Start: Crazy Cook Monument Stop: alluvial wash channel 18ish miles (miles in approximation because it’s hard to tell how far you’ve gone) Hikers, backpacks and water are loaded into the off-roading mobiles that take us the three hour ride to the Crazy Cook/Southern Terminus Monument. Juan drives us across the far-reaching alluvial fans as we … More Day 1: Don’t Piss Off The Cook
What the hell am I going to do in Lordsburg all day? Sort gear. Take shower. Read water report. Visit and meet trail friends. Walk to the store and buy tortillas, cheese, bell pepper and a banana. Drink beer. Check weather. Listen to wind howl. Faint and crumple to floor. Drink electrolytes. Eat Pizza. Sort … More The Windy Wait
I get kicked off the greydog in Tucson. Left with the dust swirling around my ankles, contents of my backpack scattered. Just kidding! It’s a miracle that I make it onto the bus at all. Greyhound does everything they can to dupe and confuse me but I’m smarter than that. There’s no way I’m missing … More Profanity Will Get You Kicked Off The Bus
It’s 4:13am, my weary and allergy-abused eyes drag apart. I reach down and pet Yazhi who is curled between my legs. He knows it’s too early to be stirring and continues to slumber. I try to ignore the fact that it’s Earth Day and I’ll be boarding a plane soon. I push the covers back … More Arizona and the Sit Pad Tragedy
Do you like my new blue hair? New additions to gear: ~sawyer squeeze, bag (as additional water storage) and smart water sport cap for backflush ~platypus foldables ~jockey underwear ~backcountry ninjas long sleeve performance shirt ~mouse works animal hat ~stickpic with cell mount ~hillsound microspikes instead of kahtoola (couldn’t get kahtoola) ~2 cup (16 oz) … More Gear List III
If I can survive 3 visits to the dentist office in one week, then hiking the CDT is going to be cake. Yep, not my favorite thing but I’m tougher because of it. And every little bit of toughness helps. Had some game changer ($$$$) work done and now the only reason I get to … More The Teeth Are Ready – 4 Days Until Departure
It doesn’t really matter that I can’t remember the words to almost any song. But people burst out in song and they are magically bonded for life. Oh well. Even the star spangled banner seems a little foggy. And it’s not just that I’m getting older. This thing has been this thing for as long … More Backcountry Ninjas on the Brain – 11 Days Until Departure
These “oh duh” moments seem like they oughta be connected to some twinkle that resides deep in the murky recesses of my tiny brain (more on the tiny brain later). Little gems just waiting for me to cash in on them. But the bytes of data have either been filed in the wrong location or they’ve been completely deleted. … More Georgia O’Keeffe and Ghost Ranch
The green of Spring is like no other.
CDT Gear List oz. lb. zpacks 52L arc blast with hip belt pockets 18 zpacks 0F wide long bag 27.1 zpacks solplex tent w/stakes in big agnes stuff sac 19 64.1 4.0 thermarest Xtherm long 16.5 gossamer gear 1/8 pad 3.2 gossamer gear polycryo ground cloth 1.4 cocoon pillow 4.1 msr pack towel half 0.7 … More CDT Gear List II
Journey Return 