trail culture
The Twelve Tribes / Yellow Deli: Hiker Haven, Creepy Cult, or Both?
I arrived at Bears Den Lodge, just past the 1,000-mile mark on the Appalachian Trail, at high noon on July 2, 2016, a pleasantly warm, sunny day. To my dismay,...
“Bro Culture” and the Thru-Hiking Community
There’s been a lot of talk recently about “bro culture” on long trails and in the outdoor industry in general. Last week, I experienced it firsthand on the Pacific Crest...
Thru-Hiking’s Socialist Ethos
The year 1875 was an eventful one. It was the year in which Karl Marx, the father of communism, brought to prominence the old saying “From each according to his...
Three Days to Go- Our Team is Ready for Launch
Living Our Dream In just 3 days we will be stepping through the arch on the approach trail...OMG, it's really going to happen! As a boy, I had dreams of...
Did You Sleep in the Woods Yet?
The first time I stood on the Appalachian Trail was at Perkins observatory on New York's Bear Mountain, in 1983. My father took my brother and me camping, the three...
Metropolitan Hiking
Most folks do not live near wilderness areas. The economic dynamism of metropolitan cities and the logistics of millions upon millions and millions of people make wild areas the perfect...
Music Vs. Nature: What We Want to Hear & Why
As a species, humans tend to be visual. A researcher in Emory University's Ophthalmology Department put the matter to me recently this way: “The eyeball is the part of the...
The Art of Yogi: It’s Not Begging
Hanna-Barbera's iconic cartoon character Yogi Bear lends his name to the verb “to yogi,” which is not an exact synonym for begging. Like Yogi Bear, long distance hikers develop a...
The Heaviest Pack on the Appalachian Trail? A Tribute to Uhaul
So, who is Uhaul? Whenever I talk or write about pack weight, I can't help but think about Uhaul, a 2011 AT hiker. He was one of those hikers you...