Mile#53, Pioneer Mail Picnic Area

The transformation from docile urbanite to long distance hiker is something I’ve experienced before, but seem to have forgotten how to succeed.  The body must adjust itself to tolerate 15-20+ miles per day carrying loads of 20-30 pounds.  In Southern California, temperatures have so far risen to the high 90s and dropped to the [...]

Mile #20, Lake Morena Campground

Brian was up early and left as Lauren and I were finishing breakfast.  I didn’t see him for the rest of the day.  Lauren and I hiked the short four miles to Lake Morena, where the final day of this year’s ADZPCTKO was getting underway.  

ADZPCTKO is short for Annual Day Zero Pacific [...]

Mile #15, Hauser Creek

California Highway #21 winds a tortuous path through the Southern California desert along the border with Mexico, stopping in sun-baked sleepy rural towns and kissing the Mexican city of Tecate.  San Diego bus #894 follows this route 50 miles to Campo and is a common method used by PCT thru-hikers to access the southern terminus.
Waiting [...]

Bowdoin, ME

 
 
I had planned a 4-5 day trip to the White Mountains to make certain my gear would be adequate for the Sierra Nevadas, but due to the rather late-season nor’easter up here in New England, level of snow, and steep terrain I had to cut the trip to 1 day and 1 night, turning around [...]