Hike/Climb

Enjoy hiking? The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is 2,650 miles long. Start in an arid desert at the Mexican border where temperatures soar and shade is hard to find. Eventually, you’ll make your way to the high desert of California and into the picturesque peaks of the Sierras. If you have the stamina to go on, you’ll vault over Donner …

Ed Viesturs, the first American to climb all fourteen of the world’s eight-thousand foot mountains without using supplemental oxygen, once said, “The only extras you can afford at altitude are willpower and stamina.”  He also famously said, “Getting to the top is optional.  Getting down is mandatory.” Often your success going up or trying to come back down depends on …

by Dave Mauro   It occurred to me that I might be dying. My symptoms matched those which preceded the sudden death of a team member, DaRita Sherpa, the week before. He had been a few hundred feet higher, at Camp Three, when he returned to his tent complaining of dizziness. He was pronounced dead an hour later. I reached …

by Dave Mauro This is the sixth installment in Dave Mauro’s Seven Summits series. In previous accounts, Dave was introduced to high altitude climbing on an unlikely ascent of Alaska’s Denali, North America’s highest peak. After Denali, Dave determined to attempt to climb the highest point on each continent – the “Seven Summits.” Successful ascents followed:  Mt. Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mt. …

by Teresa Dicentra Black   Before I met my meat- and-potatoes-loving husband, I was a vegetarian. I was always proud of myself when I could manage to make my meals vegan too.  Somehow, I saw that as some sort of bonus. This recipe was (and still is) one of my favorite go-to vegan dinners.  It dehydrates and rehydrates beautifully, so …

by John D’Onofrio With the string of warm, sun-drenched days that we’ve been enjoying this month, the snow in the mountains is melting fast. If you’ve been itchin’ to get out on the trail, wait no longer! Here are some choice hiking options that you can enjoy right now. Sauk Mountain: Virtually snow-free to the top of the ridge, this …

by Dave Mauro   This is the fifth installment in Dave Mauro’s Seven Summits series. In previous accounts, Dave was introduced to high altitude climbing on an unlikely ascent of Alaska’s Denali, North America’s highest peak. After Denali, Dave determined to attempt to climb the highest point on each continent – the “Seven Summits.” Successful ascents followed:   Mt. Kilimanjaro …

This is the fourth installment in Dave Mauro’s Seven Summits series. In previous accounts, Dave was introduced to high altitude climbing on an unlikely ascent of Denali in Alaska, after which he successfully completed the classic trip to the roof of Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro, followed by an ascent of Mt. Elbrus, the highest point in Europe.     Story and …

by Teresa “Dicentra” Black   Prepared freeze dried backpacking meals are expensive and they don’t usually taste very good. I argue that you need to look no further than your local grocery store to create delicious backcountry food. No fancy tools or techniques are needed. We are, however, extremely spoiled in the Pacific Northwest to have such an amazing variety …

Story and Photos by Dave Mauro   This is the third installment in Dave Mauro’s Seven Summits series. In previous accounts, Dave was introduced to high altitude climbing on an unlikely ascent of Denali in Alaska, after which he successfully completed the classic trip to the roof of Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is safe to say that the Russian people …