“You’ve never seen anything like it.”This is what I was repeatedly promised by countless people before walking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2009 and the Annapurna Circuit in 2012. I can assure you that both were correct. The Himalayas, of course, are the mecca for outdoor enthusiasts the world over. Almost all of the world’s greatest peaks (Everest, K-2) lie within this mountain range. The greatest hikers and climbers in...

Unlike on the Appalachian Trail, a Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) hiker is often forced to hike in the snow. The most snowy mountain passes are in the ‘High Sierra’, however a thru-hiker can expect more snow fields in the northern Cascades. The general consensus amongst PCT (and John Muir Trail) hikers is to clear one snowy pass per day. The best time to do that is usually in the late morning, allowing the early morning ice and crust to...

The John Muir Trail (JMT) is 219 miles long. It runs southbound from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney, and takes most hikers about 15 days to do. Thus, a person with a fulltime job still might be able to do the JMT. Personally, I think it rates as the greatest short-to-medium distance hiking trail in the United States. In fact, it covers the very most gorgeous parts of the Pacific Crest Trail, running through the High Sierra. Bill Walker is the...