Hiking
John Muir Trail Day 23: She Said Don’t Let My Thorns Hit Yr Ass (mile 158.2/211 JMT + 10.5 TPT)
(The post title is a Blink-182 reference, pals) I had only a mile or so left of JMT before cutting out on the Taboose Pass Trail. It was uphill, but...
John Muir Trail Day 22: Highest I’ve Ever Been Part 3 (mile 157/211)
Having decided to leave the JMT at mile 158.2 of 211, today would be my last full day on the trail. I enjoyed, savoured it. Early in the trip, up...
John Muir Trail Day 21 – Being A/part (mile 148.5/211)
Because I hadn't tackled Golden Staircase the previous night, this two-mile stepped ascent out of the valley awaited me in the morning. I'm always moving forwards, but whether or not...
Night 18: Cold As Ice/Unwilling to Sacrifice
It's likely the altitude, but my little Esbit solid-fuel stove has not been enthusiastic about bringing water to a boil. Two of the fuel tabs make a pot of water......
Day 16 on the GR5: hungry and agape!
It has been five weeks since I finished the sometimes dangerous and always stunning 700-kilometre long GR5, including nearly forty thousand meters of ascent. Unfortunately, between all the hiking
Ask Me Anything – Day 17 (mile 111/211)
Aware my trek posts have been mostly moodring rambles so far! Ask me anything about the hike? "Preparation"? Gear? Cuisine? The mental game of hiking? Etc? Pop your question in...
Day 16: High Then Dry (mile 106/211)
There are patterns. Mostly, when I can, I'll sleep at a lower elevation to minimise altitude sickies, and start the inevitable grinding climb in the "cool" of the morning. I...
The Grand Finale – Long Trail Edition Part 8
Lightning and Thunder Expected I awaken at 4 AM. It's dark outside and I can hear the rain slowly falling and bouncing off of the shelter. I get out of...
Day 4: Heavy Meadows (mile 27.5/211)
Hardest day yet, and a bit grindy. It was hot hot proper hot. I decided to wait til I got to the tuolumne meadows visitors center to use a real...
Conflict & Frustration – Long Trail Edition Part 7
The Facade That Everything is Perfect This is the hardest part of the journey for me to write about. When people romanticize the idea of a thruhike they forget to...