Being warm year-round, Costa Rica has an abundant assortment of animals, birds, insects, reptiles, and all sorts of wildlife. I was expecting to see sign of more mammals, but monkeys were the only abundant animal around. We did see a sloth in the wild, and a coatamundi, plus a few snakes and reptiles. On the other hand, birds and butterflies were abundant! So were insects. Here is a sample of the fauna along the trail ..read more

Just in time for Christmas for you or that hiker you know! I published SHT4U2NO - 150 Super Hiking Tips For You To Know this summer. Tips and advice from my thousands of miles and hundreds of nights spent on long trails. It includes examples of when I used tips on my treks. Last month, I finally published Trail Tales #1 - seven fictional short stories for young readers, inspired by my Arizona Trail thru-hike. It took a few years, but it's done! The stories feature Scout, a boy that can talk to animals, and how he helps animals in need while demonstrating good outdoor ethics. And, I jus ..read more

Hey, go to early church on Sunday so you can visit with us about our Camino de Costa Rica hike in Room 102 of Hanson Hall on U of Minnesota campus at 11am. See Midwest Mountaineering"s Expo site for details ..read more

Are you busy on Sunday, April 30 at 11am? If not, join us in room 102 of Hanson Hall on U of Minnesota campus for the first presentation in our world tour about our successful 2023 Camino de Costa Rica hike. If nothing else, you'll get a sticker, and maybe a free copy of my latest book. See Expo site for details. There are a lot of other interesting 1-hour presentations on Saturday and Sunday. After our talk you could hang around and learn about Machu Pichu, Tanzania, Te Araroa, Mt. Assiniboine, and the Wabakami wilderness. Hike On ..read more

On my hike across Costa Rica, there was never a lack of lush plant life. From the warm, humid coastlands over the cooler mountain ranges, thick forest and jungle could be found everywhere except where bananas, pineapples, coffee, and palm trees had been planted. There were many exotic plants which I had not seen before and a rainbow of colors in the flowers. Here is a sample of the exotic plants and flowers from along the trail. (I didn't notice the small insect until preparing these photos ..read more

Saturday - I thought yesterday was hot and humid, but today wins! We dropped down the last few hills before a 12 mile walk along dirt roads through vast palm oil forests and paved roads through small towns in the coastal flatland. It was mostly a grind avoiding traffic and keeping the feet moving towards the coast. We did stop at a store for fresh coconut water - a straw poked in a hole in the coconut! That was refreshing. Reaching the end of the trail around 1:30 at the ocean in Quepos was sudden and fulfilling. With no more land to walk on, we could take our time the rest of the day relaxi ..read more

Friday - Is it possible to have 110% humidity? Our hike started up on a ridgeline with swallow-tailed kites riding the wind above us. At about 8am, we got our first view of the Pacific Ocean 13 days after walking away from the Caribbean Sea! Once we began the long descent towards the coast, the humidity skyrocketed. Low, stifling clouds and warmth from the sun made a great sauna experience. Our support vehicle stopping with cold drinks and snacks occasionally made it much more bearable. Most of our hike was on remote dirt roads through lush rain forest but 27km of mostly steep descents wow on ..read more

Thursday - today was a shorter 15km hike sandwiched between long yesterday and longer tomorrow. It was sort of a "more of the same" hike with steep roads and coffee plantations. We had great, cool weather most of the day with clouds billowing all around us but no rain. The wind was very strong at points. Learning how the coffee is picked, measured, transported, and processed was interesting. Seeing actual workers laboring in the sun on the steep hillsides was sobering. Our hike ended with a nice lunch at a home on a mountain with views far out over the valley. From there, a shuttle took us ..read more

Wednesday - Rained much of the night but once again we woke to a clear morning, just earlier than most at 5:30 so we could start this long hike earlier. Part of this section is walking along one of the most busy roadways in the country. To eliminate most of that stressful part, we had an additional guide join us to lead us over a new dirt road that only he knows about. This new part was so steep that my heels did not touch the ground, only the balls of my feet. It appears there are no rules, or even guidelines, for road construction in Costa Rica. They are narrow, steep, rough, and windy. So ..read more

Tuesday - Best night of rest so far on the trip last night. We were all in a rustic lodge but the chill air and thick blankets were perfect for sleeping. Much of today was on gravel road, but the highlight was a slow, careful walk on a narrow jungle trail with Nelson. He is a fungus expert and is passionate about mushrooms! Part of the trail was used in the 1948 civil war by fighters as a secret route to move equipment and Nelson"s great-grandfather was one of them. Along the way, we saw a few fungi but also some flowers, birds, and a pair of spider monkeys. Coming out of the jungle, we vis ..read more