The West Country Way. Day 5: Cornwall

We woke to grey clouds, but with a warm breeze off the estuary. The cyclist in the tent next to us was packing up and departing early, but not before giving us a bag of giant Wotsits he decided he no longer wanted. What a great start to the day. I was up and showered […]

The West Country Way day 4: Devonset

Tiverton to Yelland Today was ridiculous. We planned to wild camp tonight, so left later this morning so as to avoid to early a finish and being spotted by some angry farmer as we no doubt disturbed crops in his field setting up our tent. After a hearty breakfast at the Lowman, we packed up […]

The West Country Way : Day 3 Devoning

Day 3North Curry to Tiverton We woke in our tiny little shepherds hut. Made tea and ate fruit bread outside. Packing to leave is becoming more efficient and just like the absolute thrill I get when everything fits into my bag, I feel this too with my new swanky paniers. We both just carry 2 […]

The West Country Way. Day 2 : Somerset

Day 2Priddy to North Curry We left our busy blasphemous campsite-home after tea in the tent.Packing up is not yet as fluid as it will become, but, seeing as we’re in no rush I enjoy the slow process of getting everything just right. We head off, 6 miles to Wells and coffee. I barely pedal […]

The West Country Way. Day 1. Somerset

Waking as a married woman, wow, why did no one tell me how wildly different it feels? Covid scuppered our grand plans for an overseas honeymoon, we chose to avoid uncertainty and anxiety and commited to a UK adventure early on. Shelley and I would toughen our butt’s and delvelop thighs of steel cycling the […]

Continental Divide Trail Gear Review

Having made it out alive, uneaten by bears and generally not hating the idea of all hiking related things, I thought it essential to post a gear review of all the good and bad decisions we so carefully made during our year of planning prior to the trail. Before we began the trail, my two […]

Wwoof 4.5: Homeward

Returning to Haute Goat was like coming home. I was excited to see those delicious dogs and relieved to be out of the city. Though, it must be said, the city wasn’t all that bad. It provided me with a second hand ski jacket for 10 Canadian dollars, in which I found SIX AMERICAN DOLLARS. […]

Wwoof 4: Haute Goat

We were offered the opportunity to sleep in after our ordeal and late arrival, but Snakes and I were keen to get into something after a few too many days floating. Debbie is an ex-pat from the city, who decided that when her husband Shaine retired, she could finally get what she’d always wanted. Goats. […]

Wwoof 3: Scales

Bar the renching heart ache of leaving the decidedly overfed and underloved ‘Rachel’, the cat, departing from the ‘holiday’ that was the disappointingly un-busy Trout Lake was unemotional. We made it across the lake on the ferry and over to Revelstoke in good time (3.5 hours early for our bus). The town of Revelstoke is […]

Wwoof 2: Trout Lake

After a delightful tour of the cabin and our surroundings, we were left to settle in our room in the basement.The additional room next to ours, contained Benedict and Charlène, two French gals.Upstairs, in the main cabin, was a our communal bathroom, kitchen and the second lounge area. John and Janine slept above this on […]

BANFF

We left Bear Valley after the morning feed. Ringo, the dog was half in the car, with his paws on my lap as Mike pulled him away so we could depart. Bye Grover! Kathy drove us to the airport in Calgary, where we could pick up a car. She would then head to pick up […]

WWOOF 1: Bear Valley Rescue

On day 1, and, every other day we were up and outside by the most respectable hour of 9am. We began by feeding the animals right away. The horse ‘farrier’ which I learned means: toenail clipper, Pat, was to be giving the horses pedicures over the next 3 days. He was French and spoke extremely […]

Post CDT

September 26th: The finish line At the border, while Maps drowned herself in champagne and we all stuffed ourselves with our remaining food, (which we knew would disgust us by the time we made it to Waterton) a day hiker named Eric arrived. Eric was on a few days break from work, hiking in and […]

Cast of the CDT

It’s uncertain how many people attempt the CDT each year. Somewhere roughly between 312 and 532. No one really keeps tabs, no one really cares. What’s also uncertain is: of the amount of people who begin the trail, how many finish. It’s common to find experienced hikers on the CDT, hikers that have at least […]

Week 21: Whatever you dream you can do, begin it.

East Glacier to Waterton Lake September 21st to September 27th Day 142: Zero 16? We woke in meggley heaven. Handful had already escaped to hitch back and hike the 8 miles of road she’d missed. Snakes went across the street and bought coffee for Cliff Jumper and me. We couldn’t meggle for as long as […]

Week 20: And how we found, the same old fears, wish you were here…

Augusta to east Glacier September 14th to September 20th 176.6 miles, or something. Day 130 continued: Augusta Still in the bar and still undecided on our evening plans we decided to leave all our belongings there and resupply at the general store next door. The next 7 day food carry could be broken up by […]

Week 19: Just saying it, could even make it happen

Anaconda to Augusta September 7th to September 13th 146 ish Miles Day 125: Leaving Anaconda When things like the ability to shower, launder, purchase food and beer, come less frequently, ones desire for them is of course greater. And when they do eventually occur time speeds up. We seem to leave town much faster than […]

Week 18: When you and sleep escape me

Salmon to Anaconda September 2nd to September 6th 103 Miles Day 120: Labour day We woke in total darkness to a room of bodies. Cliff was in one corner on a futon, and Bear was on the floor looking particularly dead. I escaped for coffee. We spent a few hours on the meggling side of […]

Week 17: And a time to every purpose, under heaven

Leadore to Darby August 27th to September 1st Miles 123 Day 124 Continued: After breakfast in the Silver Dollar, where the woman thought she was doing us a favour in assuring us there was no hurry for our order, as she was in no hurry to cook us breakfast, we exploded care packages of joy […]

Week 16: It’s in the trees, it’s coming…

Lima to Leadore August 21st to August 27th 103 miles Day 108: Lima Zero 13 We woke in manky cosy motel bliss. Breakfast was fairly high on the agenda, but not before heading to the post office to pick up our 8 packages. We had sent a resupply box of food here as the grocery […]

Week 15: The Salmon will run, no damn can hold

Dubois to LimaAugust 10th to August 21stMiles: 211Day 97 continued: SothboundersOh hello again.To pick up where I’d left off, we’d hiked until late (9:30pm) to reduce tomorrow’s miles into Dubois.It was much darker than I felt comfortable with and just as I saw some of the first bear poops on the trail, I also read […]

Week 14: The Cirque of the Towers

Lander to PinedaleAugust 1st to August 10th166.5 miles Day 89: Leaving Lander We woke in total Holiday Inn bliss.Briefly escaping for a plastic breakfast before returning to our white sheeted hovel. As usual, Snakes buzzed around me completing chores and everyone’s laundry. For a special treat, and to deter the up and coming bears, she […]

Week 13: The Great Basin

Rawlins to Lander July 26th to July 31st 121 miles Day 83: Leaving Rawlins We woke at 8am, feeling a trifle groggy. Snakes sorted all our food, clothes packed our bags and delivered me a coffee to my bedside. Juke Box shared the room with us and he went to town on shaving his face.I […]

Week 12: Empty as a pocket with nothing to lose

Steamboat Colorado to Rawlins Wyoming 166 miles July 18th to July 25th Day 75: Zero 11 – Steamboat Springs We decided to call Steamboat Springs ‘half way’, as we believe it to be roughly that, in time and in miles. Collaberating this with the celebration of my brothers birth yesterday, we drank much in the […]

Week 11: On top of the world, looking over the edge

Fraser to Steamboat Springs July 8 – July 17th 156.4 miles (Or something )Day 65: Fraser Nero Continued Maire (who will now be known as ‘The Oracle’) dropped us and our packs off at the Headwaters Trail Alliance. A warm mellow hub, dedicated to maintaining the 1000 miles of local trail, poised to aid hikers […]

Week 10: The very edge of the bleeding edge

Leadville to Fraser June 30th – July 8th Miles 68 ish Day 58: Nero (nearly a zero) continued… After a perfect amount of walking up and down the main street we acquired the best pizza on trail so far. We retreated back to the hostel to hibernate while Baby Food took the hiker bike (provided […]

Week 9: The Bleeding Edge

Salida to Leadville June 22nd – June 30th 102 miles Day 50: Zero 8? Our pals hoped to make it in yesterday but didn’t. Pooch, Snakes and I went downtown for the day. This is the second town which is not a desolate pack of crap. Ridiculously, snow was forecast for today (day two of […]

Week 8: Trying not to die

Del Norte to Salida June 16th – June 21st 121 miles John Steinbeck said: Once a journey is designed, equipped, and put in process, a new factor enters and takes over. A trip, a safari, an exploration, is an entity, different from all other journeys. It has personality, temperament, individuality, uniqueness. A journey is a […]

Week 7: The Mystic Biscuit

Chama to Del Norte June 10 – June 15 97 miles Day 38: Low route / High route We didn’t die. Charming Chama looked amazing. Della, who could just about see above the wheel, swung us into the car park of the Y-Motel. It’s about a million years old. Apparently it was grimey but I […]

Week 6: Of Mountains and Bulls

Cuba to Chama June 2 – June 10 150 miles Warning: this is a long blog post as it includes 2 zero days, 7 hiking days and a lot of my endless waffle. You may require coffee (wine) and a more suitable seating arrangement. . After filling my fat dumpy self with salad and beer, […]