via How the Appalachian Trail Wrecked My Life | Appalachian Trail Tales I was recently asked to write a guest blog for Appalachian Trail Tales, a website hosted by some really awesome people that I've come to know through hiking the Appalachian Trail. The blog is about how hiking on the AT ruined my life, but... Continue Reading →
An Open Letter to Chaco Footwear
Dear Chaco, Your shoes saved my hiking career. During the spring of 2015, I was attempting a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. On one particular evening, while walking down a mountain in Cherokee National Forest in the middle of nowhere, Tennessee, I suffered an injury that would begin a cascade of pain and suffering and ultimately... Continue Reading →
Carless in Colorado: Getting around without a vehicle
How I traveled around Colorado without a car for two weeks on less than $150.
Reflections: Fair-Weather Hiker
It’s cold. I step out of my vehicle at the trailhead and the bitter air hurts my face. When I checked the weather down in town an hour or so ago, the forecast was calling for 15-20mph winds. I know I’ve hiked in worse. It still doesn’t sound fun. The flurries started as I was... Continue Reading →
Gear Review: Warbonnet Blackbird Hammock
Basic Specs: Model: Blackbird Lightweight Double Layer Hammock Brand: Warbonnet Outdoors Weight: 1lb 6oz (hammock only) or 1lb 120z (as used with webbing/buckle suspension) Dimensions: 101 inch ridgeline length, 63 inch hammock body width Capacity: 275lb Fabric: 40d Nylon Outer, 20d Nylon Inner Cost: $195 w/suspension (cost has gone up since I purchased 4 years ago, when I believe my cost was... Continue Reading →
North Carolina: Pinnacle Peak
Yesterday I hiked Pinnacle Peak for the first time. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I've been putting off this hike for a couple of years now due to believing it was too difficult for me to complete successfully. Many of the guides and reviews I've found about this trail online state that it... Continue Reading →
Goals, not resolutions: Hiking into the New Year
New Year's Resolutions. I used to set them, and know a lot of people who still do. What is the root of the word "resolution"? Resolve. Which to me translates as "to fix a problem or issue". I've decided this is a rather negative way to begin a new year, talking about things we don't... Continue Reading →
Face to Face with Failure: The 52 Hike Challenge 2017
This year, like last year, I began my year by setting a goal of accomplishing 52 hikes in 52 weeks. The 52 Hike Challenge is intended to get people outdoors, averaging one hike per week of the year. In 2016, I finished the challenge on Christmas Day, hiking in Providence Canyon with my mom and... Continue Reading →
When I Make it to the Top
Driving home from spending eight beautiful days in Colorado, I watched in new wonder as the foothills around me turned to mountains. The Rocky Mountains were incredible to behold: big, rugged, cold, wild. The Appalachians, however, are old, weathered, and wise. Something about the big mountains of Colorado felt familiar. Maybe it's because they tell... Continue Reading →
Reflections: What IS hiking?
As part of my 52 Hike Challenge Adventure Series, I have to do two reflection hikes. I should have done the first one some time ago, but better now than never. While deciding where to hike on Monday, I was browsing the All Trails app to see if I could find a short hike that... Continue Reading →
Still She Roams 