Posts by Spiderwoman

Permits To show my respect to this land’s native inhabitants whose way of life my ancestors annihilated, I OF COURSE carried a permit. This is the very least I can do as a visitor. For every soul, culture, and lands lost, for all that “The Res” means, I moved through their ancient home with humility…

“Climb to a high alpine pass, descend to a low point, and repeat.” That’s it. That is Skurka’s WRHR. This is what your body and mind will be doing nearly all day, every day. So want to do this. And consider that you’ll maybe take a little life off your knees. I certainly did because…

Skurka writes that the first 14 miles are, in part, an opportunity to “find your hiking legs”. My pre-trip prep was two weeks of day hiking on trails with pack weight in the Sierra. That in no way prepared my body for what comes quickly: the West Gully descent. I may as well have started…

To get a sense of how you do or don’t compare to my skills, style, and experience, please look at bios from my HDT Tips. I’m a very average backpacker. Not ultralight. Not ultra-fit. And definitely not ultra-relaxed about stressors and dangers. Put another way: if you’re in Skurka’s league, these Tips aren’t for you.…