I first entertained the idea of long-distance hiking after discovering Mike Clelland's book Ultralight Backpackin Tips. I'd gone backpacking before, and it had been beautiful, but I had been in a lot of pain; in Backpackin' Tips, which is like Ray Jardine distilled for the modern age and hilariously illustrated with cartoons, Clelland gleefully advises … Continue reading Long Distance Hiking Has No Brand: Some Thoughts on Sponsorship
I loved the desert the best
Dear reader: I wrote this piece about the desert after my 2013 thru-hike, for the Pacific Crest Trail Communicator magazine. Now I'm making it available here for you online, for the first time. Enjoy. --------------------------------------------------------- I am sitting on the Stehekin shuttle bus in the early morning, bumping down the pitted road along lake Chelan, … Continue reading I loved the desert the best
Mount Saint Helens Take Two: Perfect Weather + Crampons Adjusted Correctly = a good time is had by all
Mount Saint Helens Summit via the Worm Flows route 12 miles round-trip 5,699 feet elevation gain I'd only been back in Southern Oregon for a few days when I looked at mountain-forecast.com and saw that there was going to be one perfect day of bluebird weather on the Saint Helens summit- on friday. “I have … Continue reading Mount Saint Helens Take Two: Perfect Weather + Crampons Adjusted Correctly = a good time is had by all
Helpful tips for the Lowest to Highest Route
In the first week of October, 2014, I hiked the Lowest to Highest Route with my friends Chance and Jess. Most of our info for this hike came from this source, which is a website created by Brett "Blisterfree" Tucker, the person who developed the route. This site has almost everything one needs. Recently I've … Continue reading Helpful tips for the Lowest to Highest Route
Hard Lessons on Mount Saint Helens
Ascent of Mount Saint Helens in winter via the Worm Flows route 12 miles round-trip 5,699 feet elevation gain I got into Portland around midday on Friday and dropped my bags on the floor of my friend Seamus' empty house. He and his partner were both at work but the cats were there, mewing … Continue reading Hard Lessons on Mount Saint Helens
notes from the field
A long overdue update. I go to Florida and it is not what I expect: the alligators are there, in great numbers, as I have hoped, and the palm trees, and the short warm days and damp, cool nights, and the enchanted swamp. All of these things are there but mostly, what is there, is … Continue reading notes from the field
Florida trail, day seven: Dear FT- it’s not you, it’s me
December 19 When I wake in the morning I know that I'm done. Despite having slept really well, despite having camped in this nice place with a picnic table, I still cannot muster the energy to get stoked for thirty more miles on this paved bike path, followed by hundreds of miles on other paved … Continue reading Florida trail, day seven: Dear FT- it’s not you, it’s me
Florida trail day six: roads for days
December 18 Mileage 30 Mile 103 to mile 128.5 (plus 4.5 miles walking in and out of Clewiston and Moore Haven I wake up before dawn, excited to be back on the road. It's not a trail, at least for the next hundred miles, it's a road, but I'm still excited to be back on … Continue reading Florida trail day six: roads for days
Florida trail day four and five: roadwalking fail
December 16 Mileage 18 Mile 61 to mile 79 I wake before my alarm, cold, to find my sleeping bag soaked through with condensation. The dark is just beginning to pale and I sit up blearily, lackadaisically poke at my gear, eat something or other. Suddenly I am treated to the most fantastic sunrise- and … Continue reading Florida trail day four and five: roadwalking fail
Florida trail, day three: hello roadwalk
December 15 Mileage 30 Mile 31 to mile 61 Roadwalking. Roadwalking happens. Roadwalking is a real thing, on most (all?) long trails but especially on this one. So... roadwalking. It's hot, it hurts my feet. There isn't any shade. And there are so many different kinds of roads to walk on- dirt roads! Gravel roads! … Continue reading Florida trail, day three: hello roadwalk
CARROT QUINN 
You must be logged in to post a comment.