BirdShooter's Backpacking Blog & Podcast Series
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 podcast, we discuss logistics, permits, wildlife, resupply, and why a 10 day hike on the TRT is the ultimate first thru-hike. We also catch up her life since we spoke on the podcast five years … [Read more...]
We finally cleared the trees and walked in to this open area along the ridgeline of the Colorado Trail where there were amazing views at ~11,700'. The Continental Divide Trail also shares this section of trail near Leadville. … [Read more...]
A hiking friend of mine, Gary "Drone Boy" Vaughan shot this video from Cheoah Bald in the fall of 2020. It's a tough hike, but the views are phenomenal from the top. They hiked to the summit from Stocoah Gap on the Appalachian Trail, but you can also access Cheoah Bald from the Wesser, N.C. area via both the Bartram and Appalachian Trails. … [Read more...]
We backpacked through an early September snowfield on Segment 9 of the Colorado Trail about a mile past Beaver Lake. Here is the view from the ridgeline. … [Read more...]
A video of Bear Lake from Segment 9 of the Colorado Trail. It is a tough ~1700' and 3.5 mile climb from the Timberline Lake trailhead to get here - but there is great scenery on the hike. The trail crosses a pass and a few other small lakes on the hike to Bear Lake. … [Read more...]
This is our hike on Segment 9 of the Colorado Trail in September 2020 during the pandemic. The Continental Divide Trail shares this section of the Colorado Trail and both footpaths traverse the scenic Holycross Wilderness with elevation above 11,500 feet. There are two cabins available for rent just off the Trail and close to Tennessee Pass at the end of this section. … [Read more...]
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 Camino. There's great information on how to hike the trail in that podcast, but he returns to the show tonight to talk again about the historic routes and why he did multiple thru-hikes of the trail … [Read more...]
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 trip - including trailheads, resupply, the wildlife, and how to maintain communications across this vast wilderness that stretches ~700 miles across northern Alaska into Canada's Yukon … [Read more...]
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 the winter of 1994 I lived in Chicago. I moved to Illinois from North Carolina and as a 20 something enjoyed the conveniences of this large city - walking to restaurants, bars, friend's houses, and taking the short train rides to Cubs and Bears games. … [Read more...]
In Episode 77, Philip Werner shares his experiences with the TGO Challenge which is a ~200 mile sea to sea crossing of the Scottish Highlands in the United Kingdom. The event draws close to 400 people each year and requires a pre-approved route across the mountain ranges and bogs of Scotland. Philip has completed two TGO backpacking trips and tells us the basics about the 15 day event. In the show, we also discuss his his popular website SectionHiker.com, Phillip's guidebook on … [Read more...]
