A 63-year-old American hikes “end-to-end” — from Land’s End to John o’Groats — and reflects on Britain now and in his youth.
A “typical” thru hike:
Congratulations Darryl!
Read his trip report – Hike through Britain with Daryl May
Andrew Skurka loves Colorado
In an Outside Magazine interview, Andrew Skurka was quite definite on the best section of his 6,875mi Great Western Loop:
The best section was through Colorado, from the Indian Peaks Wilderness to the South San Juan Wilderness, about 500 miles. No other state can boast as much consistently world-class trail and scenery …
… there is so much alpine walking that I actually was looking forward to getting back in the timber. Also, the elk were in the peak of their rutting season, the aspens were glowing gold, and the trails were essentially empty.
When asked if we mortal hikers could repeat his feat …
A more accessible approach might be to hike it over two years, figuring about 150 or 180 days a year, at 20 miles per day, which is a completely doable pace for someone who is reasonably fit, who carries lightweight gear, and who can resist frequent temptations to spend lots of time in civilization.
Pacific Northwest Trail 1200mi
Sam Haraldson thru hiked the lesser known Pacific Northwest Trail. (trip report)
On June 21st, 2007 I begin walking at Glacier National Park with intent to move westward roughly 1200 miles reaching my goal of the Pacific Ocean in late August or early September.
On August 20th, 2007 I reached that goal with a lightness in my step and a smile upon my face. Sixty-one glorious days of backpacking through the highlands and lowlands of the Pacific Northwest were an enlightening time for me both physically and mentally.
samh.net – Ultralight Backpacking, Wilderness Trekking, Outdoor Adventure
trip photos – Picasa
The official guidebook for Long Distance and Day Hikers by Ron Strickland:
o Detailed route descriptions of 44 trail segments
o USGS topographic maps
o Mileage charts for at-a-glance planning
o Resource lists for maps and supplies
o Details for mountain bikers and horse-packers
o Information on planning a long-distance trip
o 50 black and white photographs
o Pullout display map of 1200 mile trail
(via the new look Two-Heel Drive)
Alone across Australia – John Muir
One man and his dog, 128 days and 1553mi (2500km), the first person to walk solo and unassisted across the continent of Australia.
Adventurer of the Year Andrew Skurka just completed 6875mi on his Great Western Loop, but I reckon John Muir’s trek across Australia in 2001, on his fourth attempt, was even tougher.
Mainly because there is no water in most of Australia.
My favourite, the People’s Choice favourite, from the Banff Mountain Film Festival 2005 was the emotional story of Jon Muir and his Jack Russell, Seraphine.
This is a survival epic. The psychology of pushing yourself to the brink.
The distributor of the documentary posted a 10min trailer on YouTube. Well worth checking out. I love this film.
hiker Andrew Skurka – 2007 Adventurer of the Year
Yes, a HIKER.
Great news. And well deserved.
As announced by National Geographic:
… Andrew Skurka, “a Gen Y version of Henry David Thoreau or John Muir,” as 2007 Adventurer of the Year for his epic 6,875-mile hike through the American West calling attention to the magnificence of the landscape and the environmental and ecological threats affecting it. …
Photos celebrating at the end of the trek:
Champagne flowed freely at Grandview Point when Andy arrived, not all of it into cups. Their was no doubt that Andy was caught completely off guard as the champagne was showered all over him.
Podcast: Great Western Loop – The Loop is Closed @ Backpacking Light
hike Palmetto Trail, South Carolina
Have you heard of this new project?
The Palmetto Trail is an ambitious plan for a 425 miles (684 km) foot and mountain bike trail in South Carolina for recreational hiking and biking. Several of the sections are also equestrian trails. It will extends from the Oconee County mountains to the Intracoastal Waterway in Charleston County. …
Palmetto Trail – Wikipedia
Snakes?
source – American Southwest
Palmetto Conservation – larger interactive map
10-year-old treks 2650 miles
Tom Mangan recommends a new book on the Pacific Crest Trail in his Mercury News review.
I’m intrigued by the 10-year-old Scrambler, Mary, youngest yet to complete the PCT.
… you may want to pick up “Zero Days” just to marvel at how a mom, dad and daughter avoid driving themselves batty after week upon week in the outdoors.
Among the book’s parenting lessons: Never forget your child is a child, but never let her think you’re treating her like one. Don’t hand her more than she can handle, but let her prove she can handle even more. …
Mother and father took extra care to keep her safe, but they also insisted Mary was a full partner in the team, pulling her weight with camp chores and even carrying extra weight when Barbara needed to lighten her load because of foot and leg pain.
By the time they got to Washington state, Mary was a seasoned trail veteran, joining the debates over which trail to take and which water supply to avoid. And, finally, her stern determination to finish the hike propelled her dad to find a safe route to the Canadian border when the high trails were snowed in.
“Zero Days” is a straightforward account full of outdoorsy details most relevant to those captivated by the idea of trekking the PCT, but there is a moral for the non-hiking masses: If you give your kids the opportunity to amaze you, generally they will.
Read the entire review: San Jose Mercury News – A family trek of 2,650 miles
(via Two-Heel Drive)
Skurka QUITS last day of 6,875 mile adventure
Just kidding.
His is the greatest hike of all time, all things considered.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Andy will finish his hike on November 3rd at the Grandview Point in the Grand Canyon. He will be coming out of the canyon between noon and 3:00. Probably closer to 3:00. Please come and join us for the celebration. We will be getting together some place in Flagstaff on Saturday evening. Come join the party.
(via The Adventure Blog)
new hiking record – CDT Yo-Yo
The cyberhobo tipped me to an unprecedented feat on the CDT:
Francis Tapon has finished the first documented yo-yo (through-hike in both directions, in one season) of the Continental Divide Trail, with Garret The Onion finishing soon after. Congrats to them both for an amazing and inspiring feat!
My first thought was, “both should be credited with the CDT Yo-Yo”. The Onion certainly should not feel he came in “second”.
There is so much variation in route on the CDT that the two adventures cannot be compared.
Francis Tapon trip website.
For the Onion, check his amusing LAST post on the trail: Can I Mex? Mex I Can.
video – Kintaro Walks Japan
Not much of a thru-hiking story, none the less I recommend this light-hearted, comic adventure.
Kintaro Walks Japan is a documentary film produced and directed by Tyler MacNiven. It is an account of MacNiven’s journey walking and backpacking the entire length of Japan from KyÅ«shÅ« to HokkaidÅ, more than 2000 miles in 145 days.
MacNiven cited three reasons for the journey. On his first trip to Japan in 2002, he fell in love with the country. It was on this trip that a friend nicknamed him “Kintaro,” which means “Golden Boy,” because of his blond hair. Occasionally accompanying him on the trip was his girlfriend, Ayumi Meegan, whose father, George Meegan, completed the longest unbroken walk in recorded history – a nearly 7 year sojourn from the southern tip of Argentina to the northern tip of Alaska. Inspired by their story, MacNiven conceived of the task after learning that his father, whose parents were foreign missionaries, was born in an unknown location in HokkaidÅ. Armed with a desire to impress Ayumi and find his father’s birthplace, as well as an interest in Japanese culture, MacNiven set sail to Japan. …
Kintaro Walks Japan – Wikipedia
You can watch the movie for free on Google Video (67min). Or buy it on Tyler’s official website .
Here’s a very short sample …
Kintaro Walks Japan – official website
(via Jaman)
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