The Appalachian Trail has traditionally been the safe haven of choice for female hikers. Why? The main reason given is the expansive trail community. Quite simply, with that many of your fellow hikers around, along with the frequent trail towns, hiker hostels, trail magic, and the like, a woman has more protection on the AT. Frankly, this reasoning is sound. Yes, long-distance hiking is generally about as safe as regular life in the ‘real...

“Nobody in particular looked like a murderer or rapist, but nobody in particular didn’t look like one either.” That line is a sample quote from Cheryl Strayed’s powerful Pacific Crest Trail narrative, ‘Wild’. You’ve got to hand it to her. She meets the Pat Conroy test. “I want it all,” Conroy has written about what she is looking for in the books he reads. “That’s all I ask for an...

Weight loss is one of the great challenges of the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). I had lost 33 pounds on the Appalachian Trail. To be sure, it had been a problem. However, I had quickly recouped the weight by retaining my hiker’s appetite even after the AT hike was over. Bu the PCT represented a greater challenge. The distances between resupply are longer on the PCT than the AT. That usually means that a hiker will carry less weight for...

Cheryl Strayed’s moving memoir of hiking the PCT alone, after her mother’s death, divorce with her still-loved husband, and heroin abuse is shining the focus on the Pacific Crest Trail. This is great news for everyone–especially those who have never heard about the PCT, but will end up on life-changing hikes on it some day. Yep, it definitely will happen. That’s the nature of the game. Mrs. Strayed mentions in her book...

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...

Jennifer Pharr Davis broke the women’s record on the Appalachain Trail in 2008. It took her 57 days. This year (The 2011 hiking season) she smashed the men’s record as well, taking on ly 46 days and 11 hours. Unbelievable. Scott Williamson broke the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) record in 2009. UNSUPPORTED, he did it in 65 days. Olympian-like feat as those of us who have hiked the PCT know. Who could break their records? Objectively,...