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!
IDEAL TO REAL: TRAINING FOR AN 8,000-MILE WALK WITH IZZY TONNESON
Words and Photos by Izzy Tonneson @izzytonneson
Conventional wisdom says that “the best way to train for a thru hike is to thru hike.” But for many of us, getting time off work for several uninterr...
BACKPACKING PATAGONIA'S HUEMUL CIRCUIT AND FITZ ROY MASSIF WITH LUKE STETSON
Words and Photos by Luke Stetson @luke.stetson
Growing up, I remember getting outdoor gear magazines in the mail, which always contained beautiful adventure photography. These magazines displayed p...
"THE LOWER 48," PETER BUGG STYLE: AN UPPER HERMIT CANYON WEEKEND
Words and Photos by Peter Bugg @plbugg
With proper planning, a good group, and the right attitude, it’s possible to fit a whole lot into a regular, 48-hour, two-day weekend, which is exactly what m...
BACKCOUNTRY COMMUNICATION: HOW HONESTY INCREASES SMILEAGE
Words and Photos by Jada "Flo" Lippincott @whereisjadaa
I consider myself a "Yes" person. Yes, as in whatever crazy ideas my friends whip up, I'm always down to clown. The answer is always yes. I d...
DIANA DAVIS AND HER HYPERLITE LIFE
Words by Diana Davis, Photos by Brett Davis
In this heavy world, it feels good to lighten things up.
Almost every friend I know who has undertaken a thru hike (Colorado trail, Camino del Santiago, ...
ADVENTURE ALAN AND CO.’S CROSSPEAK 2 REVIEW
Words and Photos by Jaeger Shaw of Adventure Alan and Co
This review was originally published on the Adventure Alan and Co website
Adventure Alan and Co has been a trusted resource for in-depth ou...
ONE WINDRIDER, SIX FEET: CHLOE AND AMBER HIKE THE COLORADO TRAIL
Words and Photos by Chloe Hammond
I moved to Durango, CO, in August 2021 to attend Fort Lewis College (FLC), and I’d venture to say it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Surrounded by desert...
JEFF WOHL FROM NOLS REVIEWS THE ULTAMID 2 PYRAMID SHELTER
Words and Photos by Jeff Wohl
HIGHLIGHTS
If you only own one shelter, the HMG UltaMid 2 will do it all! It is light enough for one person to carry comfortably on an expedition, yet spacious enough ...
BEAR IT WITH A GRIN: HOW A MODERN, LIGHTWEIGHT SETUP MADE MY THRU HIKE BETTER
Words and Photos by Nicole Kniffen
I'm one of the rare but not unique people who decided to thru hike the Appalachian Trail with basically no experience at all. I knew I could do hard things, I kne...
THE LAND OF FIRE AND ICE: BACKPACKING ICELAND WITH CODY JACKSON
Words and Photos by Cody Jackson @crjackson9
Sitting on the couch in a daze, my golden retriever, Honey, curled up at my feet, I became aware of myself staring out the window of my Colorado home. ...
ROAM ON THE RANGE SUCCESS! A NEW CROSSING IN THE NORTH CASCADES
Words by Tyler Brilinski, Photos by Eric Volk @1stkingsilver, Max Reese, and Tyler Brilinski
The sky on fire, looking back at the Ptarmigan Traverse.
RECAP IF YOU’RE JUST GETTING HERE: Our big dr...
STEPPING BACK TO STEP FORWARD ON A CALENDAR YEAR TRIPLE CROWN
Words and Photos by Izzy Tonneson @izzytonneson
When I got off trail earlier this year, I knew I needed to take a hard look at what went wrong.
Stepping away from the Calendar Year Triple Crown was...
