Me
Though I got quite a few queries about what my next adventure will be I didn’t get many suggestions, so I came up with my own. In April I’ll be walking again, this time across Japan. You can find out more on my new site but here’s the basics. It’s shorter than the PCT but there is no trail, I’m making it up as I go along. I know a little Japanese and I hope to learn it all when I’m there. The blog will feature much better Google […]
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Just a quick note to tell anyone that is looking for news on the tragic death of a hiker near Snoqualime Pass that it wasn’t me. A different Craig Stanton was killed in an avalanche on Sunday. I passed through Snoqualime Pass in September and am now safely back home in New Zealand.
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I think I’ve delayed my final post as long as I can. I’m settled back in New Zealand now and about to begin the mammoth task of sorting over 4000 photos and video clips I took along the way. The journey home took me via LAX. It wasn’t nearly as confusing as I thought it would be. I had plenty of time there to people watch as they went through the usual airport rituals. Hellos, goodbyes and thinking […]
read more..San Francisco has been a blast. I’ve seen a lot of interesting things and had a lot of fun but it’s time to go home. I’ll be starting my journey home less than 12 hours from now, but it will be 36 before I’m there.
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I’m becoming more and more removed from the hiking world of the last five months. From Seattle I drove to Ashland. Almost eight hours on one road gave me time to think about things but I didn’t really use it. I was busy surfing the airwaves trying to find a station that actually played music. One end of the dial is all religion all the time, and the other end is dominated […]
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The loss of the trail still has me dazed. Luckily there haven’t been any major decisions apart from transport. Lucky Joe left us at Manning Park, preferring to hitch over the greyhound bus. I’d have preferred it too but I have a schedule and didn’t want to risk it. I didn’t get much time to really experience Canada on this trip. Potential 178 (last seen at The Saufleys’) is a local but won’t be back for a few days. I’ll find a […]
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My mind is still reeling from the sudden changes but at least my body is at rest. My feet look a little puffed and I prefer it to the thin, pale and wrinkled toes I had yesterday. The scars on my hips are still with me but I know they’ll fade for today I am not hiking. I’m done and the last five months seem like a blur. Even entering Washington seems like a life time ago. The High Sierras, where I […]
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So I’ve done it. I have actually walked all the way up the west coast of America. I’m obviously a little stunned by this all so it may take a little time for my brain to settle down and deal with it all.
The night was the worst I’ve experienced on the trail (except maybe the second night, when it snowed). The rain was going non-stop and the sudden wind gusts were really worrying. Several […]
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The call came from the Noodleheads’ tent and we all agreed, today was not a day to start early. Everyone’s shoes were frozen solid. Lucky Joe only has one pair of hiking socks with him and they were as stiff as wood too. I packed up slowly allowing time for my damp clothes to thaw a little. The last thing I did before stepping back on to the trail was swap the nice thick […]
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Last night was the coldest I’d been in a long time, beaten only by today. It was damp at the campsite, frosty up the hill and snowing before the first pass. I wrapped up as best I could and pushed on, holding my hood in place when the cold wind came through. And boy it was cold. Poor Lucky Joe had only thin wool gloves and was numb until lunchtime. On the way down from the very exposed ridge I saw bear […]
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