Oregon
The journey to PCT SOBO completion…
…and the journey wasn’t a straight line. Allow me to share what the past 7 months have been like. In Dec of 2021, I “completed” the bulk of my PCT...
Guess who’s back?
It’s me, Janine; Sofa Queen, if you’ve met me on the trail. I’m back! Apparently I couldn’t stay away. Last year, I set out to complete a SOBO thru-hike of...
Idyllwild – A Love Story
Under 200 miles to go on my SOBO thru-hike, and let me tell you, my body knows it. My sacrum “went out” and my low-back muscles started to seize and...
Southbound into Oregon
So many NOBOs told me, “you’ll love Oregon. It’s flat, and you’ll easily be able to get 30-35 mile days.” Hmmm… I believed them. I was thinking, “Score! I’ll...
Ore-Gone But Not Forgotten: Skipping Around Fires and my 50 Mile Day
Well, that's depressing. I just calculated how many miles I've actually hiked versus how many I have had to skip (below). While I knew the general ballpark it's painful to...
Gratitude on the Pacific Crest Trail
Today, I am sitting in Portland in a cushy Marriot waiting for the bleach on my scalp to do its job so I can go purple again. I asked the...
Chinook Trail – Mount Hood to the End in Portland, OR
The ALDHA-West Gathering was a blast---met lots of great people, ate a bunch of delicious food, and was inspired by the stories of all of the thru-hikers in attendance. However,...
Chinook Trail: Lost Lake to ALDHA-West Gathering
I was anxious to hit the Lost Lake General Store this morning---I really wanted something for breakfast other than Pop-Tarts and oatmeal. A breakfast burrito, cinnamon roll---anything but the usual!
Chinook Trail: Shaking a Cold, Big Decisions
After arriving in Lyle I enjoyed a great dinner, made new friends, and closed the bar with the owners of the Lyle Hotel, where I was staying. Unfortunately, as the...
Gear List: Chinook Trail Thru-Hike On The Washington / Oregon Border
With just a couple of weeks before the start of my 300+ mile thru-hike of the Chinook Trail my gear list is dialed in pretty well. I’ve tested it on...