I wake up at 6:20 a.m. after a long night of not very much sleep, camped on a soft sliver of dirt beside patches of snow at mile 190.5. All night, the wind roared through the trees and pounded against the walls of my tent. It continues into the morning and I curse as I … More Pity Parties, Temper Tantrums & Desert Allergies

I take a zero (a day of no hiking) in Idyllwild to let my blisters heal and recharge my battery (figuratively and literally). Stay at a quaint inn with Tuck and order pizza with five toppings on it. Drink red wine out of flimsy plastic cups. Eat two kinds of Oreos (double-stuf and birthday cake … More Zero Daze

I wake up at five a.m. in my sleeping bag on Girl Scout’s floor after a night of little sleep and lots of stomach butterfies. Nick (another hiker who stayed over at Girl Scout’s) and I pile our packs in the trunk and the three of us head for the border while the sky is … More And So It Begins