The Trailhead
Every journey has a first step. And some of the greatest, most meaningful journeys begin at trailheads. Welcome to ours! Here you’ll learn about gear, see route and trail intel, and dive into stories, images, and videos from our global community of adventureheads like you. Think of it like "The Third Place"–not home, not work, but your other most important/favorite place. The spot to hang out around like-minded people and have your life decisions and priorities validated. You won't need to justify your latest gear purchase or explain why you're using up all your paid time off hours to this crowd. They get it. Let’s go!
The Situation is the Boss, Man: Surviving A Ninja-Snowstorm in the Cairngorms of the Scottish Highlands
Onward we go with our The GRATEFUL DEAD documentary "Long Strange Trip" inspired series. In it, Steve Parish–perhaps their most infamous roadie–described the period during the "Wall of Sound" era t...
Like Putting Socks on a Rooster: A Hike in Big Bend National Park
Words and Photos by Naomi J. Brown
There are a million ways to die in Big Bend National Park in far South Texas. Every living thing evolved to conserve water. Plants and animals stab, snag or bite...
A Windrider in the Winds
Words & Photos by Matt "Chili Mac" Morelli
Dirty, cut, beaten, soaked; and that is just how my pack looked.
The crew and I had been pioneering the Greater Yellowstone Traverse for nearly a mont...
How to Suffer Correctly – The White Mountains Direttissima
Words & Photos by William Peterson
In late July, I set the record for the fastest thru hike of the 48 New Hampshire 4,000 footers, also known as the White Mountains Direttissima. In the course ...
Big Questions. Solid Answer from the Pacific Crest Trail.
Words & photos by Kaitlyn Cramer
One hundred days. I tried to banish the words from my skull with nothing more than fleeting success. I could hush them only briefly when I stopped to pull my su...
Backpack Like a Girl. A Q&A with Holly Hyperlite
Words & Photos by Emily Brown
Q: So, how was your maiden voyage? I heard you went around Mount St. Helens.
A: Oh, it was wicked. I've been sitting in the gear closet for over a month now, so i...
Navigating Lochs and Drams in the Scottish Highlands
Words & Photos by Amy Kading
In early spring 2017, my husband Kelly and I set out for our annual “thru hike”. Although this time we didn’t quit our jobs or pack up shop to become nomads.
Back ...
A Pack by Any Other Name (Would Smell as Sweet)
Words & Photos by Jeff “IBTAT” Oliver
It was the fall of 2017 when my white 3400 Windrider arrived at my doorstep. I was making final preparations for my upcoming Appalachian Trail thru hike. ...
In Sickness and In Health: A Shelter Love Story
Words and photos from Tina Haver Currin
How strange it is to pack up your belongings, leave your home, and hike into the woods for an indefinite and unknowable amount of time. How strange it is t...
Pack for a Swim: Into the Drink in Tasmania
Words and photos by Richard Fornari
Direct excerpt from West Coast Tasmania Australia hike – 20 February 2017:
Today - Hartwell Cove to Christmas Cove – 1.2 miles, 4 hours + river crossing
Another...
The Risk to Live
Words & Photos by Robin "Little Spoon" Standish
Help! His pleading scream silenced and awoke everything in me.
I had met him days earlier, drying out his gear beside the trail. He was a Middle...
