Backpacking

Paws to paths can be a joy – when all goes well. But if your dog isn’t up to the trail, your pack just might get a little bit heavier.Our friend’s little cocker spaniel quite enjoyed the view from...

I read an interesting blog post yesterday that got me thinking about what factors take a hiking trail from good to great. The author listed eight top qualities – from few people to jaw-dropping view at the summit to wildlife sighting...

Silas Rossi, IFMGAAs a mountain guide and alpine climber, I spend a lot of time considering the “what if” of a worst-case scenario in the backcountry. While I work diligently on the prevention side of the equation, I’m sure...

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAILWhen Benton MacKaye proposed his idea for the Appalachian Trail in 1921, he was inspired by the formation of Vermont’s Long Trail. The Long Trail was everything a forest planner would admire; conservation,...

Part IWords by Alison CriscitielloIn 2010, I set out with my dearest expedition pals, Kate Harris and Rebecca Haspel, to become the first all-female team to summit Lingsarmo/Pinnacle Peak – a 6955m peak in the heart of the Indian...

By Liz ThomasMy good friend Whitney “Allgood” LaRuffa thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and worked for 2 years as an AT backcountry ranger…20 years ago. Then he got a desk job, a house, a wife, and a dog and has...

So you and your crew have reserved a hut, made time for an adventure, and you’re ready to get going—lucky you! Pulling off a fun, lower-risk hut trip requires some planning, though, so let’s dive in and think ahead...

This is the second installment of Alison Criscitiello’s story of an Arctic bicycling adventure from Dawson in the Yukon northward to the Arctic Ocean.On the last day of March, we cycled through the coldest section yet, over the frozen...

By Liz Thomas Everyone knows that when you carry a lighter pack into the woods, you can hike longer, stronger, faster, and in less pain. But the nuts and bolts of lightening a pack can be intimidating—how do you know...