Category Archives: Personal Essay

Travels with Charlie: An Ecuadorian Adventure

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AI Prompt: Write a 2500 word story about traveling in Ecuador by motorcycle for submission to BMW MOA magazine in the style of Travels with Charlie. The road called to me once more, as it always did when the world beckoned with its mysteries and adventures. This time, my faithful companion was my trusty BMW motorcycle, a mechanical steed that had carried me through countless journeys. My destination was Ecuador, a land of astonishing beauty and cultural diversity. The trip had been brewing in my mind for some time, and as I set out, I couldn’t help but recall the words of John Steinbeck in his classic “Travels with Charley,” which had been a guiding … Continue reading →

Traveling By Foot And Why We Do It

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In the beginning…traveling by foot was the only option. Then came horses, camels, carts, boats, bikes, planes, trains, and automobiles. While traveling by foot is some part of most travel, in today’s world it is almost always a very small part. The world is just too big, and we are generally in too much of a hurry, to see much of it by foot. So, we choose faster modes of travel. However, there are a few of us that from time to time will revert back to the ways of our primitive ancestors and just set out across the face of the earth on foot. For about 5 months starting on April 19th, I will … Continue reading →

Do not go gentle…

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As the month of April grows closer, my awareness of the magnitude of what I am about to do grows larger. On April 17th I will break nearly all ties with my current life and move on to something totally new and very different. I will be officially homeless for a few months having given up my apartment, sold my car and most of my belongings, and hopped on a plane to San Diego where I will take a bus to the small town of Campo. There to start a 2650 mile hike beginning at the Mexican border and hopefully ending at the Canadian border. Then, within a few days of finishing that hike, I … Continue reading →

Life is a Thru-hike

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Life is a thru-hike. Every day it’s a matter of waking up and finding a way to repeatedly put one foot in front of the other, minute after minute, day after day, for a whole lot of days. Along the way, you are going to eat, drink, laugh, cry, and sleep. And when you get to the point where you can’t do any of that anymore, then one way or the other you have reached the end of your trail. For some people, the end of the trail comes sooner than later. Some people will find their trail blocked by obstacles, will allow themselves to be sidetracked, or be forced to take a detour, and … Continue reading →

Why Do We Seek Adventure?

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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 →

The Thru-Hike Mentality

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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

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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

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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 →