Long distance hiking sucks
In an attempt to balance out all of the over idealistic videos that grace the internet, I put together a video highlighting the suckier parts of long distance hiking. All images and video clips are mine from my 2019 PCT hike. A few highlights include: surprise hail neverending mosquitos...
Finishing up the desert section
The Santa Ana winds were out in full force over Thanksgiving weekend, so instead of subjecting myself and my tent to 65 mph winds, I decided to finish up the 22 miles I had left of the PCT desert section as a day hike. It felt extra luxurious to...
Carson Pass to Lost Lakes via PCT
My roommate Megan and I headed out to Carson Pass for a short weekend backpacking trip a few weeks ago. The weather decided to test us with a thunderstorm before we even got out of the car after arriving at Carson Pass. Luckily, as afternoon thunderstorms in the Sierra...
Tips for First Time Thru Hikers
Oh look! Another list of thru hiker tips! I spent hours scouring the internet for these types of lists prior to starting my hike. Hopefully my little list of thru hiker tips includes a few that you haven’t already read elsewhere. Keep the pace slower than you want to...
145 Days in 6 Minutes
I finally got around to combining my PCT video clips into one short(ish) video. I’ve taken many, many trips down memory lane and watched it over and over and over again. It has me eagerly awaiting the day that I can live out of a backpack again, even if...
Thru hike gear recap
Here’s my quick and dirty review of my big three, plus a few notable mentions. Sleep System (aka my princess bed, because it was SO cozy) I used this setup for the whole trail and was only cold one night. On warm nights, I unzipped my sleeping bag and...
One month ago
One month ago today, I woke up 18 miles away from the Southern Terminus of the PCT. The weather was perfect the night before, so I’d slept without the rain fly on my tent. My last cotton candy sunrise of the trail greeted me when I woke up. I...
Did that really happen?
It’s been nine days since I finished the trail, but it feels like a lifetime ago. Actually, it feels more like my hike was a long, elaborate dream. It feels like it wasn’t real. But the pain in my feet is a reminder that yes, I did actually do...
Last Day on the PCT – Reaching Mexico
Yesterday morning, I woke up to a 5:00 AM alarm for the last time in the foreseeable future. It was to be our last day on the PCT. We were camped about 16 miles from Campo and about 18 miles from the border with about a liter of water...
Cleanliness is next to godliness
My last shower happened about 165 miles ago so for the past few days, I’ve felt like a used trash bag. We’re only a couple of days from the border, but I couldn’t imagine going that much longer feeling so grimy, so we got a motel room in Mount...