Experiences While Thru-hiking the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail - Part 2

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I must have stood there, looking at the walrus-like man, for several long seconds. It seemed unbelievable to me that this "Park Ranger" had no interest at all in offering any kind of assistance. I fumbled for something to say, but without another word, he slowly eased his Explorer down the road. I watched his tail lights as they disappeared. I was completely baffled by the utter uselessness of the whole conversation that I had just been involved in. What was the point of having a park ranger if that was the kind of “help” they provided? I was still staring down the road, perplexed and annoyed, when I saw the headlights of a truck heading in my direction. As it got closer, I could see it wasn’t just any truck, it was a big and beautiful F-250. It was our savior.

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Experiences While Thru-hiking the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail - Part 1

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The trail mostly runs along the spine of Laurel Ridge, one of the western-most ridges of the Allegheny Mountains. It seemed to us that the hiking would be fairly flat once we got on top of the ridge. But first, we had to get to the top. For the majority of the first day, we climbed at a steady pace, stopping a little to catch a glimpse of the deep, lush Conemaugh River Valley. It didn’t take long before dark and ominous storm clouds began blowing in. The winds from the southwest pushed the dark gray clouds right toward us. Distant rolls of thunder followed us as we continued our upward progress.

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Pack Packing 2.0

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I tend towards a lightweight style.  You’re always welcome to add on that extra sweater, that daily change of socks and underwear, that roll of toilet paper, and all the spice jars on your kitchen shelf.  I tend to choose increased comfort in mobility and mileage over more camp or creature comforts, but this is a choice we all get to make before we start each trip.  So experiment with how much you can carry, or how little you need.  And have fun exploring!

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Hunting the Elusive Antler: A Search for Treasure in the High Mountains of Wyoming

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“This is when you need crampons and an ice axe,” said Steve, as we attempted to climb an ice-covered couloir with at least a 60-degree slope in white-out conditions. Dakota and I agreed as we watched our guinea pig, Steve, scramble up the slope to a safe location. I asked Dakota, “We’re looking for antlers, right?” He responded, “Yeah, but we have to get to where the bulls hangout.” It turned out that getting to the overwintering grounds of the big bulls would be more difficult than we imagined.

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Elk Meat and Dirty Water: Lessons Learned the Hard Way in the Bitterroot Mountains

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Once every 15 minutes or so, I’d have to stop walking and puke my guts out on the side of the trail. I was feeling pretty darn sick and I still had about five miles to hike before I made it to the Little Rock Creek trailhead and back to the road that skirted the edge of Lake Como. When I had started my hike the prior evening I was filled with excitement and adrenaline. The surrounding snowcapped mountains of the Lonesome Bachelor, El Capitan, and the Como Peaks, stood with magnificent beauty in the evening light. But now, through a pair of eyes blurred with tears from constant vomiting, the surrounding Bitterroot Mountains appeared daunting and harsh. All I could think about was getting the hell out of that rocky valley and back to my bed. This was a solo backpacking trip I wouldn’t soon forget.

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White Mountains Solo: 38 Miles, 3 Days, 2 Cozy Cabins, 1 Bike (a fat one), and a White White World

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The first weekend in February, I found myself heading north from Fairbanks into the White Mountains National Recreation Area for a whirlwind overnighter in Eleazar’s Cabin.  I skied the 12 miles to Eleazar’s with five friends who mushed, skied, and fat biked at their own pace.  As I watched the fat biker smoke all of us on skis, ideas started to form.

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Lessons Learned Winter-Roadtripping to and from Alaska

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Over the last four consecutive winters, my friend, Ashley, and I have taken turns either moving to or from Alaska.  Every year whoever was moving somehow convinced the other to drop everything and accompany the 4,000+ mile road/ferry trip to/from the frozen north in the coldest, darkest depths of winter.

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Overlanding through the Northern Illinois Bayou Valley, Ozark National Forest

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During our summer trip to the Ozarks, Van and I decided to dedicate a full day to running 4x4 trails in the eastern portion of the forest. We pondered over our Ozark National Forest map and eventually decided to explore the northern portion of the Illinois Bayou valley.

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