I have great respect for any author who can really nail an ending. In the week and a half since finishing hiking, absolutely no inspiration…
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
By the end of our first day under his instruction, I had almost stopped calling Captain David, ‘Steve’. And that’s a pretty good summation of…
The End of the Road
Day 1 as a former PCT hiker. I am writing this from the town of Klamath Falls, best described as a ‘gateway town’. Not really…
Crater Lake
Tickets for boat tours of Crater Lake are somewhat more difficult to obtain than hen’s teeth. But this particular chicken is beaming a pearly white…
Day 53 : Highway 138
Start – Highway 138 (1805 m)Finish – Mazama Village (1835 m)Daily Distance – 23 kmAscent – ~620 mDescent – ~470 m The major downside of sleeping on a picnic…
Day 52 : Thielsen Creek Meadows
Start – Thielsen Creek Meadows (2115 m)Finish – Highway 138 (1805 m)Daily Distance – 14 km + Mt Thielsen summitAscent – 785 mDescent – 500 m Mt Thielsen can…
Day 51 : Diamond Lake
Start – Diamond Lake (1580 m)Finish – Thielsen Creek Meadows (2115 m)Daily Distance – ~9 kmAscent – ~550 mDescent – ? m It has rather crept up on me,…
Day 50 : Maiden Peak Shelter
Start – Maiden Peak Shelter (1840 m)Finish – Diamond Lake (1580 m)Daily Distance – 13 km + hitch from Shelter CoveAscent – 170 mDescent – 460 m That was…
Day 49 : Stormy Lake
Start – Stormy Lake (1850 m)Finish – Maiden Peak Shelter (1840 m)Daily Distance – 34 kmAscent – 760 mDescent – 770 m I half expected to crest a rise…
Day 48 : Koosah Mountain
Start – Koosah Mountain (1960 m)Finish – Stormy Lake (1850 m)Daily Distance – 35 kmAscent – 620 mDescent – 740 m 18:35, and the sun is already slipping behind…
Day 47 : nr Yapoah Crater
Start – nr Yapoah Crater (1890 m)Finish – Koosah Mountain (1960 m)Daily Distance – 34 kmAscent – 1050 mDescent – 980 m I am finding my stint as soft-drink…
Day 46 : Bend
Start – Bend (off trail)Finish – nr Yapoah Crater (1890 m)Daily Distance – 9 km + hitching back to trailAscent – 375 mDescent – 70 m Fortune, both good…
Day 45 : Bend (Rest Day)
Start – Bend (off trail)Finish – Bend (off trail)Daily Distance – 0 kmAscent – 0 mDescent – 0 m I am beginning to think that when Americans say that…
A flight to freedom (Auf Wiedersehen Washington)
From the highest depths to the lowest heights the implacable forces of ICE have hunted our entirely unreasonably incarcerated hero. An epic chase of over…
Day 44 : Rockpile Lake
Start – Rockpile Lake (1905 m)Finish – Bend (off trail)Daily Distance – 23 kmAscent – 455 mDescent – 900 m Today, while taking a long overdue shower, I found…
Day 43 : nr Jefferson Park
Start – nr Jefferson Park (2025 m)Finish – Rockpile Lake (1905 m)Daily Distance – 36 kmAscent – 1160 mDescent – 1275 m At camp this evening, everyone seems just…
Day 42 : Trooper Spring
Start – Trooper Spring (1340 m)Finish – nr Jefferson Park (2025 m)Daily Distance – 31 kmAscent – 1175 mDescent – 490 m One of the peculiar side effects…
Day 41 : Timothy Lake
Start – Timothy Lake (990 m)Finish – Trooper Spring (1340 m)Daily Distance – 37 kmAscent – 1050 mDescent – 700 m Of all the lunch spots, on all the…
Day 40 : Timberline Lodge
Start – Timberline Lodge (1830 m)Finish – Timothy Lake (990 m)Daily Distance – 31 kmAscent – 375 mDescent – 1220 m The late evening sun glistens on the…
Day 39 : Sandy River
Start – Sandy River (1000 m)Finish – Timberline Lodge (1830 m)Daily Distance – 16 kmAscent – 1160 mDescent – 315 m Cause of Death: Buffet Naismith’s formula posits…
Day 38 : Wahtum Lake
Start – Wahtum Lake (1200 m)Finish – Sandy River (1000 m)Daily Distance – 38 kmAscent – 1250 mDescent – 1400 m In recognition of Art’s penultimate trail day…
Day 37 : Cascade Locks
Start – Cascade Locks (50 m)Finish – Wahtum Lake (1200 m)Daily Distance – ?Ascent – ?Descent – ? A shortish day today, in order to warm the legs up…
Day 35/36 : PCT Trail Days
The PCT trail days have certainly been a very different experience than the trail so far. It is really more a festival atmosphere, with hiking…
Day 34 : Panther Creek
Start – Panther Creek (275 m)Finish – Cascade Locks (50 m)Daily Distance – unknownAscent – unknownDescent – unknown Today, I went off-script and undertook a shortcut. Instead of following…
Day 33 : Bear Lake
Start – Bear Lake (1465 m)Finish – Panther Creek (275 m)Daily Distance – 42 kmAscent – 740 mDescent – 1925 m When planning a new town-town section, I typically…
Day 32 : Trout Lake
Start – Trout Lake (off trail)Finish – Bear Lake (1465 m)Daily Distance – 33 kmAscent – 1055 mDescent – 775 m This week marked one month since starting this…
Day 31 : Trout Lake (Rest Day)
Start – Trout Lake (off trail)Finish – Trout Lake (off trail)Daily Distance – 0 kmAscent – 0 mDescent – 0 m Sir, sir, cows drank my lake! It sounds…
Day 30 : High Camp Trail Junction
Start – High Camp Trail Junction (1850 m)Finish – Trout Lake (off trail)Daily Distance – 23 kmAscent – 290 mDescent – 970 m I made it! Leaving camp with…
Day 29 : Walupt Lake Junction
Start – Walupt Lake Junction (1515 m)Finish – High Camp Trail Junction (1850 m)Daily Distance – 34 kmAscent – 980 mDescent – 640 m The view from my tent…
Day 28 : Lutz Lake
Start – Lutz Lake (1540 m)Finish – Walupt Lake Junction (1515 m)Daily Distance – 28 kmAscent – 1220 mDescent – 1250 m The Richmond mountain range in the northern…
Day 27 : White Pass
Start – White Pass (1365 m)Finish – Lutz Lake (1540 m)Daily Distance – 20 kmAscent – 850 mDescent – 650 m I met a cute dog on a walk,And…
Day 26 : Snow Lake
Start – Snow Lake (1510 m)Finish – White Pass (1365 m)Daily Distance – 16 kmAscent – 275 mDescent – 440 m As I sat there on the rock I…
Day 25 : Sheep Lake
Start – Sheep Lake (1800 m)Finish – Snow Lake (1510 m)Daily Distance – 34 kmAscent – 1005 mDescent – 1250 m Well, wouldn’t you just know it. No sooner…
Day 24 : Mike Urich Cabin
Start – Mike Urich Cabin (1450 m)Finish – Sheep Lake (1800 m)Daily Distance – 35 kmAscent – 1215 mDescent – 915 m I walked through a land of dust…
Day 23 : Dirt road at Tacoma Pass
Start – Dirt road at Tacoma Pass (1055 m)Finish – Mike Urich Cabin (1450 m)Daily Distance – 28 kmAscent – 1250 mDescent – 850 m Today was not without…
Day 22 : nr Meadow Creek
Start – nr Meadow Creek (1130 m)Finish – Dirt road at Tacoma Pass (1055 m)Daily Distance – 28 kmAscent – 1150 mDescent – 1230 m When a tap is…
Day 21 : Snoqualmie Pass
Start – Snoqualmie Pass (920 m)Finish – nr Meadow Creek (1130 m)Daily Distance – 19 kmAscent – 970 mDescent – 750 m Perhaps inspired by having breakfast with 3…
Day 20 : Ridge Lake
Start – Ridge Lake (1620 m)Finish – Snoqualmie Pass (920 m)Daily Distance – 12 kmAscent – 200 mDescent – 900 m Like all self-respecting apex predators, it would…
Day 19 : Spectacle Lake
Start – Spectacle Lake (1300 m)Finish – Ridge Lake (1620 m)Daily Distance – 16 km (+several for off-trail water collection and return to trail from Spactacle…
Day 18 : Waptus Lake
Start – Waptus Lake (950 m)Finish – Spectacle Lake (1300 m)Daily Distance – ? km (took an alternate route, so not sure)Ascent – ? mDescent – ? m…
Day 17 : Deception Lakes
Start – Deception Lakes (1545 m)Finish – Waptus Lake (950 m)Daily Distance – 30 kmAscent – 810 mDescent – 1430 m Another day, another shoe concern. About…
Day 16 : Lake Susan Jane
Start – Lake Susan JaneFinish – Deception Lakes (1545 m)Daily Distance – 21.5 kmAscent – 1200 mDescent – 1050 m One aspect of my daily routine that could…
Day 15 : Leavenworth
Start – Steven’s Pass (bus from Leavenworth)Finish – Lake Susan Jane (1395 m)Daily Distance – 7 kmAscent – 380 mDescent – 220 m It felt like an age…
A Flight to Freedom
WANTED : BEN, L.G.O Last seen : ICE facility (for naughty foreigners), Skykomish, WA Crime : Communist Agitation (professing that free public healthcare is not…
Day 13/14 : Leavenworth (Zero Days)
Start – LeavenworthFinish – Leavenworth Daily Distance – 0 km (officially, although US town planning is not considerate of pedestrians)Ascent – 0 mDescent – 0 m Call me…
Day 12 : nr Grizzly Peak
Start – nr Grizzly PeakFinish – Steven’s Pass (hitch to Leavenworth)Daily Distance – 26 kmAscent – 900 mDescent – 1190 m Some carry hiking poles to aid their…
Day 11 : Little Wenatchee Trail Junction
Start – Little Wenatchee Trail Junction Finish – nr Grizzly PeakDaily Distance – 26 kmAscent – 1030 mDescent – 1180 m A tough day. The rain which commenced…
Day 10 : Sitkum Creek
Start – Sitkum CreekFinish – Little Wenatchee Trail JunctionDaily Distance – 24 kmAscent – 1210 mDescent – 780 m 15:30 and my tent seems small when hiding from…
Day 9 : Above Milk Creek
Start – Above Milk CreekFinish – Sitkum CreekDaily Distance – 29 kmAscent – 1260 mDescent – 1800 m Today was very much a Beauty and the Beast type…
Day 8 : Suiattle Bridge
Start – Suiattle BridgeFinish – Above Milk CreekDaily Distance – 18 kmAscent – 1180 mDescent – 100 m Camping spots are currently few and far between, so I…
Day 7 : nr Cloudy Path Junction
Start – nr Cloudy Pass JunctionFinish – Suiattle BridgeDaily Distance – 26 kmAscent – 700 mDescent – 1430 m 7 am and the sun poked its unwelcome head…
Day 6 : Stehekin
Start – StehekinFinish – nr Cloudy Pass JunctionDaily Distance – 24 kmAscent – 1280 mDescent – 340 m Today I ate day-old pizza and huckleberries,…
Day 5 : Stehekin (Zero Day)
Start – StehekinFinish – StehekinDaily Distance – 0 kmAscent – 0 mDescent – 0 m Hiker boxes are a feature of many long-distance trails, although…
Day 4 : Bridge Creek Campground
Start – Bridge Creek CampgroundFinish – StehekinDaily Distance – 8 kmAscent – 250 mDescent – 400 m Having gone to sleep half-expecting to be awoken by heavy, somewhat,…
Day 3 : Nr Porcupine Creek
Start – nr Porcupine CreekFinish – Bridge Creek Campground Daily Distance – 29 kmAscent – 350 mDescent – 1580 m When one imagines this romantic life of socially…
Day 2 : Brush Creek
Start – Brush CreekFinish – nr Porcupine CreekDaily Distance – 23 kmAscent – 1100 mDescent – 530 m Well that was a corker! Also very tiring as…
Day 1 : Bellingham
Start – Bellingham > Hart’s PassFinish – Brush CreekDaily Distance – 20 kmAscent – 430 mDescent – 1000 m It is a curious thing that when trying to…
Day -1 : Still at Large
I remain unprobed and unincarcerated! Most days more an expectation than achievement, but well, you know. In the event, my passage through American immigration could…
Day -3 : The Journey Begins
The pace of starting a new journey can be jarring. After all the last minute running around to cross items off the jobs list (while…
Gear Review
I have been asked by several people to write a retrospective about the equipment that I took to NZ andlessons learned during the walk. So,…
There & Back Again
It has been almost 2 weeks since reaching Bluff and my Te Araroa journey finally came to an end.Returning home, I have been struck by…
Day 151 – Invercargill
Start – InvercargillFinish – BluffDaily Distance – 34 kmTA Distance – 3041 kmBluff Distance – 0 km And I’m done! After nearly 5 months on…
Day 150 – Riverton
Start – RivertonFinish – InvercargillDaily Distance – 33 kmTA Distance – 3007 kmBluff Distance – 34 km I’d forgotten just how quickly sand can become…
Day 149 – Colac Bay
Start – Colac BayFinish – RivertonDaily Distance – 11 kmTA Distance – 2974 kmBluff Distance – 68 km Well, I had hoped that would be…
Day 148 – Martin’s Hut
Start – Martin’s HutFinish – Colac BayDaily Distance – 30 kmTA Distance – 2963 kmBluff Distance – 79 km St Patrick drove the snakes out…
Day 147 – Merrivale Hut
Start – Merrivale HutFinish – Martin’s HutDaily Distance – 29 kmTA Distance – 2933 kmBluff Distance – 108 km “Every step is closer to Bluff;…
Day 146 – Birchwood Cabin
Start – Birchwood CabinFinish – Merrivale HutDaily Distance – 26 kmTA Distance – 2904 kmBluff Distance – 137 km To commemorate the passing of Steven…
Day 145 – Telford Campsite
Start – Telford CampsiteFinish – Birchwood CabinDaily Distance – 28 kmTA Distance – 2878 kmBluff Distance – 164 km I’m more confused than a sheep…
Day 144 – Aparima Hut
Start – Aparima HutFinish – Telford CampsiteDaily Distance – 21 kmTA Distance – 2850 kmBluff Distance – 191 km This evening I have mainly been…
Day 143 – Lower Princhester Hut
Start – Lower Princhester HutFinish – Aparima HutDaily Distance – 16 kmTA Distance – 2829 kmBluff Distance – 212 km A comment in tonight’s hut…
Day 142 – Te Anau
Start – Te AnauFinish – Lower Princhester HutDaily Distance – 8 kmTA Distance – 2813 kmBluff Distance – 228 km As a prelude to this…
Day 141 – Mararoa River
Start – Mararoa River (TA km 2776)Finish – Te AnauDaily Distance – 29 kmTA Distance – 2805 kmBluff Distance – 236 km I lay awake…
Day 140 – Boundary Hut
Start – Boundary HutFinish – Mararoa River (TA km 2776)Daily Distance – 29 kmTA Distance – 2776 kmBluff Distance – 265 km A dark and…
Day 139 – Greenstone Hut
Start – Greenstone HutFinish – Boundary HutDaily Distance – 22 kmTA Distance – 2747 kmBluff Distance – 294 km Today was really the TA in…
Day 138 – Queenstown
Start – QueenstownFinish – Greenstone HutDaily Distance – 14 kmTA Distance – 2725 kmBluff Distance – 316 km I have been finding sleep elusive in…
Day 137 – Rest Day
Start – QueenstownFinish – QueenstownDaily Distance – 0 kmTA Distance – 2711 kmBluff Distance – 330 km In the coming weeks I will return to…
Day 136 – Arrowtown
Start – ArrowtownFinish – QueenstownDaily Distance – 29 kmTA Distance – 2711 kmBluff Distance – 330 km During this section, our merry community of professional…
Day 135 – Roses Hut
Start – Roses HutFinish – Arrowtown Holiday ParkDaily Distance – 22 kmTA Distance – 2682 kmBluff Distance – 359 km “No-one should ever have to…
Day 134 – Highland Creek Hut
Start – Highland Creek HutFinish – Roses HutDaily Distance – 11 kmTA Distance – 2660 kmBluff Distance – 381 km An atmospheric day of cloud…
Day 133 – Glendu Bay
Start – Glendu BayFinish – Highland Creek HutDaily Distance – 15 kmTA Distance – 2649 kmBluff Distance – 391 km This morning a Northbound walker…
Day 132 – Wanaka
Start – WanakaFinish – Glendu BayDaily Distance – 15 kmTA Distance – 2634 kmBluff Distance – 407 km A grueling 15km day. Ordinarily I would…
Day 131 – Rest Day
Start – WanakaFinish – WanakaDaily Distance – 0 kmTA Distance – 2619 kmBluff Distance – 421 km Wanaka is a picturesque tourist town of the…
Day 130 – Lake Hawea
Start – Lake HaweaFinish – WanakaDaily Distance – 25 kmTA Distance – 2619 kmBluff Distance – 421 km Today a man looking uncannily like Marlon…
Day 129 – Stodys Hut
Start – Stodys HutFinish – Lake HaweaDaily Distance – 21 kmTA Distance – 2594 kmBluff Distance – 446 km Today has been a real highlight…
Day 128 – Top Timaru Hut
Start – Top Timaru HutFinish – Stodys HutDaily Distance – 14 kmTA Distance – 2573 kmBluff Distance – 468 km Today I have been reflecting…
Day 127 – Melina Ridge Track
Start – TA km 2539 (Melina Ridge Track)Finish – Top Timaru HutDaily Distance – 20 kmTA Distance – 2559 kmBluff Distance – 482 km Another…
Day 126 – Ahuriri River East Branch
Start – TA km 2526 (Ahuriri River East Branch)Finish – TA km 2539 (Melina Ridge Track)Daily Distance – 13 km + 10 km detourTA Distance…
Day 125 – Middleton Lake Camp
Start – Middleton Lake CampsiteFinish – TA km 2526 (Ahuriri River East Branch)Daily Distance – 19 kmTA Distance – 2526 kmBluff Distance – 515 km…
Day 124 – Twizel
Start – TwizelFinish – Lake Middleton CampsiteDaily Distance – 30 kmTA Distance – 2507 kmBluff Distance – 534 km My rain trousers show so much…
Day 123 – Rest Day
Start – TwizelFinish – TwizelDaily Distance – 0 kmTA Distance – 2477 kmBluff Distance – 564 km Well, I survived typhoon Gita with no greater…
Day 122 – Lake Tekapo
Start – Lake TekapoFinish – TwizelDaily Distance – 54 kmTA Distance – 2477 kmBluff Distance – 564 km I mentioned yesterday that I have a…
Day 121 – Lake Tekapo Ski Field
Start – TA km 2395 (nr Lake Tekapo Ski Field)Finish – Lake TekapoDaily Distance – 28 kmTA Distance – 2423 kmBluff Distance – 618 km…
Day 120 – Royal Hut
Start – Royal HutFinish – TA km 2395 (nr Lake Tekapo Ski Field)Daily Distance – 21 kmTA Distance – 2395 km I will never gain…
Day 119 – Crooked Spur Hut
Start – Crooked Spur HutFinish – Royal HutDaily Distance – 16 kmTA Distance – 2374 km I realised that yesterday I failed to provide context…
Day 118 – Geraldine
Start – GeraldineFinish – Crooked Spur HutDaily Distance – 9 kmTA Distance – 2358 km Today I kicked off operation “All the pies”. In common…
Day 117 – Manuka Hut
Start – Manuka HutFinish – GeraldineDaily Distance – 32 kmTA Distance – 2349 km Today’s chapter could, with no false flattery, be entitled “The many…
Day 116 – Comyns Hut
Start – Comyns HutFinish – Manuka HutDaily Distance – 21 kmTA Distance – 2317 km I am currently undertaking a porridge making apprenticeship in Rohan….
Day 115 – Methven
Start – MethvenFinish – Comyns HutDaily Distance – 16 kmTA Distance – 2296 km The busiest day he had ever known. That was the surprised…
Day 114 – Rest Day
Start – MethvenFinish – MethvenDaily Distance – 0 kmTA Distance – 2280 km A standard town day today, so not much to say. The only…
Day 113 – Harper Road Campground
Start – Harper Road CampgroundFinish – MethvenDaily Distance – 29 kmTA Distance – 2280 km Today I fixed my grumpy mood by consuming several pints…