Why I Went Alone: Soloing 270 Miles Through the High Sierra

I had come to enjoy picking out routes through the rock, even if I sometimes picked challenging paths.  They were mine, I picked them and I got to solve their puzzles.

Food For The Sole Review: Vegetarian Backpacking Meals!

I am that hiker that does a full resupply at a gas station. I have hiked thousands of miles this way, but this year I decided that one of my projects is to increase the health of my backcountry meals. In that spirit, I jumped at the chance to test and review Food for the Sole.

Balancing Caution and Bravery: The Story of a Sunrise Summit of a Snow Coated Mount Whitney in 2017

Unlike what I had read about doing a sunrise summit of Whitney in past years, there was no stream of headlamps climbing their way up.  It was just us.

A 70-Mile Section Hike on the Bay Area Ridge Trail: Long Distance Hiking in San Francisco’s Backyard

I hiked in silence enjoying the beginning of the morning warming the land. I alternated between admiring the Pacific Ocean and the sunrise. A loud rustling stopped my reverie and I looked further down the trail and out of the bush came a creature playfully bounding towards me. What was it? It looked like a puppy, but as it approached I could clearly see it was a young fox. The fox looked up at me in surprise and we both jumped.

Ruck Review: Getting Ready for a Long Distance Hike

I wish I had known about this resource a year earlier. So for those who don't know what a RUCK is and why you might want to go, I thought I would share my experience.

Video: Women’s Health in the Outdoors Event at Last Minute Gear

Long distance hiker Danielle O'Farrell shares stories about and tips about Women's Health in the Outdoors.

The Ultimate Guide to Women’s Health in the Outdoors

Camping, backpacking, and hiking are great ways for everyone to enjoy the outdoors! However, longer trips may entail unique planning needs for women. We want women to know that with a few simple steps, you can plan any kind of outdoor adventure, any time, any where!

Giggles’ Gear Modifications and Tips for a Thru-hike that Starts Tomorrow or is still in Your Dreams

Everyone has their own way of doing things on a thru hike, whether it is how they attach their umbrella to their pack, when they take a break for dinner or what they find makes the best pillow at night. Here is a short list of modifications that I created and gathered from others before and along my hike. These are all simple adjustments to make and can be done the day before your hike, on trail, or during advanced planning.

The Truest Things About Hiking the PCT

"Why don't you just start with the truest things about your hike and go from there."

The Body

Dirt tends to highlight scars and my feet are quite dirty and quite scared.  I have accrued a decent number of injuries over the course of my life and most of them to my legs and feet.  The important ones being my left ankle has not really worked properly since birth.  With odd pain syndromes...

Snowpocalypse 2017 Skills

Saturday, I watched both the sunrise and the sunset.  I woke up at 4am to begin my drive to Bear Valley, California to take a mountaineering course.  The day before, I leisurely fit my crampons, experimented with sock thickness and gaiters. Nighttime rolled around faster than I expected and I ended up hurriedly gathering my things....

The Mind

Sitting on the couch in the break room at REI a couple weeks ago I took my shoes off, threw my feet over the back of the couch to elevate them and slouched until I was lying down.  This is a pretty typical mid-shift position for me, trying to spoil my feel that I will be...

Dog Walking for the Ultralight Backpacker

I take after my mom perhaps, in that, if you forget a warm layer or kleenex or some medicine or somehow hurt yourself, I probably have an extra of whatever you need in my pack.  I could lend you a jacket, a ton of Ibuprofen, a kleenex and an ace bandage.  Of course sometimes I...

The California Poppy and Me

When I set off on my training hike at Mount Tamalpais this Tuesday, I didn't even make it out of the parking lot before spotting my first California Poppy.  It's petals outstretched in what seemed to be a valiant attempt at mimicking the sun.  The flower was in full bloom unlike several weeks ago when...

Thelma and Louise

Normally, my alarm clock, currently set to the song "Africa," never makes it past the subtle intro before I wake up, but this particular morning, There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do/ I bless the rains down in Africa jolted me from my dream.  Soon, Jo (my mom) and I were sitting in...