June 23, 2025 Campsite below Cutthroat Pass at NOBO mile 2599.5 to Glacier Pass 15.8 miles It gets light early, just before 5, and I’m awake again. It usually takes me a while to get used to sleeping in my tent and on a sleeping pad again, so I’m not surprised that I was awake …
June 22, 2025 Rainy Pass to campsite below Cutthroat Pass at NOBO mile 2599.5 5.2 miles My heart skips a beat when the sign comes into view. “North Cascades Scenic Highway - Rainy Pass Picnic Area.” The base is stone, emblazoned with a metal Forest Service logo. The mountains behind it are jagged and snow-flanked, …
July 23, 2024 0 miles hiked (some miles walked) Last night I utterly ceased to exist. My head hit the pillow and that was that until nearly 9:00 this morning. When Grace said she was setting an alarm for 9 last night, I thought to myself, “We don’t need that, we’ll wake up before 9.” …
July 4, 2024 Campsite in Manitou State Park to Leskinen Creek Campsite 14.5 miles On the AT in 2019 I noticed a pattern: almost always, a terrible day was followed by an amazing one. A hot day of steep climbing was followed by trail magic. Cold rain preceded dry warmth. Blueberries after a thunderstorm. There …
July 3, 2024 Fredenburg Creek to campsite in Manitou State Park 15.8 miles There are slugs all over my tent. The more I look, the more I see. Come on, guys. One is cute but this many is just nasty. Did you know slugs are mollusks? I feel like I used to know this, but …
June 30, 2024 South Bally Creek Pond to Johnvick Creek 16 miles The morning is slow as we pack up and chat with Slapshot and Feather Blue. They’ve decided to go hike Eagle Mountain, the highest point in Minnesota, before heading south, since they have to get back to the Twin Cities tonight. We walk …
June 27, 2024 Cliff Creek Campsite to Grand Marais via the North Shore State Trail 10.8 miles It was cold last night, I didn’t sleep well, and I was slow to wake up today, even though I knew I was going into town. “Hello in there!” Machine called tentatively just as I became conscious. “What …
Ireland/UK Day 14 July 4, 2023 13 miles hiked The best bit about staying in a bed and breakfast is the breakfast. Ours is large, filling, and very Scottish; I think I consume an entire day’s worth of sodium in the bacon alone. There’s also homemade marmalade and preserves, which the owners make themselves. As …
August 27, 2022 Campsite at mile 2235.6 to campsite at mile 2256.7 21.1 miles We’d decided last night that today was going to be a sleeping in day. I’m glad to see that everyone is still adhering to this when I eventually become conscious. Jumbo isn’t rustling around yet, Tribute’s tarp is still up, Feather …
August 26, 2022 Campsite at mile 2214.5 to campsite at mile 2235.6, with trip into Trout Lake 21.1 miles The morning is blessedly cool. It’s going to get hot soon, you can just tell from the humidity, but right now, it’s pleasant. The three of us walk together for the first five miles just like …
Sarahmarie Specht-Bird 