A group of hikers met Cobweb and Me near Muir Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail and took this photo. They recognized my trail name, Brawny. I had my packless system, complete with ice ax strapped to the outside. This stretch was 192 miles without a resupply because I left Kennedy Meadows, summitted Mt. Whitney, returned to Crab Tree Meadows, and lived off the supplies in my pack until I reached Vermilion Valley Resort. Trudging through snow, cooking on a soda can stove, and layering all my clothing, I learned many things. My journal can be read at
I've been writing a lot about planning a long trail lately at my
January is the month many hikers start getting serious about gear, itineraries, money and partners.
I've spent many months living out of a backpack, learning stuff from others, keeping my eyes and ears open. Mostly keeping my mind open to new ideas.
With every thing you see, with every story you hear, there are potential lessons to be learned.
Many things I've learned the hard way, sometimes creating personal hardships that next time around, I could avoid.
Writing about long distance hiking allows me to share these lessons.
My purpose is to share with those who can read with an open mind and file away useful information. The greatest piece of gear is your brain. It will hold gigabytes of useful information, but it must be loaded onto your hard drive first.
Happy Trails.
