Adventures

Thru-hikes, high routes, and adventure runs, with related guides, trip reports, maps, gear lists, and how-to information.

Yosemite High Route

A circumnavigation of the remote upper headwaters of the Tuolumne & Merced Rivers, encompassed within America’s third national park. Can be undertaken as a thru-hike (125 to 162 miles in length) or in shorter sections.

Pfiffner Traverse

A 78-mile high route through Rocky Mountain National Park and the Indian Peaks & James Peak Wilderness Areas, with a mix of high ridgelines, airy peaks, deep canyons, and colorful meadows.

Glacier Divide Route

July 2016 || A 125-mile high route through Glacier National Park, paralleling the Continental Divide, usually off-trail. Currently a work-in-progress.

Kings Canyon High Basin Route

Summers 2013, 2014, and 2015 || Short is the new long! 124 miles around the upper watershed of the Kings River in California’s High Sierra. 84 miles off off-trail travel, a high point of 12,434 feet, and no road crossings.

Wind River High Route

Summers 2009, 2011, 2014, and 2015 || A 95-mile world-class backpacking with 65 miles of off-trail travel, two 13,000-foot summits, nine alpine passes, and no road crossings.

Alaska-Yukon Expedition

March-September 2010
A 4,700-mile 6-month journey by foot, skis and packraft through Big Wilderness. As seen in the March 2011 issue of National Geographic.

Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic

July 2009
The original adventure race. 180 miles in 3 days 17 hours across the Hayes Range by foot and packraft, on just 2 hours of sleep. First place.

Alaska Four-Range

June-July 2009
My first trip to Alaska. 800 miles through the Kenai Mountains, Kenai Fjords, Chugach Range, and Talkeetna Mountains.

Zion National Park Traverse

May 2009
A classic ultrarun: 48 spectacular miles across the Park from the East Rim Trailhead to Lee Pass. 9 hours, 27 minutes.

Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim

March 2009
Run through 1.6 billion years of geological history (twice) during this 42-mile out-and-back across the Big Ditch. 8 hours 2 minutes.

Hayduke Trail & Grand Canyon Traverse

February and March, 2009
An 800-mile trek across the Colorado Plateau from Arches to Grand Canyon National Parks, firmly out-of-season.

Iceland Traverse & Laugavegur

July & August 2008
A 550-mile east-to-west traverse across the entire island, plus 3 laps on the 46-mile Laugarvegurinn, Iceland’s most famous hiking trail.

Sierra High Route

July 2008
A rugged 195-mile hike with over 100 miles of off-trail travel, through both idyllic sub-alpine forest and tedious talus fields.

South Africa

May 2008
A 3-week tour of South Africa’s best cities and natural areas, including the Drakensberg Mountains and Kruger National Park.

Great Western Loop

April to November 2007
I take the further-faster-lighter mantra to its extreme: 6,875 miles, 33 miles per day for 208 days, and an average base weight of about 6 pounds.

Sea-to-Sea Route

August 2004 to July 2005
My coming-of-age hike. Across North America from Quebec to Washington—7,775 miles in 11 months, straight through the winter.

Appalachian Trail

Summer 2002
First long-distance backpacking trip. Actually, my first backpacking trip. The learning curve was steep. 2,168 miles in 95 days.