(Sound isn’t working but click thru to YouTube to hear the accompanying song!)

Harpo, Groucho, Bug and Twinless in the Sierra, 2015.

Hiking is awesome for it’s almost total equanimity – regardless of age, gender, race, nationality or income people can make their way on trail and have rewarding and transformative experiences. As free as we feel on trail, we also need to recognize that it’s still a mirror of human society. Women are told to keep up their guard in society, that danger lurks around every corner, and that every situation is unsafe. Additionally, women are told it’s their responsibility to keep themselves safe, and their fault if they are victimized. This is not only totally unfair, it’s also unreasonable. Dudes just need to man up and not be dicks. Remember – we create this world together…

Here are some tips for trail angels, fellow hikers, business owners and society at large to make women feel welcome, celebrated and safe:

1. Be nice. Smile, say hi, shoot the breeze.
2. Don’t ask whether someone is hiking alone. Never. Ever. It is creepy, misogynistic, and none of your business.
3. Don’t press personal questions or ask about itinerary specifics. It makes you look like a stalker. Talk about anything else – food, gear, water, weather. This goes for hikers, hitches and trail angels too.
4. NO UNSOLICITED HUGS!! Fist bumps instead.
5. Don’t assume a woman’s time is public domain. A women sitting alone may be super happy to be alone. This goes for bars, restaurants, coffee shops, waterfalls, lakes, or trail pit stops. You can wave or vocalize “hi”. If she clearly invites you over, then it’s okay to join her, but otherwise respect her solitude and keep it movin’.
6. If you’re approaching a campsite and others are already there, use GENERAL etiquette… before you start setting up, greet others, say hello, and ask genuinely if they mind if you set up nearby. If they say no… respect their vibes and cheerfully move along. You are a thru hiker (and therefore superhero), you can do another 1/2 mile. N.B.D.
7. All humans love jumping naked into crystal clear alpine lakes. But most people enjoy it privately. If you come upon anyone skinny dipping that you aren’t friends with, find somewhere else on the lake to swim. Or again, ask if it’s okay to do your own thing there. Be mindful and respectful of your body language if you are skinny dipping with someone.
8. Avoid using violent or threatening language, such as “Hunters make me want to commit murder” or even… “Aren’t you scared to camp alone?” (Often dudes make assumptions about women’s experience. Fear is not a gender-specific emotion. Feel free to talk about your own experiences honestly, but don’t assume you know things about her. Also… asking a woman if she’s afraid may induce fear and make you look like a creep).
9. Speaking of annoying language – don’t comment on people’s bodies. This is not gender specific. I have a hiker friend who lost weight while thru hiking, whose friends from home body shamed her on her instagram pictures “you skinny bitch!” She had just climbed an 8,000 ft mountain. On the other hand, I had lady section hikers say to me 700 miles into my hike, “you don’t look emaciated enough to be a thru hiker.” Both comments are insulting, and draw attention to how we look, rather than all we have achieved.
10. Avoid misogynistic behavior and activities. Don’t play stupid games like “Fuck, date, marry” or any other game where you are outright objectifying women. Call out other dude hikers who make misogynistic assumptions. Even if you are just in the company of other men… consider the psychic environment that will be most welcoming if the next hiker who joins your camp is female.
11. All the trail angels we’ve met are incredible and give without thought of returns. This is the gold standard, and obviously applies equally to interactions with male and female hikers. “Return” includes things physical and metaphysical, including a hiker’s time. If you feel someone is uncomfortable, leave them alone by politely excusing yourself from the interaction, which does not necessarily mean withdrawing your kindness. It’s a fine line, we know…
12. Everybody gets lonely on trail. If you find yourself getting loose with a hiking bud and things are moving towards any physical interaction, use your words – GET A POSITIVE, VERBAL YES from the other party. And if they’re drunk, no go under any circumstances. Basically, be a normal-ass, kind human.

Groucho sez: Ultimately, dudes, its up to us to consciously create a world where women feel empowered and safe hiking. I love being part of a sport where the sexes are physically equal – lets face it, women are often better long distance walkers and runners than men. However, society tells women to be afraid, to guard themselves, and avoid situations where they can be victimized on trail. DUDES, ITS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PREVENT WOMEN FROM BEING OR FEELING VICTIMIZED ON TRAIL. Men are privileged in society and on trail, and its time to recognize that. Now is the time for men to step up and create and defend safe space – it takes work but iz totes possible with mindfulness and willingness.   We can share the trail, with positive and enlightened vibes all around. GOOD LUCK!

Have any other tips/suggestions? Add them in the comments!

Uh oh. It’s only January and the SOBOs of 2016 are wringing their hands about start dates.  I hear you. Snow melt in the North Cascades is a topic of much wailing and gnashing of teeth. This post explains my methodology for choosing a start date…

Harpo using her ice axe on a melting avalanche chute north of Harts Pass on 6/14/15 (10 days after the snotel for Harts Pass reached zero in an exceptionally low snow year)

Colloquial  wisdom suggests starting your SOBO hike once the Hart’s Pass Snotel reaches zero. Or better yet a week or so later, unless you love postholing and are really looking forward to using that ice axe.

Hart’s Pass is 30 miles from the Canadian border and elevation 6,100’… not the highest elevation in the North Cascades, so once snow is melted at the pass you may still have snow-filled avalanche chutes to traverse. Be prepared for snow travel and know your own limits.

We began our 2015 hike 9 days after the Snotel data reached zero at Hart’s Pass. I STILL carried an ice axe despite the exceptionally low snow year, and as you can see from the photo above, I was happy to have it for balance, leverage and peace of mind.

But how can you guess when the snow levels will reach zero?

Yung buck, it is still too early to tell.
HERE’S THE A SPREADSHEET WITH SNOTEL DATA FROM THE LAST 5 YEARS AT HARTS PASS AND MY NON-EXPERT METHODOLOGY FOR USING SNOTEL TO HELP DETERMINE SAFER START DATES

UPDATE: I recommend clicking on the link above for an overview of snotel stats from the last few years, and my analysis of that data… but a few highlights:

1. January’s data is nearly equal for ALL years, high and low. Therefore it is not easy to tell looking at January’s accumulation whether it will be a high year or a low year.
2. In the last 5 years, snow levels peak in late March/early April. This is a better time to look at data and determine if it is a high or low snow year.
3. In 3 of the last 5 years, snow has melted to zero before July 4. This average is probably why folks plan to start after July 4.
4. Are you anxious to leave in early June? Remember that in a high or average snow year, there may still be over 50″ of snow (or more) at elevations of 6,000 in early June.

Hi. I’m Harpo. Before I hiked the PCT, I hiked the AT. Before that I was a responsible human who made plans, budgets and spreadsheets for a respectable living. I know it’s gauche in some company to talk about money. But I’ve never been a totally elegant human (sorry mom.) HERE IS A SPREADSHEET OF EXACTLY HOW WE SPENT MONEY.

Photo of Harpo with vegan pizza by J Fleck (aka Twinless)

I see lots of questions on forums about how much money it takes to thru hike. That depends gear you have and what you want to purchase. Even after obtaining your titanium spork, you still need cash$ to spend on trail. Many sources estimate $1000 / month for trail expenses. Everyone tells you to prep for these expenses but it’s hard to visualize. On trail expenses range from lodging, showers, gear replacement, camp ground and park fees, town food, hitches (always offer gas money!), coffees (‘free’ wifi), town food, booze, and food resupply.

I hike with my buddy Groucho. For our 2015 SOBO Thru Hike of the PCT we spent about 4.5 months and about $7500 in on-trail expenses.

Our figure isn’t 100% accurate. Groucho carried some cash – spent on forgotten booze/hitches. Also parents and friends mailed us several resupply boxes and care packages. And occasionally when you end up hiking with budz you inevitably trade picking up the tab… you get the idea.

Check it all out… and give us a shout in the comments if you have any questions.

This week we were interviewed about our veganism by a section hiker we met on the PCT for an article called The Rise of the Vegan Thru Hiker. We met BUG, aka Anna Herby at Donner Pass, and quickly learned she was not only a badass 2014 SOBO Thru Hiker, but also a VEGAN AND PROFESSIONAL NUTRITION EXPERT.

Over the 900-or-so miles we hiked/traveled with Bug, we learned much about trail nutrition, recipes and overall wellness with a plant-based diet.

As a graduate of Bastyr University, Bug holds a Masters of Science in Nutrition and currently works as a Registered Dietitian in the Seattle area. In addition to consultations, Bug maintains an awesome blog  that you should check out (and not only because she just interviewed us.)

Thanks for the write-up Bug!

Thruhiking is like engaging in an eternal youth machine –  like many bad ideas, it frees you from anchors (like rent and a career) that tie you to ‘adult’ life. Freedom from responsibility and the liberation of deciding your own fate on a daily basis makes you feel like you’re on an endless summer vacation. 

But let’s be real – we’re basically on the candy bar diet out here, vegan or not, and at some point you gotta grow up and take responsibility for what’s happening in your dirty mouth.

Personally, I really like brushing and flossing on trail – it’s my adult time. The one time each day when I get to feel responsible for my own health. Also, trail hygiene is not only attractive but necessary if you don’t want to alienate yourself not just from society but other hikers. Please – shower, do laundry, swim in lakes whenever possible, wash your butt AND BRUSH YOUR TEETH.

Pictured above is my basic dental hygiene kit, which contains: 

• a mesh bag for drying the tooth brush
• Child sized fluorescent toothbrush from Big Lake Youth Camp (why not keep it fun?)
• Dental floss
• 2oz bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Mini toothpaste 

Most of these items are self explanatory. You might have some questions about what olive oil is doing in my dobb kit tho…

I recently got my first root canal (boooooo) resulting in my first gold tooth (finally!) As much as I like the gold tooth, I’m trying not to go back to the dentist for a while. I realized that I was experiencing some temperature sensitivity in another tooth – enough to bother me even drinking tepid water. Bummer, right? I had hear about oil pulling at yoga camp, but thought it was to woo-woo for me. However I was willing to try anything to stay on trail, so I tried it. 

Every morning I swished about a tablespoon of EVOO (tho unfiltered sesame and coconut oil also work) for 10-20 minutes, followed by a water rinse and brushing. And you know what? IT TOTALLY WORKS DUDE. I experienced far less tooth sensitivity when I kept up the practice, tho it takes about 10 days to start being effective. So I guess 6000 years of Ayurvedic medicine can’t be wrong…