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Barney (Scout) Mann’s Pacific Crest Trail book

In Journeys North, legendary trail angel, thru hiker, and former PCTA board chair Scout spins compelling tales of hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2007 as they walk from Mexico to Canada.

That year terrible snow storms rocked the Canadian border starting the last days in September.

Barney (Scout) Mann hiked with wife Sandy (Frodo) Mann, and recounts fascinating stories of others they traveled alongside that season.

For me, Blazer was the most interesting.

The book is unusual.  Not your standard step-by-step trail journal.

Instead the time line jumps forward and back along the trail, using PCT anecdotes to illustrate bigger life lessons.

If asked to recommend just one book on the PCT, Journeys North would be it.  The best starting point for a hiker considering it. 

Other excellent and inspiring reads include:

Amazon

Barney Scout Mann has hiked the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails. He has been board chair of the Pacific Crest Trail Association and is president of the Partnership for the National Trails System. Mann has been recognized with a Lowell Thomas Journalism Award and is the coauthor of The Pacific Crest Trail: Exploring America’s Wilderness Trail and author of The Continental Divide Trail: Exploring America’s Ridgeline Trail. He and his wife, Sandy, live in San Diego and have hosted more than 7,000 PCT hikers. Visit him online at BarneyScoutMann.com.

 

 

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The American Perimeter Trail

Planned is a a 12,000-mile loop of existing trails, roads, and off-trail travel.

Something like this.

Rue McKenrick, a triple crown veteran, walked away from his home in Bend.  And is inventing the route as he goes along.

When COVID-19 hit, Rue kept hiking — but

“no longer resupplied in towns, relying on a 7 day resupply box which was sent to remote post offices. I utilized lesser known trails and continued up the east coast on the avoiding the popular, but closed Appalachian trail. …”

It’s a work in progress.

Click through for details:

americanperimetertrailproject.weebly.com

I learned of this project via the Out and Back podcast interview – episode 10 – Rue McKenrick and the American Perimeter Trail

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786km, 32 days hiking Iceland

Iðunn Bragadóttir and her 20-year-old daughter, Þóra Dagný Stefánsdóttir, have spent 32 days traversing Iceland. The duo started on the Reykjanes peninsula and hiked diagonally, southwest to northeast, across the country to Langanes Point.

The 786km route is one of the longest possible ways to traverse Iceland. …

Mother and Daughter Hike Across Iceland

(via Adventure Blog)

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Bill “One Gallon” Nedderman 50,000 miles

Bill “One Gallon” Nedderman is the the first person ever to complete North America’s big three hiking trails (the PCT, Appalachian Trail, and Continental Divide Trail) four times each.

He’s hiked 50,000 miles. Paddled 44,000 miles. Cycled 64,000 miles.

Camped more than 6,000 nights.

He doesn’t post anything online nor does he keep a hard copy journal.

Read an interview on Adventure Journal.

 

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American thru hikes cancelled for 2020

Mac:

… The Pacific Crest Trail Association, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy have all officially requested hikers to postpone or cancel their thru-hikes

… (in related news, the Arizona Trail Association and the Great Divide Trail Association have done the same). …

Your Pacific Crest Trail Thru-hike Is Canceled

You can certainly still day hike. And should be able to plan multi-day hikes.

BUT check camping and resupply options. California State Parks, for example, has closed all campgrounds.

 

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popular gear on the Continental Divide Trail

With “social distancing” being recommended around the world, I’m personally looking at doing even more hiking than usual in 2020.

The objective of social distancing is to reduce the probability of contact between persons carrying an infection, and others who are not infected, so as to minimize disease transmission …

One of the earliest references to social distancing dates to the seventh century BC in the Book of Leviticus, 13:46: “And the leper in whom the plague is…he shall dwell alone; [outside] the camp shall his habitation be.”

Mac annually posts a Continental Divide Trail Thru-hiker Survey.

Click through to find out what gear was most popular in 2019.

For example … SHOES:

Merrell Moab 2 Vent
  1. Merrell Moab 2 Vent (Hiker Rating: 5/5)
  2. La Sportiva Wildcat (4.80/5)
  3. Salomon XA Pro 3D (4.64/5)
  4. Altra Timp (4.29/5)
  5. Altra Lone Peak (4.28/5)

I wear various Moab shoes as I find them so much more durable than trail runners. Merrell comes in very wide sizes, as well, which I need due to bunions.

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Warren Doyle to Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame

Warren Doyle, of Mountain City, Tennessee, has hiked the entire 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail 18 times, including nine thru-hikes. …

He also led eight group thru-hikes of the AT, seven of which saw a 100 percent completion rate among the hikers. …

The class, which will be formally inducted on Saturday, May 2, during the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet at the Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, also will include Chris Brunton, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; the late Thurston Griggs, of Baltimore, Maryland; and the late Jim Stoltz of Helena, Montana.

PennLive