You can’t really call a day and a half a vacation, but you can call it an adventure. When I put this post on my blog calendar it was actually going to be titled “In-between the Waves,” but after we got home I realized we didn’t even do the whole beach thing. All of my…
I didn’t even discuss my new labels for the types of blogs being posted; I just kinda started doing it. “In-between the mountains” is for posts that talk about a general place or town when it’s, well, in-between the mountains. City experiences and urban adventures are classified as “in-between the city the streets.” Backpacking, hiking,…
While working at Gearhead Outfitters, we outfitted many people for all kinds of adventures. A few weeks ago, a couple came into the store to talk about the things they were needing in order to hike the Appalachian Trail next year. Cue Jackson. Jackson spent a good bit of time talking with the couple about…
Four years ago today Jackson set foot on the AT so I thought it only fitting to share a post he wrote upon his return outlining a typical day of thru-hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail was one of the biggest journeys of my life. Stretching 2,189 miles from Georgia to Maine,…
While managing Gearhead Outfitters in Springfield, Missouri, we had the opportunity to meet and work with some pretty cool people. During one interview with a potential hire we learned she had done trail maintenance on the Appalachian Trail the very year Jackson hiked. I still find this a delightful coincidence. Aside from her work with…
Over the past month or so we’ve had several customers come in Gearhead Outfitters that are headed to walk the Camino. I always try to pull Jackson in on these conversations when possible, because I can ramble on about the different shoes, packs, etc. we have but will never be able to relate to the…
A thru-hike of any trail presents many challenges that most are unaware of. The most exhausting, grueling, and wearisome aspect of this brand of adventure is the mental perseverance it takes to complete such a daunting task. Sure, hiking can be physically demanding but if you don’t have the head and the heart to endure…
Last year we decided it’d be fun to participate in our first ultramarathon. We asked the company we work for, Gearhead Outfitters, to sponsor our relay team for this unique race across the northwest corner of our home state and were delighted when they agreed. Then we trained (sort of) for what would be some…
If you read the most recent post (which was two weeks ago, because I’ve been a slacker) then you know our hostel host while staying in Salida, CO, just so happened to hike the AT the same year Jackson did, and I found that delightfully wild. It got better. While sitting outside the hostel and…
A few weeks ago we got back from what might be our favorite trip so far as a little family (Jackson, Kona, and myself). We spent seven days in Colorful Colorado and winded down our adventures in Salida where we stayed at the Simple Lodge and Hostel. We were able to walk pretty much everywhere…
