There was a period nearly 20 years ago when times were tough. Airlines stopped flying, people stopped working, and the media spouted doom and gloom on cable TV for 24 hours a day. It was 9/11/01, and my first impulse was to get to the wilderness. So when the weekend came, that is exactly what we did.
It's been 25 years since I set out to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Time has moved exponentially since then, and I now appreciate that there are a few pivotal years in your life. 1994 was the year for me.
In Episode 48, Cardiac and Drone Boy discuss their summer backpacking trip on the Inca Trail in Peru. Their four day hike took them over ~14,000 feet peaks in the legendary Andes Mountains and culminated at the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu – which is one of the most photographed tourist destinations in South America.
I have a friend hiking the Appalachian Trail this year and his schedule (and some inclement weather) had him take a zero day in Gatlinburg, TN which gave us an opportunity to catch up with him last weekend. Here is the World Wide Wanderer (aka 3W) relaxing on the balcony of the LeConte View Motel.
In Episode 35, we discuss the most influential hikers and backpackers of all time as we sit by a campfire in North Georgia on an autumn night with coyotes running wild in the background. First, a shout out to the trail conferences, clubs, maintainers, ridge-runners, trail angels, and financial benefactors to Trail – because you are collectively more important than any individual for your contributions. But tonight we review some of the names that came up the most frequently in hiking and backpacking forums when we posted the question to the trail community.
50 Hikes 50 States 50 Years
As someone who likes to hike and backpack, I decided a number of years ago that I wanted to hike 50 trails in 50 States before I was 50 years old. I’m certain that I’m not the first to do this – although I made the decision without any outside influence and with two basic rules...
Panthertown Valley is one of my favorite hiking spots in North Carolina. It is located near Cashiers, NC in the western section of the State and was purchased by the Nature Conservancy from Duke Power in 1989. Panthertown is now part of the Nantahala National Forest and has been growing rapidly in popularity – especially over the last ten years.
There is nothing better than escaping a trade show in Las Vegas for the backcountry and fresh air of Zion National Park. After a 3 hour drive Fuller and I arrive in Springdale, UT and stay a short distance from the park. Our first mission is to hike the Hidden Canyon Trail.
It’s been 20 years since I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. There’s no doubt, it was a different Trail back then – fewer thru-hikers, no cell phones, and no websites to research the A.T. prior to heading out.
We satisfy a listener request for a show on backcountry basics. Recorded at a remote campsite on the Chattooga River, I speak with Therm Rider and The Camel about some of our rookie mistakes in the backcountry and smart things that we’ve done since our first ventures in to the wilderness.
The weatherman said there was a 100% chance of rain today, and he was 100% right! It rained all morning, and all afternoon.....
Walk In The Woods Premieres To Mixed Reviews
Walk In The Woods premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week to mixed reviews. Here's a sampling. The Guardian "Plenty of silly little incidents ensue along the way, with lots of jokes about advancing years. Most of these episodes are far too low-stakes to carry a movie and the bigger picture..
A letter to ATC Executive Director, Ron Tiptop, lays out the current issues – many of which focus on thru-hikers that overwhelm park resources and occasionally don’t follow the rules of Baxter Park (ie. no public consumption of alchohol or drugs, camping only designated areas, no dogs in to the park, etc).
After fattening up on Thanksgiving dinner, The Camel meets us in North Carolina for a hike in to Panthertown Valley.
You may have heard that Walk In The Woods is filming now in the Atlanta area, and Friday I was cast as an extra in a bunkroom scene with actors Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. True to the book, it was set at Rainbow Springs, N.C. after an April snowstorm
It is sunny when we leave Atlanta and the forecast is for temperatures in the 50’s in nearby Franklin, N.C. But as we drive the 2 1/2 hours north to the Appalachian Trail we spot a line of clouds and a cold front pushing in from the Northwest.
Friends of ours camp nearby tonight and have bears wandering in their camp near Preacher Rock. They opt to hike out at midnight, but our encounter is less dramatic. We only find an angry rattlesnake in the middle of the trail that quickly slithers off.
Take a side hike up Siler Bald, go swimming in the pool at Caledonia State Park, take the gondola ride down to Killington – and yes, stay a night or two in a trail town.
In the research, McNeely discovered evidence that Earl Shaffer bypassed at least 170 miles of the trail which, if true, will alter the history of the Appalachian Trail forever – much as proving George Mallory didn’t actually summit Mount Everest would forever alter the history of mountain
Backpacking Blog
Backcountry Thanksgiving Menu
In Episode 82 of our "Backcountry Thanksgiving" podcast we discuss the following meals that I pulled from my food storage pantry in about 10 minutes. I'm sure you can assemble some solid … Read More...
Episode 82: Backcountry Thanksgiving
In Episode 82, we offer up a "Backcountry Thanksgiving" - just in time for the Holidays, and cooked fresh and right outside our studio this evening. In the show, we offer up not 1 but 2 … Read More...
Cascade Trail Blue-Blaze Footnote (Andover, ME)
The blue-blaze was the Cascade Trail. The journal entry on Sept 22nd says that we cut off two miles – which matches up exactly the 2004 Maine A.T. Map #7. Also see … Read More...
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Backpacking Podcasts
Episode 82: Backcountry Thanksgiving
In Episode 82, we offer up a "Backcountry Thanksgiving" - just in time for the Holidays, and cooked fresh and right outside our studio this evening. In the show, we offer up not 1 but 2 four course Thanksgiving meals that are lightweight, inexpensive, and ready for you to take into the … Read More...
Episode 81: Tahoe Rim Trail
In Episode 81, Jennifer “Sprinkles” Kelley is back on the show to share some great information on how to hike the Tahoe Rim Trail - which runs nearly 170 miles along the border of Nevada and California. If you work full time and dream of a thru-hike, then this is the show for you. In the … Read More...
Episode 80: Hiking With Kids
In Episode 80, Dan Kreesberg joins the show to talk about raising an outdoor kid. Dan is a naturalist, teacher, and a writer with numerous books, articles, and newspaper columns to his credit - many focused on teaching children how to appreciate the wilderness. So in the … Read More...
Episode 79: Summer In Spain
In Episode 79, Phillip (aka 3 Dub) joins us again to talk about his summer backpacking ~2400 miles in Spain and Portugal via multiple routes on the Camino de Santiago in 2019. We last spoke with Phillip two years ago in Episode 56 when he talked in detail about his first hike on the … Read More...
Episode 78: Brooks Range
In Episode 78, Sarah Histand tells us about her three week traverse of the Brooks Range in Northern Alaska. She is a native Alaskan who has done multiple packrafting and backpacking trips across the Brooks Range and throughout the State. So Sarah talks about the logistics of the summer … Read More...
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