Trail Therapy: A Hike for the Cure!

On April 24, Megan Bullers will begin the long trek from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail.  The lengthy endeavor of 2,650 miles will take her four-to-five months to complete.  With her father as her inspiration, she's hiking to raise money and awareness of multiple sclerosis.  More than 2.5 million people suffer from this disease, including Bullers' father.  She is prepared to head out on this amazing journey with the love and support of her father's voice coaching her along the way.  So donate if you can and check out her video.  She's inspiring and I'm looking forward to keeping up with her throughout her journey.

Trail Therapy: The Votes are In!!!

 

National Geographic's Adventurer of the Year voting results are in and the winner is: Kilian Jornet!

Jornet is leading the field of sky running.  And for those of you who don't know what that is, it's a combination of trail running and mountaineering.  As NatGeo puts it, "He is... blurring the lines between trail running and technical climbing at record-shattering speeds."  Climbs that take professionals whole days to complete, takes Jornet mere hours.  His records have inspired a new genre of mountaineering, trail running, and racing in general. He broke the Matterhorn record in 2013 climbing and descending the 14,692 foot peak in 2 hours and 52 minutes!

Check out his acceptance video!  He's so genuine!

A Video A Day... Away

You need to check out this amazing video by Dan Barham, posted on The Adventure Journal by Steve Casimiro.  Dan's videos are amazingly poetic and give you such cabin fever for adventure, this one especially.  The stunning scenery, the music, and the excitement of each day make this video a must watch whenever your winter days are getting you down.  So cheer up, watch this, and then get out!

Trail Therapy: A Dream that Almost Wasn't

24-year-old Luke Weaver just finished a thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail.  If you're paying attention to the date, he just finished in February; almost four months after a traditional finish.  And if you've been watching the news, the East Coast has had a pretty vicious winter.  So to have this accomplishment under his belt and to have finished in such amazing conditions, it's accurate to say that Weaver is a man of courage and dedication.

To the day, he still battles with constant staph infections in his leg and his AT dreams began in the hospital.  Amongst his numerous surgeries and talks of amputation, Weaver began planning a thru-hike to celebrate his success in fighting his infections.  He had been fever and symptoms free for two years and he was having high hopes for completing the trail.

Weaver's thru-hike is termed a flip-flop, meaning that you hike half the trail in one direction and then relocate and hike the other half of the trail in the opposite direction. Some people will start in the middle and hike north or south and then start again from the middle for the other direction.  Weaver did the other option, which is a start at one terminus and hiking halfway then moving to the other terminus and hiking back to the middle.  As long as the trail is completed in one calendar year it is considered an acceptable thru-hike.

Weaver will be battling medical setbacks probably all of his life, but he has proven that he will never let that stop him from seeking out and fulfilling his dreams.  His passion and dedication is a great motivator to everyone hoping to undertake any great adventure.

Luke's advice?  A furry companion and a ton of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

A Video A Day... Adventure Photography

Every Monday, NationalGeographic.com posts a new sixty second adventure.  This week speaks to my week.  Finally, after two months of little to no snow in the Cascades, we got dumped on!  Snow was falling everywhere in the state and we even had a winter storm warning.  I was able to get out and hike in the snow and conditions were perfect for the Tubbs Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer snowshoe event at Steven's Pass.  It wasn't nearly as extreme as Cory Richards' photographic attempts in Antarctica, but sometimes it feels like that!