•
Why would anyone want to hike over 2500 miles in one summer? That’s a question that I’ve been asked several times. There are potentially a lot of ways to answer that, but it’s still not a simple thing to do. I was captivated by the idea of a long journey through the mountains and…
•
Reaching Oregon was an end and a beginning. The end of 1700 miles of California, and in addition to starting in a new state, the walk distinctly changed character. Pine forest dominated Oregon, particularly western larch and ponderosa pine, and almost immediately I found myself hiking in the shade of these great trees. Initially…
•
After the night-hike of Hat Creek Rim I found that I’d appreciated both the relief from the heatwave of 100+ temperatures we’d been having, but also I enjoyed the excitement of the night and the variety of wildlife encountered. As my thoughts turned to the next town I realised I had to think about…
•
Mount Shasta as it looked at dusk, as I and several other hikers, set out to night-hike Hat Creek Rim to avoid the soaring daytime temperatures in this largely shadeless and waterless section. Northern California is proving to be a section requiring real mental toughness. It is a long way between completing the Sierra’s…
•
Leaving Julian was harder than expected, not just because it is always difficult to give up a comfy bed and easy access to good food, but because we’d heard that the section out of Julian would be the toughest yet. Without a water cache, that had been left by a kind trail volunteer, it…