I hit the wall at mile 11 on a ridge trail in Colorado. Not from bad weather. Not from tired legs. From pure stupidity — I packed light on food because I didn’t want the extra weight. By the time I was two miles from the trailhead, I was shuffling. My legs felt heavy, my … Read more

I was somewhere on the second day of a four-day stretch through the Smoky Mountains, about mile 11, when I hit a wall. My legs weren’t done. My head was. I dug into my hip belt pocket, pulled out a bar I’d tossed in as an afterthought, and took a bite. It tasted like sweetened … Read more

I was six miles into a day hike in southern Utah when I hit the wall. My legs felt heavy. My head started pounding. I wasn’t out of water — I had about a liter left — but it was midday, the temperature had climbed past 90°F, and I hadn’t been drinking on any kind … Read more

I hit the wall at mile five. It was a ten-mile loop in the Appalachians — not a brutal route, nothing I hadn’t done before. But I’d packed light that day. Two granola bars and an apple. By the time I started the second half of that loop, my legs felt like wet concrete. I … Read more

I learned the hard way on a long ridge hike in southern Utah. Mile six, and my legs felt like wet concrete. My head was pounding. My heart was beating faster than the climb deserved. I stopped, sat on a rock, and drank half a liter in one go — but I was already behind. … Read more

I remember the exact moment I knew this was different. It was day three on a long trail. My feet hurt in ways I hadn’t felt before. My pack — way too heavy — was digging into my shoulders. I stopped on a ridge, looked back at how little ground I’d covered on the map, … Read more

I still remember the first time I stood at a trailhead with no idea what I was doing. My shoes were wrong, my bag was too heavy, and I wasn’t even sure if what I was about to do counted as “real” hiking. I just knew I wanted to get outside and walk somewhere that … Read more

My friend Sarah and I were about three miles into a descent on a wet granite trail in the Cascades when her pants started losing. Not falling down — failing. The fabric had soaked through at the thighs, her inner seam had zero give, and every step over a slick root looked like a small … Read more

It was a Tuesday in January. I was two miles into a snowshoe trail in the Catskills, and I was already soaked. Not from rain. From sweat. I’d worn a thick fleece over a cotton long-sleeve and figured that was enough. By mile two, the cotton was plastered to my skin and I was getting … Read more

For summer hiking, wear a lightweight moisture-wicking shirt, a UPF-rated sun hoodie or hat, breathable hiking shorts or pants, and merino wool hiking socks. Avoid cotton. Every layer should manage sweat and block UV rays. A few summers ago, I drove two hours to a trailhead in Shenandoah National Park and stepped out in a … Read more