The Trek

Oh, hello again! Sorry for the brief hiatus. As one could imagine, service gets spotty when you’re in the middle of nowhere. I didn’t have enough of a buffer on my posts (at least not now that we’re in Washington), and all the WiFi has been slow, too! No worries, we are still alive and mostly well. Back to the daily posts, we go! Taking a zero day, yet again! Although, this one was planned at least. Boostie, Frodo, and I left camp set up while we completed the daily chores.

There is nothing I love more on this planet than a stongly-held opinion based on completely objective criteria. So, when I set out in 2021 to hike all of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot peaks, I was stoked to come across this article by Rebecca Sperry ranking all 48. However—there was an issue. Rebecca Sperry and I did not share the same opinions. Gasp. The more I worked through the NH48, the more I found my personal spreadsheet rankings drastically diverging from Rebecca’s list.

Hiker hunger has officially entered the chat. Our 2026 Trail Correspondents dig into the realities of eating their way along the AT, PCT, and CDT, from relentless cravings and questionable trail snacks to discovering exactly what keeps their bodies fueled mile after mile. What sounded like a good idea before the hike doesn’t always survive contact with the trail—and sometimes, nothing tastes better than whatever you can get your hands on next.

Tuesday, September 1st, 2026 Today the trail would test me like never before. A relentless barrage of steep ascents and descents put my legs through the ringer. The Climb Of Your Life Not good. The sight of large chunks of rock was never how I wanted to start a day on the trail. I knew that several steep climbs were coming and took as many steps to prepare as I could think of. Yesterday I had taken advantage of easier than expected miles to hike a little extra and make things easier for myself today.

Stratton Pond (43.7) to VT Rt 11/30 Pinnicle Lodge (off 54.4) 1864 ft ascent, 1079 ft descent Bonus Miles, 1.5 Sometimes the shelters and campsites don’t fall where you want then to be. We wanted to move further but one of us was deteriorating quickly and emergency plans were in order. At lunch, we ordered The Historian to take a nap and by mid-afternoon, we took his pack from him. He was sad, in pain, and bleary. By evening we were all in disastrous shape. We started off pretty well this morning.

Ashland to Crater Lake/Mazama Campground (mile 1821) I was hoping to make bigger days through Oregon, while also checking out a few side quests just off the trail. The first day coming out of Ashland I stopped at a spring for water and set up a nice lunch spot under a tree for some shade. As I was finishing lunch and starting to pack up food I heard a rattling sound to my left. I looked over to find a large rattlesnake which had sought out the shady tree I was under.

Here are some miscellaneous thoughts and other BS that have come to mind lately. These are in no particular order. Bears: Seeing a bear in the forest versus seeing a bear in a dumpster: I have now seen 6 bears on trail. Seeing bears in their natural environment is pretty cool. They always (so far) run away when you make noise. I have also seen a bear climbing out of a dumpster. That is funny, but also sad and not exciting. Bears should be in forests, NOT dumpsters. Beer: Trail beer is best.

The below is a transcription. Minor edits have been made for clarity and readability, while preserving the original message and intent. This video is part of a new series on The Trek’s Youtube. Check out the full video and subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you’re interested in joining a guided wilderness expedition lead by Andrew Skurka, go to andrewskurka.com/guided-trips to learn more.

🔥Hot Take Alert🔥 Lots of Hikers I’d met said that The Great Divide Basin was going to suck, and there was bit of fearmongering going on. I was always intrigued by the idea of the Basin on this trail and was secretly looking forward to it. Having now hiked it i can say that: The Basin is Awesome!! Here are the reasons i thought it was great. Its such a contrast to the mountains.

The rest of New York was unceremonious. We made our way through the Bear Mountain zoo and even swam in the crowded but refreshing swimming pool in the park. Before I knew it, we were in Connecticut and starting to feel some escape from the heat. We spent some time in Connecticut with a zero in Kent and a nero in Salisbury. I love seeing the architecture change and getting a glimpse at New England culture was an exciting reality check that I am far from home.