Back in November, I spoke with Doc from the John Freakin' Muir Pod for Episode 44 of his podcast. We talk about how I got into backpacking, the Pacific Crest Trail, hiking in Japan, low moments on the trail, my gear, the PCT and Continental Divide Trail survey, Nepal, Tasmania, and more as Doc
Why You Shouldn’t Start a PCT Thru-hike in March
Every year, hopeful Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers must decide when to begin their thru-hikes. True, this has become slightly more difficult over the years with new PCT permit regulations and the increasing popularity of the trail, but generally, hikers are able to get starting dates they're more
Continental Divide Trail In Photos: Colorado
Colorado, the second state of the Continental Divide Trail (for northbound hikers), presents a set of new challenges for hikers leaving New Mexico. Hikers face elevation, snow, thunderstorms, cold, moose, recreational cannabis, and increased prices once they cross the border into Colorado from New
Arizona Trail (AZT) Bikepacking Gear List
The gear required to bikepack the Arizona Trail is somewhat familiar to me - that is, anything that doesn't specifically have to do with the fact that I'm riding a bicycle. Putting together my Arizona Trail bikepacking gear list has been an exercise in not knowing quite what I'm doing and a reminder
Cactus to Clouds (C2C) Hiking Guide
Cactus to Clouds (C2C) is an 18.78 mi / 30.23 km hike from the Palm Springs Art Museum at just 481 ft / 147 m above sea level, up to the 10,833 ft / 3,302 m summit of Mount San Jacinto, and then back down from the summit to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The hike begins in Santa Rosa and San
Bikepacking the Arizona Trail (AZT)
The Arizona Trail (AZT) spans 800 mi / 1,287 km from the US-Mexico Border (in Arizona) to the Arizona-Utah border. It's one of the few long-distance trails in the United States that, in addition to being welcoming (and intended for) backpackers, is also open to bikepackers. Despite, for some
Southern Sierra High Route (SoSHR) Backpacking Guide
The Southern Sierra High Route (SoSHR) is a 100 mi / 160 km route through California's Sierra Nevada that runs parallel to (and sometimes overlaps with) the John Muir Trail (JMT) and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It is commonly referred to as a more rugged JMT since a large part of the SoSHR is
Mac’s Backpacking Gear List 2021 (v1)
I'm hoping to be doing a lot more outdoors in 2021 than I managed to do in 2020 and I'm excited to start trying out gear. To start the year off, my pack looks a lot like it did at the end of 2020, but I've made a few small changes (most notably, my cooking system). The gear list below is what I
Continental Divide Trail Advice for 2021 (from the Class of 2020)
No matter how much you read or how many videos you watch, the Continental Divide Trail can be a (seemingly) overwhelming thing to plan for. To help you Once you've decided what gear to get, where you (think you) want to resupply, and when you're starting your adventure, what comes next? Wait?