thru hike
Backpacking Safety for Solo Women: Understanding and Managing Risk in the Backcountry
When sharing news of an upcoming thru-hike, one of the most common questions I get — right up there with “Where do you poop?” and “Where do you shower?” —...
Trail Profile: Te Araroa, Your Guide to the Best Way of Experiencing New Zealand
Considering a hike on New Zealand's long trail? This trail guide for Te Araroa will get you started on the right foot.
Day 152: The Way Life Should Be
I love Maine. I’ve forgiven it for trying to kill me on its New Hampshire-like trail near their border. I’ve forgotten the rain and cloudy summits during the first two...
Day 150: After the Rain
A half mile later, I reached the 2,000-mile point. Two thousand miles. That’s a long walk, for sure, but it’s a hard number to comprehend. Most people have no basis...
Day 149: Rain and Big Water
Most of the trail flowed like a small mountain stream. At first, I tried stepping around and over the rushing water and puddles, but after a few slips and missteps...
Day 144: What? Another Easy One?
The thrill of hiking in the woods is back. As I sped along a soft, well-graded trail at over two miles per hour, past moss-blanketed terrain, bear-scratched trees, and fragrant...
Day 141: The AT’s Toughest Ten Miles
But when the trail gets really crazy, like it did today, I’d just stop and say, “You gotta be kidding me. That can’t be the trail.” It wasn’t that I...
Day 140: A Real Thru Hike – Part 1
Once I left the dirt road for the woods, I felt excited to be walking past the white blazes again. It felt right. My legs were a little shaky at...
Day 136: Lake of the Clouds
Everybody has at least one day where they think about quitting. And about 75 percent of those who start a thru hike do more than think about quitting. Most wannabe...
Day 123: Déjà Vu
I think a lot of hikers are feeling the miles, the months, the weather, and their feet. I know I am, but I am resolved to keep running around the...