Author Archives: Nathan

About Nathan

Nathan currently lives in Cuenca Ecuador as he explores South America for the next few years. His writing and photography are greatly influenced by the diversity of his background. He has at one time or another worked as a nurse, commercial diver, IT consultant, and for a while was a Buddhist monk in the Khumbu region of Nepal.

Why Do We Seek Adventure?

The Travel Writers avatarPosted on by  

Why is it that so many of us are constantly seeking out new adventures rather than being satisfied with our current situation? What motivates us to spend so much money and time exploring those places that others might pay to avoid? How can you explain that seemingly irresistible urge to see what lies behind the next mountain, over the next ocean, and around the next bend in the path? The answer to those questions may seem self-evident, but it is not. And it does not appear to be something innate to human begins. We all know people who are quite capable of chasing adventure and yet have no desire to do so. In fact, the … Continue reading →

Don’t overlook these things when getting ready for a thru-hike of the PCT (mostly for less experienced hikers)

The Travel Writers avatarPosted on by  

When you first start thinking about your first thru-hike of a very long trail such as the PCT, there are lots of things to consider. And even for the experienced hiker, it is easy to miss some things that might be very different compared to shorter hikes. While certainly not a complete list, here are a few things you really don’t want to overlook…

Continue reading →

The Thru-Hike Mentality

The Travel Writers avatarPosted on by  

How in the world do you get yourself to take that first step on the PCT knowing that the last step is 2662 miles away? How does a normal person wrap their head around the idea of undertaking a hike that will last 4+ months and require you to hike 20+ miles almost every day? There are two answers. First, I am guessing that most “normal” people will never make the attempt. Second, you don’t spend too much time thinking about it. What I mean is you don’t really give much thought to the fact that you are taking the first step of a 2662 mile journey. That makes the goal too big and too … Continue reading →

PCT Permit day: T-minus 162 Days

The Travel Writers avatarPosted on by  

Today, at 10:27AM Pacific Time (UTC -8) I was sitting in front of three computers, with a total of 6 web browsers open, each logged into the Pacific Crest Trail Association website under a different email address. There I sat watching the countdown timer tick off the seconds until 10:30. It was at that time that the site began accepting applications for permits to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in 2022. The class of 2022 was about to be named. It is essentially a lottery and you need to be logged into the site at exactly 10:30AM at which time you will be assigned a random position in the queue to submit your application. If … Continue reading →

Hiking the PCT in 2022 – Start the Planning

The Travel Writers avatarPosted on by  

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is one of the world’s great “thru-hikes”. It is 2600 miles from Mexico to Canada through the heart of some of the wildest and most beautiful land the United States has to offer. The trail passes through 24 national forests, 37 wilderness areas, and 7 national parks. It climbs nearly 60 major mountain passes, descends into 19 major canyons, and ambles by more than 1,000 lakes. Traveling the full length of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges, it is the westernmost of the three great US hikes. The other two being the Continental Divide Trail (3100 mi) and the Appalachian Trail (2185 mi). The trail is easily accessible at … Continue reading →

Staying Safe Online

The Travel Writers avatarPosted on by  

If you are a writer, photographer, traveler, or even like the idea of being one of those things, then you probably spend a lot of time online. We upload, we download, and we just look around. We plan our next trip and read about the trips of others. And when we do all that, there is a certain level of risk involved. When we are online while traveling, the risk goes up…a lot. The days where we only had to worry about computer viruses are long. Now we have phishing attacks, packet sniffers, keystroke loggers, government surveillance, data theft, worms and ransomware. To keep our lives and our devices relatively safe isn’t that hard, but … Continue reading →