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The folks over at Outdoor Evolution invited me to write a guest piece for them about my experience on the PCT. It turned into a post-mortem of my thru-hike, and a reflection on readjusting to society after months living on the trail. Check it out over at Outdoor Evolution.
I tossed and turned all night at my camp by Palisade Creek. My restless mind’s focus see-sawed between the sounds of the raging torrent running by my tent, and the irregular thump…thump…………..THUMP of my malfunctioning heart. I tried to calm myself, but kept giving in to the temptation to check my pulse. My heart had naturally reverted to its normal rhythm after several earlier episodes, and I was hoping it would do… Read More
Mount Whitney (my mile 1530, trail mile 767) to LeConte Canyon (my mile 1600ish) I was up before dawn the day after my Whitney summit, determined to get over Forester Pass early in case the previous day’s afternoon storm was repeated. At 13,153 feet above sea level, Forester is the highest point of the PCT and probably the most notorious pass on the trail. It’s also the first major pass that northbound… Read More
Kennedy Meadows (my mile 1465, trail mile 702) to Mount Whitney (my mile 1530, trail mile 767) I got a dose of Southern California’s searing August heat the second I stepped onto the air bridge at Burbank. The sun beat down on me as I crossed the street to the rental car garage, but I was thankful for it. Those warming rays had spent the past two months slowly thawing the huge… Read More
Dunsmuir (my mile 872, trail mile 1501) to Seiad Valley (my mile 1027, trail mile 1656). My own poor organisation caused me to spend nearly two full days in Dunsmuir while I waited for a package with my new odour-proof food bag. In hindsight I’m glad it worked out that way, because Dunsmuir is delightful. It’s an historic railroad town on the Sacramento River in the shadow of Mount Shasta, tucked away… Read More
Going Solo 
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