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: 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 […]
An American Ascent
Most of us don’t think much about diversity on the trail. In Southern California, it’s pretty common to see people of all colors sharing the trail. When you get into the backcountry however, people of color are are few and far between. Why does diversity in our wilderness matter? In a few decades, people of color will […]
Movie Review: Flip Flop Flippin’
Long trails have a gravity that pulls thru-hikers toward them with irresistible force. I’ve answered the call of the John Muir Trail — twice. But of all the long trails in the USA, none is better known than the grand-daddy of them all: the Appalachian Trail — or simply the AT. My curiosity about the AT was first piqued […]
