SURF | SNOW | SUN

Congrats to These 2019 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers: Aug. 14 – 21

Congratulations to all of the incredible 2019 finishers out there! Whether it is your first thru, or you’ve added another notch to your long-distance-backpacking belt, your accomplishment deserves to be celebrated. We’ll do our part by showcasing finishers throughout the season. This post contains finishers whose photos were received by August 21st. 
Whether you’re NOBO, SOBO, flip-flopping, or completing your thru-hike after years of section hiking, we want to feature you. Send your finish photo along with trail name, ...

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Monson, Shaw’s, and the 100-Mile Wilderness

Shaw’s Hostel in Monson, ME, is one of those iconic places on the trail that every thru-hiker needs to stop at. And I mean “needs to” quite literally. In terms of resupply options, there’s practically nothing in the 80 miles leading up to Monson, and even less in the 115 after it. But even if a stop at Shaw’s wasn’t a logistical necessity, I’d tell every hiker to do it anyway.
I arrived at Monson on a warm and cloudless Sunday morning. ...

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The Mighty, Magnificent and Remote Pasayten Wilderness

A crack of thunder and a bolt of lightning is how we started our section in the Pasayten Wilderness. Minutes after arriving at the Cold Springs campground the sky opened up and hail started dropping at a fevered pace. Five of us thru-hikers huddled under the shelter of the campground’s privy, each muttering a silent prayer that our tents would hold up to the onslaught.

To get to Cold Springs we had a daunting, treeless 25 miles of paved road to walk. ...

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Gear Review: Altra Superior 4.0

The most important piece of gear for long-distance hikers is also one of the most personal - our shoes. One of the preferred brands of the thru-hiker community is Altra, which offers four different styles in their trail category including the Superior. The newer Superior 4.0 features some significant upgrades to the fit and durability of this excellent mid-range style.

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Wetfoot and Arry Vol. 10 Days 19-20: Back to the Bigelows

Day 19: 7.3 miles
Today was a day full of emotions. And now my tent smells like wet dog.
After summiting Katahdin, my sister and I drove down to Connecticut.  I was taking a week off for a dear friend’s wedding. Along the way we stopped at Shaw’s, to say hi and pick up my improved hiking stick! Poet put a nickel on the bottom to decrease the wear and tear, and he even signed a magnet for my mom! ...

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Adrian Ballinger on the New Mount Everest Rules and What Nepal Should Do Next

After a tumultuous climbing season filled with overcrowding issues, waste concerns, and deadly accidents, government officials in Nepal have proposed a new set of rules that likely would limit the amount of climbers able to plan expeditions up Mount Everest, according to the New York Times. The new guidelines would include rules that climbers must […]

Tennis Star Dominic Thiem on What it Takes to Beat Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer: Tennis’ top three are household names. But Dominic Thiem—the young Austrian kicking at their heels currently ranked No. 4 in the world—is another name to know. Considered one of the fittest players on the tour, Thiem has most everything ‘the big three’ have: a dedication to exercise, a killer […]
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