I was about three miles up a ridge in Colorado when I stopped dead on the trail. Something sharp was pressing into the ball of my foot. I sat on a rock, unlaced my boot, and shook out a piece of gravel the size of a corn kernel. My hiking partner didn’t stop. She just … Read more
I remember standing shin-deep in a snowmelt creek on the PCT in early May, watching cold water pour right over the collar of my Gore-Tex boots. My feet were soaked in seconds — despite paying a premium for “waterproof.” I also remember a June climb in the Cascades where the rain never showed, but my … Read more
I bought a pair of full-grain leather boots two weeks before a 10-mile loop in the Catskills. The boot shop guy said they felt great. I agreed. By mile four, I had a quarter-sized blister on my right heel and a hot spot the size of a poker chip on my left arch. I finished … Read more
The first pair of hiking boots I ever bought looked perfect on the rack. Solid tread. Good color. Felt fine standing still in the store. By mile three on my first real trail, I had blisters on both heels and was limping back to the trailhead. That was the day I learned that hiking boots … Read more
My first real day hike was a six-mile loop in the Smoky Mountains. I wore a pair of old sneakers I’d had for two years. By mile three, my heels were bleeding through my socks and my toes were screaming on every downhill step. That was the day I learned that footwear is not the … Read more
I used to pack like I was moving in. Extra clothes I never touched. Snacks that melted by mile two. A first aid kit that weighed more than my water. The night before a trail I’d done a dozen times, I emptied my whole pack onto the bedroom floor and just stared at it. Half … Read more
My first real day hike, I packed like I was moving in. Camp stove. Full-size cutting board. A glass jar of peanut butter. I was doing a 6-mile loop in the Smoky Mountains, not crossing Patagonia. By mile two, my shoulders were screaming and I’d eaten half my food out of desperation just to lighten … Read more
My first real hike nearly broke me — and my clothes were half the problem. I showed up in a cotton t-shirt, a pair of old jeans, and the confidence of someone who had no idea what was ahead. By mile two, my shirt was soaked through and clinging to my back like a wet … Read more
A few years back, I stepped onto a trail in Colorado and made it about four miles before a thunderstorm rolled in faster than any forecast had suggested. I was above treeline, exposed, with nowhere to go. That afternoon changed how I think about every hike I take. I’ve been hiking across the Rockies, the … Read more
I still remember the morning I stood at the trailhead with my old pack and a printout from some hiking forum. The trail was listed at 6 miles. I was fresh out of college, fit enough, and completely clueless about what those 6 miles actually meant. I made it back — barely — with shaking … Read more