from my travels on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail, it's that hiking them would be nigh impossible if not for the...
Colorado Trail: Te Amo
Lights and shadows. Inspiration comes, sometimes unbidden and other times because it's been chemically induced. Then it goes, as predictable and rhythmic as the tide going out. Or the arrival...
Colorado Trail: Lights and Shadows
My spirit felt uneasy. The dissonance between my own aggravation and my idyllic surroundings seemed to compound my sense of alienation. I reminded myself that emotional troughs usually follow psychedelic...
I’ve Thru-Hiked Over 8,700 Miles. This Is the Gear I Brought on My 99-Day CDT Thru-Hike
I've thru-hiked almost 9,000 miles in the last six years, including not just the likes of the North America Triple Crown, but also shorter trips like the Arizona, Wonderland, and...
CT: A Hailstorm Beats A Shitstorm
There was something magnificent about that storm. Although I was drenched and battered by hail, internally I felt balanced and sturdy. The past 48 hours had been a series of...
CDT Days 84-99: Northern Montana
Johnson Lake to Helena The Northern Montana section of the CDT began with a 1,200 ft. climb on day 84. It brought us to Warren Lake, which for my money,...