Deciding pursuing a long-distance trek can be overwhelming. During my AT experience this axiom was regularly stated in the trail community and was one of the more important things I carried along with me:
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Its important to have short-term goals when pursuing a big goal. On the AT, I focused on getting to the next town or shelter. When times were tough, I focused on getting to the next water source or road crossing. Since the trail, I’ve found this to be one of the best lessons I learned in that experience.
Last weekend, folks here on the north coast of CA hosted four Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) thru-hikers: Adam “Hemlock Muppet” Canter, Kasi “Beam” Craddock, Jesse “Mountain Goat” Crocker, and Ana “Birdy” Roberts. The hikers furloughed from Etna, CA, after completing over half of the 2,600-mile trail. When finished Beam, Birdy, and Hemlock Muppet will have completed two of the U.S.’s great hiking trails - the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.
The video’s below include interviews about their experiences. Thanks for your town time, hikers!
Recently, I was delighted to find Walking the West, which documents the story of two men in their attempt to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Lightheartedly, the film brings unique perspectives of these common trail themes:
realization of overpacking / decision to cut weight on a micro-level
the push to stay positive with tough terrain and failing gear
connection with nature’s simplicity
importance of food
requirement of mental toughness
deepening of connection with self
I was impressed at the filmmaker’s ability to capture a full trail experience in less than one hour of film. Of six trail documentaries I’ve seen, I’d recommend this one to beginners. To view in high quality, purchase the film here. If you are willing to watch in low quality, watch for free below:
I come from the heart when describing a trail friend.
The titanium spork is a lightweight, durable tool that has many uses on the trail. Its thin-but-strong design makes it ideal for scraping precious calories off the bottom of a cookpot, cutting cheese, or breaking into tough plastic wrappers. Also, there is a very slim chance that a titanium utensil will break, which saves the hiker from looking for a replacement in town.
If my spork could speak, would it thank me for its travels? Only if my appreciation for its purpose is reciprocated. May your titanium spork experiences be as positive as mine.
Deciding pursuing a long-distance trek can be overwhelming. During my AT experience this axiom was regularly stated in the trail community and was one of the more important things I carried along with me:
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