The most recent to the oldest blog posts are listed here. Use the dropdown menu for specific blog categories, or the tag cloud on the home page.
Border to Border – solving the logistic puzzle
Border to border takes 5.3 million steps with beginner’s mind. I am watching the cold rain drip off my office window thinking about one year ago – making lists, buying food and gear, all the while wondering what the hell I had got myself into. Even after completing the hike, that is an unanswerable question…
Food for Thought
I am dedicating this post to feeding future PCT hikers. I remember sitting in your chair thinking this idea is madness and the details- overwhelming. But know after your preparation, you will stand at the Mexican border on your start day, throw consideration to the wind, and take the first of 5.3 million steps. I…
Way Over Yonder
With a grateful heart, I say hello to my family, friends, trail family, and fellow pilgrims near and far. Your continued interest is inspiring and makes me realize how our actions contribute to one another in unseen ways. I have been surprised to see folks from 21 countries and five continents tuning into my story.…
Gear Head – what to leave in, what to leave out.
Hello trail family – I did not forget you. I have been making my site easier to navigate, so check out the blog categories from the menu and the blog word cloud on the main page to visit the pages that speak to those topics. I am committed to keeping this site alive as some…
Pleasure-Way: an interview with 2021’s best Trail Angel
Have you have ever thought about becoming a dedicated trail angel or hoped that someone would take on this role during your thru-hike? If so, this blog is for you. I caught up to Pleasure-Way for an exclusive interview about her secrets to being the best trail angel on the PCT in 2021. Thank you…
The Impassable PCT
To hike the Pacific Crest Trail in one season has always been a difficult proposition for all but the speediest of hikers. In the south, one must cross the desert sections before it is too hot, navigate the Sierra after the snow clears sufficiently from the high passes, and complete the North Cascades before the…
Post Trail Adjustment Disorder
I started to fear my post-PCT adjustment about one month before completion. Ironically, I was also facing some resistance to hiking, particularly in the morning. I have been off the trail one week and decided to open the next chapter of my journey – returning home. I coined the term Post Trail Adjustment Disorder (PTAD)…
Trip of a Lifetime
Trip of a lifetime Unfolding body and mind into everything Ribs I touched the northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail on Thursday, August 19th at 10:36 a.m. after hiking 2,653.6 miles in 118 days. What truly surprised me, and I will never forget, is the rousing cheer from the ten thru-hikers serendipitously gathered at…
The Elusive Glacier Peak
I just completed the amazing and challenging Glacier Peak Wilderness section of the PCT. In six days, I covered 127-miles from Stevens Pass to Rainy Pass with 38K feet of climbing. There is a lot to unpack from my past and current attempt to enjoy the elusive Glacier Peak. The first attempt was back in…
W is for ?
The title of this blog may bring back memories of watching Sesame Street as a kid or with your kids. But, I go with what comes to me on the trail, and this was it. Come to think of it, I may have turned into Cookie Monster – more on that later. W is for…
My 100th Day
I’m excited to share my experience hiking on my 100th day on the PCT. I chronicled my day to remember life on the trail. It represents both the simplicity and the practices I use to stay engaged and safe while deepening my awareness. I hiked a relatively short day of 21.6 miles through the Goat Rocks…
Bridge of the Gods
Native American Legend provides a vivid description of the formation and destruction of the Bridge of the Gods. As the Klickitat tribe tells it, the Great Spirit had two warring sons, Pahto to the north of the river and Wy’east to the south. The Bridge of the Gods was created as a way for the…
My Backyard
In 2008, my son Mitchell and I started PCT section hiking with a 45-mile hike through the Sisters Wilderness Area. Retracing those steps, I recalled many funny stories and truly appreciate how fortunate I am that this is my backyard. It is more accurate to say that this is our backyard. These public lands are…
What Mind is Walking?
Last summer, during a training hike, I met a couple who had completed the PCT in 2015. We had a great discussion about why they enjoyed it so much and what it took to complete it. I then ask them whether I was too old, and they laughed and shared that an 82-year-old was keeping…
Leaving Hotel California
“Welcome to the Hotel California Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place) Such a lovely face Plenty of room at the Hotel California Any time of year (Any time of year) You can find it here Last thing I remember, I was Running for the door I had to find the passage back To…
Northern Sierra Melting Pot
PCT hikers generally assume that the Sierra Nevada section ends at Sonora Pass, where they are relieved to stop carrying their food in a bear canister. Geologists know the Sierra continues another 270 miles to the North Fork of the Feather River, where I ended hiking today. The name “melting pot” came to me early…
1325 Father’s Day Gifts
It is hard to believe that I have now hiked past the PCT halfway point of 1325 miles. I do not think it was a coincidence it happened on Father’s Day. I spent my day trying to remember as many family hiking trips as possible. We had trouble keeping track, so we made a list…
Juneuary in Yosemite
Freezing wind and hail will surely tear me apart. Dawn comes, I’m still here. Rib’s tent Several days into my six-day, 117-mile hike from Mammoth Lakes to Sonora Pass, a day hiker gave me the title for this post. As I shared my misadventure, he said, “Oh, I guess you haven’t heard about Juneuary in…
Big Week
Thru-hiking like lifebrings toil and uncertaintyto ask who am I? Ribs I am writing from the comfort of a motel in Mammoth Lakes. I came off the trail today after the most physically challenging week so far with a profound appreciation of the scenic beauty and the responsibility we assume when thru-hiking. In seven days…
Scott: Wildlife in the South Sierra
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to get on the trail with Ribs for a beautiful stretch of California. Starting at Kennedy Meadows and finishing up at Kearsarge Pass (read all about it if you missed it). The trip was a great endnote for my year-plus of COVID-19: It kicked off with a…
Cascading
In our attempt to hike the entire PCT this summer, we have been jumping north to hike short sections of the trail while waiting for the snow to melt in the Sierra. These disjointed sections were, in fact, a wonderful introduction to the Cascade Mountains. I hiked 214 miles from Belden to Castle Crags State…
What’s in a (trail) Name?
I dreaded the thru-hiking tradition of receiving a trail name. I made snarky comments to others like, “what is this, summer camp, come on.” Most people would shrug at my lack of creativity, but a Norwegian hiker vociferously countered my disdain. He said, “you see, the trail name is important, and it must be given…
The Amazing South Sierra
This is my fifth trip into the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It stretches 400 miles long and about 70 miles wide for a mind-boggling 40M square miles. I got to take the journey through 110 miles of the southern end of this magical place with my son Scott. The scope of this gem is hard…
Good Morning Mt. Whitney
I am sending this post from the highest place in the continental US. My son, Scott, and I started our climb at 2 AM and arrived to watch the sunrise over Death Valley. Scott joined me at Kennedy Meadows, and we have hiked 75 miles and climbed nearly 20K feet. Summiting Whitney was worth every…
Home Alone
Part of our PCT plan is to use my wife’s incredible support, the ultimate trail angel, to leap forward and backward to optimize the chance of finishing the trail in one year. There are many reasons this helps from avoiding snow, fires, and dealing with injuries. The time window is short for finishing the desert…
My Dear Friend, SoCal PCT
I am dedicating this post to my new dear friend – the Southern California section of the PCT. I completed the hike to Kennedy Meadows yesterday in style with a 31-mile day driven by my trail family as we raced to spend an evening at Grumpy Bears, an oasis for hikers preparing to enter the…
Mojave
Hello again. I have been busy at my day job, which involves a green 38-liter backpack and two hiking poles. Today is my seventh day in a row with two more left to Kennedy Meadows, the doorstep of the Sierra. As I type this on my phone, I find myself at mile 658 and at…
Wishing you were here
I have turned the corner and started to head north again. I am taking a zero and will restart the trail on mile 511. I have achieved a significant milestone – crossing the 500-mile mark, but it is bittersweet. I had to skip miles 486 – 511 due to a trail closure because of the…
The trail knows the way
I got a great present from my daughter several years ago, the book On Trails, by Robert Moor. The book went on to become a New York Times Bestseller. The story starts with Robert Moor’s rather dreadful hike on the Appalachian Trail when it rained most of the time. Staring at his feet all day led…
Big Day
In an earlier blog, I shared that I had to pull out of the last 30 miles of the San Jacinto section of the PCT due to heavy snow. Within a few days, Alesia and I were scheming on how to get back to complete this section. I did, and it was a big day.…
Body Scan
I just covered some beautiful and diverse terrain from I10 near Palm Springs at 2K feet to 8K feet above Big Bear Lake. I have completed 10% of the miles (250) and 20% of the climbing (71K) in 12 days. No wonder I am feeling it. I have identified a valuable practice from my journey…
Well, now
For the first few days on the trail, I felt like I was setting the agenda. That bubble burst this week. After ten days and 200+ miles, it is clear that the trail and everything surrounding it provide the experience, and I am here to learn (one way or another). My lesson so far is…
Segment 1 Recap
I am sitting in a peaceful campground outside of Julian, California, enjoying my first “zero.” For thru-hikers, a zero is a day off, meaning zero miles hiked that day. I have planned five zeros over the first 700 miles, so these are mighty precious. Since Alesia is supporting me in our van, I have been…
PCT vibe
I had my lists, gear, and apps all ready to go. What I didn’t prepare for was entering the PCT community. I have been hiking forever, but these four stories are unique and happened in my first 48 hours on the trail. The first happened when I was devouring a malt after my first day.…
Success?
For something like the PCT, what does success look like? Finishing 2650 miles? Hiking 25 miles a day? There is no one answer. So I defined success as showing up and staying present. Within this frame, the opportunity for success never ends as I literally stumble along. Today I hiked 20 miles from the terminus…
Why do it
My question, along with most others, is why hike the Pacific Crest Trail? It is a completely logical question. And honestly, I don’t know why – I will need to get back to you on that. In my defense, I have had accomplices for a decade when it comes to getting swept away by magnificent…
My WOX
Before looking ahead, the question is – what stands behind me; my Wilderness Origination eXperience, or WOX. Blindly, I assumed that everyone who was interested would learn about and take advantage of wilderness experiences. The data shows this could not be further from the truth. For many, these wild places do not feel welcome or…