Thru hiking is a game where you make your own rules. The game is governed by a certain set of laws, most of them natural. Wind, fire, flooding, rain, and snowstorms all force the players to adapt to the game. There’s no winners or losers. Realizing that this game is something you want to play and making it to the starting line is enough of a win. Hiking even a hundred miles past it this is supreme feat. ... The post New Games with New Rules: Days 7-9 on the CDT appeared first on The Trek ..read more

Walkie here again! Wow! A repeat guest on Myrt’s blog. I feel so honored. I’m here to share my favorite things about the trail. I do have similar ones to Myrt like “Shelters” and “Tent Time”, but I decided to show & tell a few additions. The post Part Two: Walkie’s Favorite Things About Hiking the A.T. appeared first on The Trek ..read more

Gear Update I won’t go into all the details about all my gear, just a couple items. Pack – ULA Circuit – I absolutely love this pack. Even with a 5 day resupply (total weight just under 30 pounds) this pack is a delight to carry. I only really notice the extra weight on steep climbs and technical sections where balance is important. Everything has a place in the pack and is so easy to access when needed. ... The post Garden State – Days 36 thru 40 appeared first on The Trek ..read more

Not My Usual  I usually blog when I get to a big town and take a zero (zero miles hiked that day). It’s become a routine that I look forward to. But this blog is different. New adventures happen when you least expect them!  Storms Forecasted We check the weather pretty frequently while hiking. It’s a pretty important thing when we are technically living outside. So far rain, sleet, some snow, cold temps and heat have all impacted my hike. ... The post Bad weather appeared first on The Trek ..read more

This morning i was able to complete a 8km hike on Mt Chagnon, QC. (about 25 km north of the Vermont border) The hike is considered moderate. The trail is part of the “Sentiers de l’Estrie” (Eastern Townships Trails) which are in fact connected to the Long Trail at the border, and go all the way past the city of Sherbrooke. I wanted to make this as close to the real hike as possible, but did not fully load my backpack. ... The post Last trail training before Long Trail appeared first on The Trek ..read more

Hello again, everyone! In my previous post PCT Stage 01: Campo to Julian , I shared about my start on the PCT and my first impressions on the trail. This time, I’ll tell you about the second section I completed, which took me about 6 days. Starting from the town of Julian and reaching Idyllwild, it was a journey of 167 km and 5800 m of cumulative elevation gain. A new start The night in América Legion had passed. ... The post PCT stage 02: Julian to Idyllwild – part one appeared first on The Trek ..read more

AT Days 5-8 – Finishing 1st Week   Day 5 – Quarry Gap Shelter to Pine Grove Furnace Hostel (17.3 miles) Day 6 – Pine Grove Furnace Hostel to Alec Kennedy Shelter (15.3 miles) Day 7 – Alec Kennedy Shelter to Campsite Milepost 1139.6 (18.9 miles) Day 8 – Milepost to Duncannon at Susquehanna River (12.3 miles) Day 9-10 – Downtime at Duncannon, PA (Hagerstown, MD) (0 miles)   Day 5 The overnight rain/mist was light and paused long enough so we were able to pack up and head out. ... The post AT Days 5-8 – Finishing 1st Week   appeared first on The Trek ..read more

AT Days 1-4 Check-In and Start Quick apology I apologize for not posting sooner. I still haven’t figured out how to do this by phone. Each day has been filled by hiking eating and sleeping – I’m improving, but do NOT have “trail legs” yet at all.   Day 0 – Check-In at ATC Headquarters (0 miles) Day 1 – ATC Headquarters Harper’s Ferry to Rocky Run Shelter (16.1 miles) Day 2 – Rocky Run Shelter to Ensign Cowell Shelter (15.8 miles) Day 3 – Ensign Cowell Shelter to Deer Lick Shelter, ... The post AT Days 1-4 Check-In and Start appeared first on The Trek ..read more

he constant blanketing of bodies and bones across the desert floor–  more than a little disconcerting– do little to make me feel welcome in the harsh, high desert of New Mexico as I walk the second stretch of trail from Lordsburg to Silver City. I often see a handful of vertebrae scattered across the trail or a femur haphazardly kicked off to one side. Occasionally, I see an entire skull. The bones become part of the trail’s decoration, ... The post Bones in the Chihuahuan Desert appeared first on The Trek ..read more

In the classic movie “Stripes,” Bill Murray’s character John Winger, and his friend decide to join the army. They watch a TV ad that paints the army to be this idealistic picture of travel and adventure. But in reality, they soon find out it is quite the opposite. As they have to get up early, and spend most of their time running in the rain and doing push-ups in the mud. This is a very similar premise to hiking the AT. ... The post Pulling a Winger appeared first on The Trek ..read more