Disclaimer: I am not attempting to prescribe advice to anyone. A magic bullet does not exist (except silver ones, those kill werewolves), and what works for me will certainly not work for everyone else. So if you’re sitting there taking this article to hypothetical, hyperbolic extremes, then my
The Currency Of The Pacific Crest Trail
Whether you are swapping Pokémon cards on the playground, scoring cigarettes in prison, or trading trillium ore in Azeroth, commodity money still serves a practical function in groups around the world. Thru-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail are no exception. Let's say you have been on-trail
Photo Essay: The Pacific Crest Trail
I took a lot of pictures on the Pacific Crest Trail, but if I could do it over again (when I do it over again) I would make sure to take more pictures of the people I spent time with on the trail (so listen up, would be hikers). The following collection is by no means a comprehensive portrayal of
The Thru-Hiker League Of Super Best Friends
Some people try to be everyone's best friend, to wear so many faces that their true identity becomes a patchwork of social reflections, to always say the "right thing" even when it conflicts with what they truly believe. Some people suck. Trademarked by their uncanny ability to sing songs of
Coping With Readjustment And Thoughts Of Suicide
Writing this is difficult because doing so is an admission that I am no longer on the Pacific Crest Trail. Yes, it may have been close to three months since I last set foot on the PCT, but my mind is still out there somewhere, lost in the wilderness. The transition back into the "real world"
Rocket Llama’s Brilliant PCT Comics
I met a lot of special people along the Pacific Crest Trail, and one of those people was Rocket Llama. Rocket Llama has used her artistic talents to convey life on the PCT in comic form, and she has been greatly successful in doing so. The following two comics come straight from Rocket Llama's
Denied By The Pacific Crest Trail (Three Times)
The Pacific Crest Trail is a fickle bitch of a mistress, and the way to Canada (or Mexico) is (un)paved with blood, sweat, and tears (literally). As a result, sometimes (most of the times) things fail to work out as expected. Nowhere was this more true than in Washington. Not once, not twice,
What It’s REALLY Like On The Pacific Crest Trail
As glamorous as living the life of a homeless person in the woods may sound, the daily routine out on the Pacific Crest Trail may not be exactly what you expect (or maybe it is, you clairvoyant bastard, you). Days can range from incredibly exciting (you arrive in a town or find some trail magic),
Absurd Questions People Ask PCT Hikers
I don't know if it is because they are excited to be meeting someone thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, or if it can simply be attributed to a lack of logic within our society, but the questions asked by people you meet along the PCT are quite absurd (and they are incredibly frustrating and