Thru-Hiker Mantis

Trail Angel Stories: Talia and Mohamed

When they returned, they revealed goodies that they carried for us. Fresh cherries, huckleberry ciders, and cookies! What treats! We dined together and swapped stories, staying up well past hiker midnight. In the morning, Talia and Mohamed hiked with us for an hour before turning back to...

PCT Trail Days

We immediately started seeing familiar faces once we arrived. It was a big, beautiful reunion of wonderful people. By day, we wandered around with various friends and visited all the vendors. I even got to see...

Trail Angel Stories: Twist, Headstart, and Family

Our hiker friend Twist grew up in Portland, OR. He had a whole itinerary of people he wanted to see on particular weekends. Lucky for Journey Man and myself, Twist invited us to join him for a couple weekends. We first met Twist’s parents, Steve and Laurie, in Sun River. They

Thoughts on Injury

A couple days in to the time off trail in Seattle, I had to sit with myself and ponder the real possibility that I might not return to trail. It was such a disappointing thought. It made me mad. And sad. I didn’t want to be done hiking. I had two of the most talked about sections still left to complete—the North Cascades and the Sierra...

Hopping Back Down to Northern California

Due to injury and wildfire-induced trail closures, Journey Man and I flipped back down south to Northern California to fill in miles that we skipped previously— 622.3 miles to be exact. We hopped back on trail from Burney and took our time working up the miles.

My Favorite Day on Trail So Far

The next morning, Journey Man and I took our time climbing up to Old Snowy Mountain from camp. The views were incredible and expansive. I was on top of the world. We ridge-walked down the exposed Knife’s Edge and back to an idyllic green landscape. It was my favorite day on trail so far.

Challenge: Can You Eliminate Single-Use Plastics From a Thru-Hike?

I aim to be a conscious consumer, and I recognize that convenience is a huge factor in the products widely available in our society. It is frustrating that the onus of sustainability is placed on singular consumers, with less pressure or responsibility directed at corporations who mass produce and overuse plastics (after all, it’s cheaper and more convenient for them too!)

Switching Stoves

I switched out my MSR stove for the titanium Vargo Triad Multi-Fuel Stove and fuel bottle. The products were shipped without plastic packaging. The stove requires denatured alcohol. I purchase HEET fuel, which is regularly available at gas stations and convenience stores. It was an adjustment at first to determine how much fuel I needed to cook my meals; usually one ounce of...

Trail Update: Buffets and Blue-Blazing

“Blue blazing” is a term hikers use in reference to side trails to views or other attractions off of the PCT, which is marked as a red line in our FarOut trail guide. Some blue blazes are out-and-back trails, while others bypass some of the red line.