I’ve thru-hiked the John Muir Trail twice. The first time, back in 1980, I took 25 days to cover the 211-plus miles. The second time in 2010 I hiked it with my girlfriend (now my wife) over 22 days. If I could’ve taken more time off from work, I would have taken longer, but three […]
REVIEW: Epic Hikes of the World
What hiking adventures are on your “life list?” What the heck is a life list? Many people have a bucket list, filled with things they’d like to do before they “kick the bucket.” I prefer a list that helps me plan a full and satisfying life. I call it my life list. With each year […]
REVIEW: The High Sierra Trail
The High Sierra Trail is the thru-hike for people who can only spare a week of vacation. Unlike the longer John Muir Trail (JMT), which follows the Sierra Nevada north-to-south from Yosemite to Mount Whitney (or vice versa), The High Sierra Trail (HST) traverses the range from west-to-east. And unlike the JMT, the HST only […]
Cairn Obsidian Spring Collection Unboxing
We first looked at Cairn three years ago when they launched their monthly subscription box. Last year, they created the Obsidian Premium Collection – a quarterly subscription box with over $300 worth of gear. One of the unique features of the premium edition is that it really is tailored to the subscriber. Boxes can include clothing […]
Book Review: Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
My longest thru-hike (so far) is the 211-mile John Muir Trail, which I’ve hiked twice. The Pacific Crest Trail beckons me, but at 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, it would take a five-month commitment to thru-hike, and that’s if I were lucky enough to avoid calamity along the way. Fortunately for those of us […]
Book Review: Base Camp Las Vegas: 101 Hikes in the Southwest
I have a lot of hiking and backpacking guides on my bookshelf, but Deborah Wall’s Base Camp Las Vegas: 101 Hikes in the Southwest is a guidebook that threw me a curveball. I received a copy from the publisher while I was traveling and didn’t get a chance to take a good look at it […]
Review: Cairn
Monthly boxes of curated goodies seem to be everywhere, these days. Cairn has created one perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. What is Cairn? They describe it as “your monthly box of outdoor discovery.” It’s a monthly subscription service. Each month, you receive a box of curated products. It might include a hammock or headlamp, hiking socks, snacks, skin […]
Movie Review: Wayfaring – A Jaunt Along the Camino de Santiago
The Camino de Santiago is a long trail that beings in France, and travels roughly 500 miles west to Santiago, Spain. The trail began centuries ago as a religious pilgrimage, but has evolved to be a journey that means different things to different people. Unlike many of the long trails in the United States, this […]
