Category Archives: Uncategorized

Those of you that know me well can remember our high flying travel days. Bryan and I were DINKS and we flaunted it. When we could get some time away from our crazy careers, we spent it in some pretty amazing places. In the old days, we would land at the airport and get whiskedContinue reading “Acculturation”

I need to get out of Chile – and soon. If I stay much longer, I’m going to buy a truck and start gathering up all of these sweet street dogs and take them home with me. It will be a hell of a long trip back to Seattle but we will take lots ofContinue reading “NOBO By Bus”

Our small shelter at Camping Maria shook and rattled all night as the storm raged outside. It was so bad that I can’t believe the roof stayed on. It creaked and moaned from the strong gusts that blew branches and debris around in waves of violence that made it hard to get any sleep. IContinue reading “When You Don’t Really Want to Go”

I had a good rest in Cochrane and reconnected with my Italian buddies for coffee before heading out. Francesco and his friends are really sweet and it’s been great to have some company in the evenings. I think I recovered enough for my next leg to a farm stay about 30 miles from the nextContinue reading “It’s a Zoo Out Here”

I’ve done a few of these long treks and I’ve learned that it takes me a while until the adventure becomes all about food – but it always does. My legs and brain aren’t really talking to each other at the beginning of my trips. Somewhere about a week in, all of my thoughts turnContinue reading “When the Adventure Becomes About Food!”

Coyhaique was a nice break from Route 7 with its fancy restaurants and big grocery stores. I got lost in the Super Todo store wandering through all of the aisles of stuff. It was well named because I do believe they actually had everything. It was tempting to buy a ton of food but IContinue reading “Patagonia”

Traveling this distance by bike is really special. I see the fancy travel vans whizzing by me and I don’t feel any jealousy at all. I am getting such an amazing experience out in the open, sweating up the steep hills and experiencing this beautiful place at the speed of bike. Ok, maybe I amContinue reading “The Speed of Bike”

I can’t say enough nice things about everyone I’ve met here. I’m greeted with a smile and wave everywhere I go. My sweet Chilean hosts are suffering bravely through my Spanish and helping me get things done without fuss. While trying to find a laundromat yesterday, I told them that my clothes were sick. IContinue reading “Hidden Spot Next To The River”

I “Doc Chey’d” it today and showed up two hours early for my ferry ride from Hornoperin. A “Doc Chey” is slang for showing up stupid earlier for something and coined by my dear friends Betty and Ernie. Ernie loves to get places early and he convinced Betty to show up for a running raceContinue reading “Lago Negro”

It’s hard to write a riveting blog post when everything goes just as planned. I want to send you some high drama and daring tales of survival deep from the mountains of Chile but this isn’t one of those tales. I started my adventure on the Carretera Austral (a/k/a Route 7) bike packing route yesterdayContinue reading “Yo como manzanas”

I’m re-reading Arthur Brooks’ book called From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. I’ve been in an uncomfortable place lately. I left my main scuba gig in July and planned a month long bike packing trip in Chile this November. So, what to do with myselfContinue reading “Smile Upon Me”

I had it all figured out. The last day looked like it was going to be super chill – the elevation chart shows a net descent and paved. There should be a big asterisk next to the word here in Oregon. Paving out here also includes anywhere where they throw down rocks in a regularContinue reading “All Downhill and Paved”

If you are feeling overwhelmed by people, noise, traffic, the internet, planes, cars, stores, lights, electricity, buildings, animals or really anything at all, I have the cure for you. I know I’ve highlighted how remote things are on this ride but today’s section out did them – next level remote. I slept in and enjoyedContinue reading “Hotel Shaniko”

Today was an emotional roller coaster. I worked hard yesterday and I planned a relaxing fifty mile ride to my next campsite next to two streams. There was one long climb in the works but it otherwise looked like it would be an easy day. I slept in and took my time packing up andContinue reading “Ashwood Oregon Saves the Day”

If you ask me for one defining feature about the Oregon Outback it is remoteness. A close second is an eerie lack of water sources. Today presented both of those in spades. I woke up at his morning after a pretty restless sleep to a hard rain pelting the tent. The cows kept the wholeContinue reading “The No Water Challenge”

Day two of the Oregon Outback started out with a nice sleep in and a beautiful sunrise at my stream-side campsite. I only had 55 miles to ride today ending at the famous Cowboy Dinner Tree restaurant and I didn’t want to get there too early. The ride started out pretty tame but after aContinue reading “Cowboy Dinner Tree Day”

My new obsession with bike packing began back on the trail in New Zealand. On New Year’s Day 2024, I hiked with a great young German man that was something I’d never heard of – a bike packing racer. I had a million questions for him over the three days that we hiked together andContinue reading “The Oregon Outback – Day 1”

Training and racing Ironmans was a great chapter. It was hard work but I was driven and encouraged by my teammates at Dynamo and Coach Matthew to push myself farther than I thought was possible. It worked. I got faster and achieved my goals but I never really loved racing. The nerves and pressure alwaysContinue reading “We Got A Leaner!”

I’m good at a lot of things. I’m organized, well-mannered and diligent in completing tasks. I’m well-read and kind to animals. I recycle and live simply. However, I’m not good at listening to my body. I hate hate hate being sick and I’m one of the worst patients out there. Bryan is singing “Amen” asContinue reading “In Time Out”

I left Te Anau early and got a hitch from an American guy that was traveling around New Zealand for a few weeks. He was thinking about starting the Appalachian Trail this year but he was on the fence. I think I talked him into it as well as providing him with a complete gearContinue reading “The Last Light Lodge”

I was really anxious to get back on trail after the bike trip. Sean and I spent a great night in Queenstown and then hired a shuttle bus to take us to the TA trailhead at Greenstone about fifty miles from town. Kazu was walking into town on the same day and he shared aContinue reading “Greenstone to Te Anau”

Sean and I just got back from our five day bike packing trip and we had a blast. After we got his bike rack patched up, the bikes performed perfectly and the trail was so smooth, safe and fun. I got to see so many cool towns that wouldn’t have been possible hiking and IContinue reading “Around the Mountains Cycle Trail”

After I got my tooth patched up I was ready for a little break from the trail. Thru hiking can feel like hard work sometimes – especially with so many logistics to work through and I just needed to step away for a few days. It’s also a great opportunity to let my body restContinue reading “A Trail Vacay”

Sooooo, I had it all figured out. A great hike over Breast Hill and into Lake Hāwea, set up camp at the holiday park, a shower and then a big hamburger at the cafe. My New Year’s Eve was going to be perfect. Just one problem with that plan – I didn’t have cell serviceContinue reading “Hiker Chic”

The last few days have not gone has planned but I’ve never had more fun on a thru hike. I think I’ve finally found what works best for me on the TA. First, always follow kindness and second, embrace change. I think I’ve always followed the first rule but the second one is pretty newContinue reading “Pictures First, Help Second”

There are many strange things about this holiday season for me. Summer is in full swing and it’s hard to get into the spirit when mosquitoes and sunscreen are top of mind. But the weirdest part is that I’m so far away from home. I know I’m not the only one struggling with this partContinue reading “Holidays on Trail”

My zero day at the Alpine Lodge was wonderful. I read, took naps, got everything cleaned up and organized and got caught up on messages. The farthest that I walked was from my hotel room to the restaurant and back. My legs cheered the rest and the swelling from my fall went down and settledContinue reading “Nelson Lakes Park”

So, the Queen Charlotte Pub free camping gig backfired – big time. I had a great surprise FaceTime call with my friend Matthew and then snuggled into my sleeping bag with my new sci-fi book called “Three Body Problem.” It was about 8:30 PM and the bar was hopping. The jukebox was about three feetContinue reading “Mount Richmond Forest Park”

Queen Charlotte – wife of Henry III, besties with Marie Antoinette and the namesake of one hell of a trail in New Zealand. After an incredibly smooth ferry and water taxi combination through Picton, we finally arrived at the head of the TA on the South Island and we were immediately smitten. The boat droppedContinue reading “Queen Charlotte Track”

So, we aren’t calling it Bikram Yoga anymore because he turned out to be a racist, homophobic misogynist. Whatever you want to call it – the ancient twenty six pose series of hot yoga that he introduced to Americans is like a drug to me. No, not a drug – a mind-clearing and body-wringing twelveContinue reading “My $12 Therapy Session”

Well, I made it through the North Island. I’ve had a few good showers and I’m still scrubbing mud off of my legs, feet and all of my gear. The trails here were brutal at times but also brought me to some of the most remote and breathtaking forests. Truly vast and untouched jungles withContinue reading “Bye, Felicia”

Thanks to Bryan and Erin at Further Faster run shop in Christchurch, I was able to fix my left foot with new inserts. It was three days of road walking from Whanganui to Palmerston North with a quick stopover in Fielding to pick up the inserts. I had the inserts shipped to the Fielding HolidayContinue reading “The Tararuas”

When I was a kid my parents would buy comedy albums and we would sit around and listen to them together. My favorite was Steve Martin and his best bit is Cruel Shoes. A woman tries on every pair of shoes in the store – except for the Cruel Shoes. Well, you just have toContinue reading “Cruel Shoes”

Wow. I just got done with the 100 mile canoe section on the Whanganui River and I’m shattered. We were talking this section up as a chance to rest our feet and legs but I had no idea how hard this was going to be. We met our canoe rental company at Whakaharo at 9:30Continue reading “Whanganui River”

The last few days in the Tongariro National Park have been quiet, beautiful and peaceful. There is a certain energy around this mountain that is palpable to me. The water runs clear and strong and the snowcapped volcanos loom above. The way down took two days but I arrived today at the last stop alongContinue reading “Koro Low Branch”

After the craziness of the planning in Taumaruni, I hiked a peaceful twenty four mile section of forest road to Owango. Thorsten, Saad and I found a great cafe in town and hung out there until they closed. We didn’t really have a plan for where we were going to stay that night so weContinue reading “Volcano”

I need a minute. The last two days have been a whirlwind. A fun one but man this trail asks for everything. Intense physical effort and planning. Lots and lots of planning. It’s exhausting for the mind and body but the payoff is pretty amazing. We camped at the Timber Trail trailhead on Wednesday nightContinue reading “Whew”

Every day around Noon I get a message from my Garmin watch that says something to the effect of – “Whoa Dude. You need to calm down.” It’s telling me to immediately stop activity and rest for the next eight hours or so. I’m regularly hitting over 50,000 steps a day and I don’t thinkContinue reading “My Garmin Wants to Speak to the Manager”

The last few days have been awesome. I am about a month in and in the sweet spot for thru hiking. I’ve shed some pounds hiking about twenty five miles a day and living on ramen noodles and Sour Patch Kids. The pack is dialed in and we are hiking in a really remote sectionContinue reading “Try to Look Intimidating”

I wish my spirit animal was something cool and fierce like a tiger or a wolf but I’m afraid it may be sheep. They are so sweet and curious about us hikers. Or, they might just be admiring my fancy new merino wool hoodie and tight beard trim. Either way – they are great company.Continue reading “Deep in Sheep”

The next section brought us into the northern suburbs and polished beach towns north of Auckland. I had mixed feelings about getting back to big city life. It is great to have so much food available but the traffic and busyness of the largest city in New Zealand was a damper on the thru hikingContinue reading “Bittersweet Auckland”

My zero day was amazing. I took a lazy walk around Matakana and visited a great brewery, had a nice long nap and then met up with my trail buddies for a scuba dive at Goat Island Marine Preserve. The water conditions were pretty terrible – the surf was still really strong from the stormContinue reading “Zero Rebound”

You have been fairly warned not to invite vampires into your home. It’s their only way across the threshold and then you have precious few tools to fight back. A stake through the heart, garlic, some holy water. The same goes for thru hikers and your darling European style cafe. You’ve spent years perfecting theContinue reading “Your Darling Cafe”

The last two days have been tough. I’ve been pushing some bigger miles. I’m tired and the conditions have been trying. As I headed out from Whangarei Heads, the rain started coming down hard and it dumped on me for the first half of the day. It was a long road walk with a tonContinue reading “The Trail Provides”

Thru hiking might seem like a solitary adventure but it actually takes a lot of help along the way. Especially hiking Te Araroa. For me, it’s not just about the trail angels but also at home. Bryan is holding down the fort, working hard and taking great care of Chuck and LD. Mom and myContinue reading “So Much Help Along the Way”

The last two days have been a little rough. That cyclone that caused us to hole up at The Farm parked itself over the North Island and dumped epic amounts of rain. We go too antsy at the hostel so set out for the next section in the pouring rain. Hiking in the rain getsContinue reading “Skinny Dipping in Tutukaka”

I’ve been at The Farm hostel for the past two days with my hiking buddies waiting out the cyclone. It’s hard to find the words to describe how cool this place is. It is a working dairy farm and they also welcome hikers and have a staff of young friendly workers from all over theContinue reading “Good Vibes at The Farm”

There are places out there that are still pure. The air is clean, the trees are thriving and the birds fly in huge flocks over clear blue seas. It took traveling across the world, hiking for a week and then a boat ride deep into the Bay of Islands but I was there today andContinue reading “Cape Brett Hut”

Kiwis refer to hiking as “tramping” and I thought it was just another word for the same thing but something is dawning on me about a week into Te Araroa. Tramping and hiking share a lot in common for sure but the former is turning out to be much more of adventure – and I’mContinue reading “Tramping”

One of my favorite podcasts is called “Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet.” They read one star reviews from Yelp! in a really dramatic fashion. The name of the Podcast says it all – these were real complaints from a disgruntled beach resort vacationer. That’s what I felt like when I finished the 90 mileContinue reading “Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet”

Today was awesome. I had a great sleep at the campground and got up at 4:30 and made coffee with two of the young fisherman that were there for a long weekend trip. Their tent flooded during the night so they were up early and trying to get warm. They were so friendly and offeredContinue reading “Back in the Groove”

My buddy Neil always joked when we were starting an adventure race that you know it’s going to be fun when the adventure starts early. Like an early flat on the mountain bike or a lost map. I always loved that saying because it turned a tough start into something funny. You signed up forContinue reading “The Adventure Starts Early”

It’s me again. It’s been a while since I’ve checked in but I’m headed back out onto the trail and I hope you will join me. Instead of the Appalachian Trail, I decided to flip it to the other side of the world and try the TA – the Te Araroa that covers approximately 1,800Continue reading “Let the Adventure Begin”

For the past 20 years or so I’ve spent my Christmas morning with Julia Child and David Sedaris. Julia and I started spending a lot of time together after I bought her Baking With Julia cookbook in the late 90s and discovered her amazing recipe for Pecan Sticky Buns. These are a three day affairContinue reading “Christmas with Julia and David”

New York has a trash problem. It always has but during the pandemic things seem a lot worse. I think it is a combination of increased take out food, reduced sanitation budgets and just general 2020 funk. It’s been a tough year and it is showing along the beautiful streets and avenues of this lovelyContinue reading “Me and My Trashy New York Friends”

“Do you have a car?” This is a question that New Yorkers ask each other all the time and it makes me so happy. It is asked with absolutely zero judgment. It’s just a simple question but it isn’t something that I can remember ever being asked before. If you live just about anywhere elseContinue reading “I Bike New York”

One of my favorite movie scenes is from Along Came Polly when naked SCUBA Claude awkwardly invites the nervous honeymooners to an underwater party. He declares himself the unofficial SCUBA king of St. Barts and wants to show them the beautiful coral reefs underneath is sailboat. His big sailboat. Lisa, played by Debra Messing, isContinue reading “So Tell Me For True – Are You Guys For SCUBA?”

Bray Wyatt a/k/a “The Fiend” is a WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) favorite and he coined the phrase “Yowie Wowie.” He explained it as follows: “You ever have something so amazing happen to you that you couldn’t control what came out of your mouth next? Yowie Wowie!” I can’t think of a better way to describeContinue reading “Yowie Wowie – a Brand New OWSI”

If you ask anyone that has done some dive training they will tell you that you have to be prepared to get yelled at. A lot. I’ve had to learn to leave my ego at the shore for every dive training class that I’ve attended. It definitely varies in degree depending on the instructor butContinue reading “Leave Your Ego on Shore”

Today was our first classroom day and it was an intense one. We started off with a two hour timed dive theory exam that included a bunch of calculations. The questions are designed to test whether you understand the basics of the physics of diving. It’s helpful because it makes you think about the scienceContinue reading “My Land and Sea”

I arrived in Monterey yesterday to start my dive instructor training and got my first taste of diving the California coast today. We hit Monastery Beach with a few dive buddies and it blew my mind. The reefs and kelp beds are stunning. Neon creatures are packed everywhere you look and the cold water andContinue reading “Magical Neon Underwater Forests and a Paper Dragon”

We got up early this morning to catch the sunrise in this beautiful valley we spent the night in. The stars were amazing when I poked my head out of the tent at 5 AM before the sun started to warm the skies. It was just at freezing when we got up and there wasContinue reading “Valley Sunrise”

This hike is all about Taco. I was pretty nervous about today since I’ve never hiked him above 10,000 feet and I watched him so carefully. We took nice long breaks every few miles and as we climbed into the higher elevations I made sure that he wasn’t exhibiting any signs of elevation sickness. HeContinue reading “A Dog’s Hike”

A few weeks ago my AT trail buddy Nasty Noodle told me he had decided to hike the Colorado Trail. I didn’t know much about it but after a few minutes of research it looked like something that would be great to join him for a bit of. He is going to complete the fullContinue reading “The Colorado Trail”

I’ve lost all credibility when it comes to the AT. Every time someone asks me which section is my favorite, I have a different answer. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Georgia and Connecticut have all been at the top of the list. I feel like Patsy and Edina at their wine tasting in France on Absolutely Fabulous.Continue reading “Absolutely Fabulous”

We woke up to a pretty funny situation this morning. A family of raccoons invaded our tent site around 4 AM and ransacked anything that smelled of food. They started by knocking my JetBoil stove around to find out that it just had water in it. They moved on to Scoobie and Boogie’s packs andContinue reading “Virginia Summertime”

I wasn’t sure how it was going to feel being back on Trail after completing the thru hike. Without the goal, would I still feel the same about hiking through the challenging parts? The heat, sore feet and bugs are still out here but would I focus too much on those now that I don’tContinue reading “Ego vs Adventure”

It was so interesting to hike Shenandoah in a new season today. When I was here in May, it was cold and rainy and completely empty of any other hikers or campers. It was peaceful in a way but I definitely prefer the full speed summer version of this beautiful section of the Trail. TheContinue reading “Beautiful Summer in Shenandoah”

So I’ve been off the Trail for a few weeks and I’m going through what everyone else has been experiencing since March. I’m surrounded by problems I can’t solve. It’s been a shock to come from the opposite experience on the Trail. Food, water and rest were my challenges that I had to face andContinue reading “Problems I Can Solve”

When I did Trail magic for Carbon Man and Heisenberg, I told them that I just wanted one thing in return – a summit photo. I got a happy ding on my iPhone this afternoon and these fine gentlemen were grinning back at me from the place. That wooden sign on the top of KatahdinContinue reading “You Just Owe Me One Thing”

Ten years ago, I turned 40. About a year before my birthday, Bryan asked me what I wanted and I jokingly said that I wanted to buy a new BMW in Munich and then spend the next two weeks riding my bike through Europe while he crewed for me in our new car. He bookedContinue reading “Less Stuff”

I’m not proud of this but one of my favorite songs on my Apple Pride Party radio station is Glamorous by Fergie. Yes, Fergalicious Fergie. The lyrics are a silly fantasy about flying first class, drinking champagne, chaperones and limousines. It’s exactly how I feel my first week off the Trail. https://youtu.be/q0SyUgw98tE I’m sleeping underContinue reading “Glamorous”

I woke up early and had a nice cup of coffee in my tent. It was kind of chilly up at Standing Indian and I loved snuggling up in my sleeping bag one more time. Neil, Ben and I went on a great run up to the Trail and along a beautiful ridge line lookingContinue reading “Home”

My drive from Glasgow, VA to Standing Indian, North Carolina was really interesting. Highway 81 hugs the Appalachian Trail all through Virginia and so I was able to retrace my steps through all of those towns that seemed like huge milestones to me heading north. Franklin, Erwin, Hot Springs, Marion, Damascus. These spots brought backContinue reading “Retracing My Steps”

I said goodbye to Jitter this morning after we had a short hike out of our campsite back to the road. I got back to the car and was feeling a pretty heavy heart. Each day is pulling me farther away from the Trail and I can feel it in my body. I’m so gladContinue reading “That Was a Long Way”

The New Jersey section of the Trail was some of my favorite. For starters, it isn’t Pennsylvania and the path along the border of New York takes you through the most beautiful farming and wetland areas in the state. I drove down from New Hampshire this morning to give some magic to Jitter and herContinue reading “Magical New Jersey”

I am usually pretty down after a big race or other event. After I cross the finish line, I have a good day of endorphins left and then the bottom falls out and I have to pick up the pieces for the next week or so. Luckily, this time is different. I feel a lotContinue reading “Magic Time!”

Climbing Katahdin was surreal. We woke up at 2AM and hit the Trail shortly after. There were huge thunderstorms the night before but everything had cleared out by the time we started hiking. The sky was clear and a huge moon hung low in the sky. The climb itself was a blast. It is aContinue reading “Surrendered”

More later but wanted to share this awesome moment.

There she is. The sacred place that I’ve been dreaming about for so long. We got a great view of Katahdin from the Trail today and it really hit me that this is going to happen. The snow, rain, cold, heat, bugs, sore feet, aching back and constant hunger is going to pay off. TheContinue reading “My First View of Katahdin”

The great thing about the back half of the 100 Mile Wilderness is that it is mostly flat but it also winds through a long series of lakes and rivers that are absolutely filled with mosquitoes. We started the day around 2,200 feet in elevation but as we dropped down to the river bank toContinue reading “Mosquito Alley”

A NOBO hike just seems so perfect for me. I got to start off in Georgia where I know the Trail so well and was excited to explore new territory as I got farther away from home. The 100 Mile Wilderness is the last stretch before Kahtadin and it is an ideal space to reflectContinue reading “100 Mile Wilderness”

I think this is unique to thru hiking. When you get into town and do your laundry, the inn or laundry mat will have loaner clothes for you to wear while you are scrubbing up your gear. At most, thru hikers carry only two sets of clothes and they are both beyond gross by theContinue reading “Dress Up”

We set out early this morning after a great breakfast at the Sterling Inn and headed into a light rain that lasted all day. Maine has been in a drought for the last few months and it’s great to see all of the plants and flowers really perking up with the much needed moisture. WeContinue reading “Magical Magic”

Wow. Today was a blast. We finally hit one of the flat and cruiser sections of the Trail and we chewed up the miles quickly. Nasty Noodle, Scoobie and Boogie and I got up early and hit the Trail around 6:00. We stopped by the first pond we saw in the morning and went forContinue reading “Just Yell Cheryl!”

Deet is the active ingredient in the most common bug sprays out there and it is very effective. Thru hikers rejoice in watching mosquitoes die when they land on their deet covered skin. It also melts plastic – so I’ve avoided it and lectured anyone that will listen. I’ve been using another product called picaridin.Continue reading “The Dark Side . . . Deet!”

Nasty and I got up early to get a head start on our day. I love that he likes to be up with the sunrise with me and get going early. We had a 21 mile hike to get to Stratton and wanted to get up and over the several 4,000 foot climbs that weContinue reading “Many Forms of Adventure”

It’s weird but I’ve been out here for so long that I have trail buddies that I’ve been missing and are finding again. Nasty Noodle and I hiked the first two weeks together and we got separated and just ran into each other here in Maine. He is a great guy and cracks me upContinue reading “Reunited”

Last night at the Pine Ellis is what I needed. Eileen was so sweet and she had coffee and muffins for us on the porch this morning before driving us back to the Trail at 7:00. I left with my new crew of hikers and we had a big climb to start the day. TheContinue reading “Leading Me Gracefully”

Ok. So you’ve made it to Maine but this beast isn’t over yet. If I had any advice for a thru hiker it is this – don’t spend too much in the Whites because Maine wants to be noticed too. I attacked the Whites and tried to show her I could keep up my sameContinue reading “Not a Victory Lap . . . Yet”

Yesterday’s section was rated 10 in our guide – the most difficult rating on the AT. I didn’t want to believe it after getting out of the Whites. I thought it couldn’t get any tougher but I was fooling myself. This section also contains the especially cruel section called the Mahoosuc Notch but it wasContinue reading “They Were Not Kidding”

Whelp. It’s here. I made it to the border of Maine and it feels great. I headed out early today from the Rattle River Inn after a delicious chocolate chip pancake breakfast and hiked under cloudy skies and thick humidity. After the first couple of climbs, I started to hear thunder and it opened upContinue reading “No Rain, No Pain, No Maine”

Slack packing is amazing. I just took some water and lunch with me and I couldn’t feel my pack at all. As I hit the first climb up to the top of the Wildcat ski resort, it was a blast to move so quickly up and over the big boulders. Once I got up andContinue reading “Slacking the Carters”

Slack packing is amazing. I just took some water and lunch with me and I couldn’t feel my pack at all. As I hit the first climb up to the top of the Wildcat ski resort, it was a blast to move so quickly up and over the big boulders. Once I got up andContinue reading “Slacking the Carters”

Back in March when I started the Trail, I met a delightful young lady named Taylor from New Hampshire. I remember being very impressed with her hiking fitness as I watched her glide up those steep hills in North Carolina and asked her how she got so strong. New Hampshire, she explained. She was usedContinue reading “Taylor to the Rescue”

I think today was the hardest day I’ve had yet. I got up early to get started on what I knew was going to be a sporty 27 mile day over some of the toughest terrain in the Whites. The adventure started early with a nearly vertical descent down from the campsite on a partContinue reading “Steeper, Harder and Longer”

We had a perfect plan today. An easy five mile hike to the road intersection and then Pancho (yes – crazy Pancho is in New Hampshire) was going to drive us in to Lincoln for a quick resupply to get is through the rest of the Whites. Just one problem – there was a mixContinue reading “Plan B”

I was pretty nervous about my first day in the Whites but it turned into my favorite day on the Trail. The climbs are intense but the views are worth it. I started with Mt. Mousilake this morning and got to the summit just as the clouds were rolling away. It was a bright blueContinue reading “A Perfect Day”

Ok. I think I just needed some sleep and I had a great rest last night and felt much better today. I had the strangest dreams but I woke feeling rested and ready to go. I am so glad that I decided to wait to do that climb until this morning. I got up earlyContinue reading “Would I Lie to You?”

It’s hard to believe that I am in the 13th state on the Appalachian Trail. My mind can’t catch up but my body sure has. I couldn’t get to sleep last night in that nice bed and am feeling exhausted today. The three cup of ambition that I had this morning got me out ofContinue reading “New Hampshire”

There really isn’t any better hiking music for me than Dolly Parton. I’m not a country music fan but after recently listing to the podcast Dolly Parton‘s America, I’ve been really interested in her music. Her voice and lyrics are so perfect for the Trail. She was born and raised in Appalachia and maybe thatContinue reading “It’s Dolly’s Fault”

There was an ominous sign at the start of the Trail this morning. It said “YOU ARE ENTERING BEAR COUNTRY” and reminded us of the food storage requirements. Less than two miles into this section, I spotted a large black bear running away from the Trail after he sensed me getting closer. He was aContinue reading “Big Animal Country”

Ahhhh. So happy to get back on the Trail this morning. The double zero was nice but I was anxious to get back into the woods. It was a beautiful cool morning when our shuttle driver Steamboat picked us up. He is an avid trail runner and was excited to run the ski trails nearContinue reading “Back on Trail!”

We are really enjoying our several days off in the Ludlow ski resort area. The weather has been so cool and the sun shining during the day while we are running our resupply errands. The only tricky part is that town is at the base of the hill and we are not! More climbing practiceContinue reading “Vacay!”

Stratton Pond is a really special place. It is a peaceful large mountain pond that can only be reached on foot. It is remote, quiet and cold. A perfect place to recharge after a long hot day of hiking. We started off a little earlier than usual and we had a big climb up andContinue reading “Stratton Pond”

Just as soon as I stepped over the state line, Vermont lived up to its nickname – Vermud. I found myself at the edge of a muddy part of the Trail that was full of frogs. As I was trying to snap a picture, I lost my balance and had to catch myself by steppingContinue reading “Vermud”

There is a full moon tonight and we are camping right in the border of Massachusetts and Vermont after a much longer day than we expected. We all have the same approach to how we read our AT maps. We follow the line maps only and never ever look at the profile. The profile mapsContinue reading “Missing Massachusetts”

You may have been placing bets against me but I pulled one out of the hat. All three of my packages were in Dalton when I arrived! It was like Christmas morning. Wait, there is one more for you to open. I had a huge box of food that I had mailed to myself fromContinue reading “Low Branch Wins”

During the hike today, I was reminiscing about all of the trail magic that we had in the southern states and thought we wouldn’t see that again before we finish. Right on cue, a gentleman came walking southbound on the Trail and asked me whether I was a thru hiker. Here was our sweet trailContinue reading “Mr. Bungle”

Ever since we hit our first deli in New Jersey we started to develop a bad habit of going into town for lunch even when it isn’t convenient. Isn’t that the definition of an addiction? Repeating a behavior that isn’t good for you even when you know it isn’t good for you. Today was lowContinue reading “The Deli Problem”

It seems like just yesterday that we entered the beautiful state of Connecticut and she is already behind us. I woke to a light rain coming down on the tent and it ended just before I needed to get up and on the Trail. Our first stop was just six miles out of town inContinue reading “Connecticut in a Flash”

You know something good has happened when you see your name in sticks! Way better than lights and so very carbon neutral. My dear friend Betty found out today that her multiple myeloma is in full remission! She battled hard with a full round of chemotherapy and then stem cell replacement and she is finallyContinue reading “Your Name In Sticks”

Yesterday was a long day and when I got into Kent, Connecticut I decided I was going to take a zero. If they would have me. The AT intersects with Kent right outside a beautiful private high school that looks like a college campus complete with an ice skating rink. The Kent School is oneContinue reading “The Accidental Zero”

Not all rocks are evil. The little buggers in Pennsylvania could pay attention to what these sweet guys are up to here in Connecticut. As soon as I crossed the border, I noticed a series of beautifully painted rocks with encouraging sayings on them. They came at a good time too as today was aContinue reading “Happy Rocks”

We are using a smart phone app called Guthook for just about everything we need on Trail. It has amazing real time mapping and elevation data and great suggestions for places to see and nearby restaurants and resupply locations. The best part about Guthook is the crowd sourced comments and suggestions. Hikers will leave recommendationsContinue reading “Poopy Butthole – Our Personal Trail Concierge”

For the first few weeks of the hike we were battling some serious cold and rainy conditions. Our favorite saying to help us through these tough times was “Embrace the Suck.” The conditions sucked but we were training ourselves to deal with it. Face it head on and just know that it won’t last forever.Continue reading “Embrace the Slime”

New York is becoming one of my favorite parts of the Trail. There is so much fun variety in the terrain and the views of the valleys are spectacular. We had some bouldering climbs today and a lot of other technical hiking that makes the day go by so quickly. I stopped for lunch onContinue reading “Low Branch – Good Omen”

I got up at 4:30 to hike the 13 miles to Glenwood Lake NY to pick up my food resupply package. It was fun getting out early and the Trail started with a steep climb up over the rocky hillside that ran along side the valley where we spent the night. When I crossed theContinue reading “Postal Service – 2 / Low Branch – 0”

We had the most amazing day of cool critters. First, our campsite was filled with birds and owls that were so active and loud all night. We got to laughing pretty hard at one bird that woke us up early with a screeching song that sound more like a house alarm than birdsong. The owlsContinue reading “Amazing Critter Day”

I first heard about deli blazing from Pop Rocks way back in Hiawassee and it sounded so far off and exotic. Well, here we are and it is everything that it was cracked up to be. We woke to a cool 35 degree morning and a beautiful sunrise. After an easy seven mile hike, weContinue reading “Deli Blazing”

Ahhhhh. New Jersey. Beautiful, sweet, lovely New Jersey. I know I said some harsh words about her last week but I take them all back. The Trail is so nice here and mostly because we are starting to see the rocks dissipate as we get farther from Pennsylvania. There are also a lot of beautifulContinue reading “What a Difference a State Makes”

I have an outsized place in my heart for friends. I think it comes from my childhood growing up in a military family. We moved so often and I was plopped down in a new town every few years and had to make friends on fly. These connections grounded me in a way that IContinue reading “Beste Friends”

Our penultimate day in Pennsylvania was a blast. It started out with an intense boulder scramble that people say is reminiscent of what we will be hiking in the Whites in New Hampshire. It was fun but some of the drop offs were pretty steep so it will take some getting used to. Once weContinue reading “The Magic is Back”