Uber-hiker, Andrew Skurka, did a presentation last evening at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. It was a smashing success. Highly inspirational. He seemingly has hiked all over the West, including the Sea-to Sea Trail (all across Canada), the Western Loop Trail (large parts of the Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail), and in 2010, in his greatest gambit of all, he hiked large parts of the Alaska Yukon. Large parts of...

This is great news for the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). As all former PCT hikers know, the PCT is the most gorgeous, isolated terrain on the entire American mainland. It is the closes most of us mortals will ever get to the epic explorers of yore (Christopher Columbus, Captain Cook). But because the PCT begins in the desert and then heads up into the high mountains, it has never been able to attract the masses of hikers that the Appalachian Trail...

People keep asking me about this new book on the Pacific Crest Trail book, Wild, by well-known author, Cheryl Strayed (“Mama Sugar”). “Are you worried about it?” they always ask me. My honest answer is NO. Cheryl Strayed must be a good writer because she has a loyal following. She certainly has a good story about her relationship with her mother, drug abuse, etc. Better yet, she headed off to the Pacific Crest Trail to...

SEATTLE – Authorities said three men have died in an avalanche in an out-of-bounds area near a popular Washington state ski area. Other skiers who had been reported missing were accounted for on Sunday. Sgt. Cindi West of the King County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to msnbc.com the deaths of three people. The skiers were believed to be in their 30s and 40s, experienced and well-prepared. Other skiers in the group managed to dig out the...

Pacific Crest Trail Association and Anza-Borrego Foundation preserve open space The Pacific Crest Trail Association and the Anza-Borrego Foundation are pleased to announce the joint purchase of 40 acres within the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The once privately held parcel located next to the Pacific Crest Trail will be preserved as open space and set aside for public use. This purchase ensures that this property will remain in its largely...

Gay hikers are disproportionately represented on both the Appalachain Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. While I’m personally not gay, I noticed that those who were gay seemed to fit in seamlessly. It just wasn’t an issue in our intense day-to-day struggles. “I never in my life felt so free, such a part of a community,” said Magic Bullet in Yogi’s PCT Handbook. Gay partners openly hiked and camped together. Issues such...