Month: September 2017
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Answering the Big Questions: Why
So why go hiking for 5 months? Why put a pause on the normal trajectory of my life, in order to chase a dream? Why do it now, of all times? Why leave the comfort of home, family, and friends for a bunch of strangers and strange places? I ask myself… Read More
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AT Meal Plan: Introduction and Strategy
Planning for my backcountry meal plan is pretty fun, and probably the most important area to research in advance. Failing to prepare correctly for meals can cause some pretty frustrating issues on the trail, where your options are limited to only what you chose to bring – no Uber Eats… Read More
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Stats of the Appalachian Trail
Most of these statistics are referenced in various AT books, websites, and forums … but in case any of my readers are still learning about how significant this thru-hike is to hikers like me, I wanted to share some fun facts and stats. Some of these are quite astonishing and… Read More
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AT Gear Plan: Introduction and Strategy
(sigh) Gear … the most exciting and frustrating part of backpacking. Wait I love gear! How could it be frustrating?? Any avid hiker knows that life is simply an unending tug-of-war game between tried-and-true old gear and flashy new expensive gear. I wish I could be more like my father… Read More
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AT Section 1 Preview
In my opinion, planning out Section 1 of the AT is a big big big big big deal. Why? Historically speaking, approximately 25% of all NOBO thru-hikers quit the trail during this 75-mile stretch. I don’t have any formal statistics to back this up (since all data collection is voluntary), but… Read More
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Prep Hike 1: North Cascades National Park
A couple weeks ago, I departed dusty LA for the green majesty of North Cascades National Park in Washington. The original plan for this backcountry father and son trip was to do the popular 34-mile Copper Ridge Loop in the NE corner, but had to change last minute to a less aggressive… Read More
