"Hey! You're hiking the PCT too? Cool." And a lot of times that is where it ends. Or so you thought. Various levels of schmoozing exist on the Pacific Crest Trail, and where your conversation with fellow hikers gets to depends on a number of factors, including: the length of time you are
Kennedy Meadows: The Promised Land
There exists a place where all of your dreams come true (and yes, you have to hike 700 miles of Pacific Crest Trail desert to get there). A place promised to hikers the one true god of the trail. A place where a heat wave of the desert ends and cooler temperatures prevail. A place that marks the
Confession: I’m Not Hiking The Entire PCT
It is devastating, I know. After setting out to complete the 2,600 mile trek from Mexico to Canada via the Pacific Crest Trail, I have learned that the completion of said task is far more difficult than I could have imagined. You may be shocked to learn that many thru-hikers will end up hiking
The “Hiker” Adjective
Out on the Pacific Crest Trail you will hear a lot of people refer to the "hiker" somethings. The somethings are being described by the word "hiker" to differentiate them from your everyday somethings. What are the somethings? Well, the three things you hear being modified by the hiker
Keeping Busy Not Being Murdered On The PCT
"But aren't you afraid of murderers?!" It is the question asked most often by people picking me up while I am hitchhiking. It is also common to be asked this by people in towns whilst discussing the Pacific Crest Trail (and on a related note, people love telling you about the most recent bear
The New Worst Day On The PCT
After taking my first zero in Idyllwild, I felt it necessary to make up for lost time and go from Idyllwild to Cabazon in one day: a 33-mile trek (spoiler alert: this was a terrible idea). Armed with new socks, new insoles, and a freshly laundered wardrobe I felt rather invincible (especially
Taking A Zero
Sometimes when you punish your body in ways you have never experimented with before (namely, walking long distances in rugged terrain with a backpack that is in all likelihood entirely too heavy), it decides to fight back. Begging you to stop with an aggressive arsenal of aches, cramps, blisters,
Sleepless Nights On The PCT
I thought sleep would come easily on the Pacific Crest Trail, but once again I was wrong. It is only night six, and I have yet to enjoy a full night's sleep. Night one it was aches, then the wind, then cottonmouth, then cars, then coyotes, and now, as I am writing this, a symphony of frogs is
