Yard sale: When a hiker pulls everything out of their pack to dry or resupply. Thru-hiker: Someone who does the whole trail. Section hiker: One trying to do whole trail in two or more years. Sobo: Doing it from north to south (SOuthBOund). Nobo: From south to north (NOrthBOund). Trail name: People take on trail…

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A few nights ago I camped by a small, rundown cabin. Today I walked past a huge new house set back off a remote dirt road. The contrast in size was startling. The new house was easily bigger than twenty of the old cabins. For four months I am living with just what I can…

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By Mary Anderson The steepest climbs and descents of the trail. Lots of butterflies and grasshoppers. Hiking in over 90 degree days. Drinking more in one day than I ever have, including multiple sports drinks, and still being thirsty. Hiking with a painful hip/groin. Feeling really alone. Meeting some wonderful people. Honored and touched to…

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Updated: Aug 5, 2021 A hiker reminded me recently of the value of curiosity. She said when she felt like quitting she would work on becoming curious. She would wonder what is around the next bend or what the view will be like at the top of the next mountain. This curiosity kept her going.…

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When I left Whitehall, Montana, it was really hot. Temps were back in the nineties. Shannon, the Whitehall trail angel, drove my pack to the end of the nine-mile road walk so I could slack pack. I was able to do another four miles or so, limping on the sore hip or groin muscle, before…

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From where I am sitting right now life and time feel like such contrasting things, yet they are so closely intertwined. We live life for a certain amount of time and then we die. I’m thinking about this because I am sitting by myself in a very large open area surrounded by rising mountains. Down…

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