A good reminder for veterans and essential for newcomers, here are 14 best practices for hiking. 1. Don't assume that you'll have cell service Smartphones give us a false sense of security that a single call, app, or Google search will rescue us from any situation. Even though some hiking trails reside within urban city limits (e.g. Griffith Park in Los Angeles), spotty service is just as likely…
Don't be intimidated. Hiking isn't hard; it's just like walking, but a hell of a lot more fun. Anyone who can walk down the street can hike. In my 30+ years of hiking, I've seen a toddler thru-hiker and a guy with offroad wheels on his walker. I've seen a badass lady hiking up to Zion National Park's Scout's Landing with a cane. I've even seen a guy…
Did you know that car insurance isn't mandatory in New Zealand? New Zealand gas stations allow you to pump gas before paying for it? You can get gas station discounts when shopping at the grocery store? You can't properly ventilate a campervan while sleeping WITHOUT getting attacked by sand flies? I didn't either. And there's plenty more where that came from. I learned all of…
Teetering on the edge of a slippery sandstone cliff, I wait patiently for the lady in front of me who was looking rather green in the gills. Her husband offers some friendly encouragement as she turns around and apologizes for being slow. “No worries,” I say. “Take your time. I’m not in a rush.” And why would I be? Zion Canyon looks especially picturesque this morning. Being able to look down…
