Ray K. Anderson's Blog, page 9
October 27, 2015
“THE Trail”
I hope my readers will permit me a departure from the usual post. Happy to say that my Appalachian Trail thriller, The Trail, has been released by Turner Publishing–today! It’s been a long siege from first draft to publication, and the easiest part was the actual thru-hike of the A.T. This is a thriller. I’ve […]
October 24, 2015
Mt. Washington: A grand but treacherous mountain.
Mt. Washington, in New Hampshire, holds the record for the second highest wind speed ever recorded: 231 mph! The May 2011 issue of Backpacker magazine gives these statistics about the mountain for the continental U.S. Coldest year-round average temperature (27.2 degrees F), most subfreezing days per year (242), most days per year in heavy clouds (244), and […]
October 20, 2015
HY-OH: Hike Your Own Hike
HY-OH is a long-distance hiker’s mantra. It stands for Hike Your Own Hike, and here’s how it comes about. You meet some fellow thru-hikers on the trail and start hiking together every day. One day your fellow hikers want to go into town early. They see a yellow-blazed trail that cuts some time off the official […]
October 17, 2015
Flip-flop: Another way to complete a thru-hike.
The flip-flop is another way to complete a thru-hike. Say you are behind because you can’t keep up your planned pace, or you had to take time off to rest through an injury, or you had to make an unplanned trip home. You are troubled that all your preparation and plans to complete your thru-hike will come to naught. This is […]
October 13, 2015
Do’s and Don’ts of Hiker Hitchhiking
Thru-hikers need to resupply. That means hitching to town, or to a camp that has a store and other services. Sometimes, it can take a while to get a hitch. You can improve your chances by doing a few simple things. Be as neat as possible. Tuck your clothes in, wash your face, cover wild hair with a cap. […]
October 10, 2015
Keep a Hiking Journal
Thru-hikers — those aiming to complete a long-distance trail in one season — are already gearing up for the major trails next year. Make sure to journal your hike. One great advantage of keeping a daily journal is that you will be able to relive your hike the rest of your life. I began my first thru-hike, the Appalachian Trail, on March 14th, twelve years ago. Each year, […]
October 6, 2015
Five Other Uses For Trekking Poles
Trekking poles enabled me to hike the Pacific Crest Trail and other trails. I had “runner’s knee” prior to long-distance hiking, and I owe any trail accomplishments to trekking poles. However, there are other uses for them besides saving your knees. 1) Tarp set-up. Because the poles are adjustable, you can have multi-length tarp supports. 2) Stream crossings. Some of us know how […]
October 3, 2015
Hiking Tip–Mail a Bounce Box
Say you’re going on an extended hike, and you plan to resupply by hitching into a town once a week. Your plan is to get a cheap motel room, go to the laundromat, buy food, and leave the next morning. If you are beat up and tired, you might even stay an extra day. Hiking Tip: Mail ahead to the […]
September 29, 2015
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
Some hikers claim the Pacific Crest Trail (www.pcta.org) to be the most scenic long-distance hiking trail in the world. “Zigzagging its way from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington, the PCT boasts the greatest elevation changes of any of America’s National Scenic Trails, allowing it to pass through six out of seven of North America’s ecozones including high and […]
September 26, 2015
Prepare Now for a 2016 A.T. Thru-hike
If you are thinking of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail next year, you should begin your preparations now. What’s the rush? Perhaps if you’re very young you can wing it, but if you want to finish the A.T. in one go, now is the time to start your physical training, study the literature, and lay down some plans. The […]
