What is base weight? Does base weight really matter on a trail like the PCT? Above is a video from my four week self-guided course on thru-hiking the PCT. The course, which starts Jan 4th via teachable.com, is a mix of video, written material and homework, as well as a live weekly Q&A. Once each … Continue reading Let’s talk about base weight

10/20/19 It’s hot in my van and my hives are really bad- my whole body feels like it’s burning. It’s too hot in my van? How is that possible, on this cold night in the foothills of the sierras. I’ve grown used to swinging in the wind all night, even these metal walls create too … Continue reading L2H day 8: Tumanguya

10/19/19 If mice run over me in the night, I do not feel it. Another perfect eight hours of sleep, squirreled away against the ravages of waking life. My little pocket thermometer says 39 degrees so it is warmer in this cabin than outside. We did good. The sun rises over the huge wooden tram … Continue reading L2H day 7: six thousand feet down to Carls Jr

Ok. You've got all your gear. How do you even put all your gear into your pack so your pack is comfortable?! This video is a sample of the long, exhaustive gear video that is part of my PCT Thru-hiking online course (which you can find here). In the full length video I pack my … Continue reading How do I pack my pack?

10/18/19 I sleep for eight pure hours, curled in a ball against the cold under the bright moon, and when I wake I feel like I’ve won the lottery. It’s dark and I can just make out the forms of the others, sitting up in their sleeping bags, rustling around. We’re quiet. It’s quiet. The … Continue reading L2H day 6: stayin’ active, that’s the thing

10/17/19 The beady dark eyes of a small mouse shine in the moonlight. The mouse is crouched beneath a creosote bush. It darts out across the open space of a campsite. Its moonshadow follows close behind. Out from behind the brick bathroom building comes another mouse. There’s a single dorito, discarded beneath a picnic table. … Continue reading L2H day 5: the puzzle of Darwin canyon

And it happens to be vegan and gluten free. Here is a sick video of some bean soup- this is from my 4 week PCT Thru-Hiking course, which begins January 4th- click here for more deets, and to reserve your spot!

10/16/19 I'm awake at 6 a.m. Fuck. This cot is still bliss, though. Resting is bliss, even if I can't sleep. What does it even mean to sleep? What does it even mean to have a body? I lay still for another hour, watching the light lose its softness and then I sit up, into … Continue reading L2H day 4: sparrows vs. dove

10/15/19 I am just warm enough. My pad partly deflates and I toss and turn, making unfortunate potato chip noises. When the alarm goes off I play Papa Roach on my phone, making my friends laugh. Gets em every time. We find the explosion of trees in the wash that signals water, somewhere, somewhere there … Continue reading L2H day 3: the land of zero texture

10/14/19 The alarm on my phone goes off at 5 a.m. and wakes me into a world that is suspiciously like yesterday. Dark. Dry. Moony. I slept maybe five hours? Well. I select Eye of the Tiger in my music and turn the volume up all the way. The others laugh themselves awake. We need … Continue reading L2H day 2: mountaineering but make it pinyon forest