Blog | Go. Own It®

The True Champions of Kilimanjaro

December 9, 2021
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Inspiration, Kilimanjaro, Red Pack Walking, Travel

In life, a person has experiences that stay with them until the end, and they are unique to each person. These are the intangible treasures that money cannot buy. Along the way, we meet some people who remain a part of our lives, while other encounters are fleeting. Some convergences are so intense that they compel us to re-examine our values and have an irrevocable effect on us. Our trek up Mount Kilimanjaro was one of those experiences. This post is my tribute to those I will never forget—the guides and crew of Kilimanjaro

How Backpacking Prepared Me for the COVID-19 Pandemic

September 28, 2020
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JMT, PCT, Ponderings, Red Pack Walking

COVID-19. The coronavirus has disrupted the lives of every single person on our planet. Backpacking has prepared me to endure the pandemic. In this post, I've applied these experiences and knowledge gained while trekking in the wild to surviving a pandemic.

The JMT Series – Story 5 – The Imperfect Storm

July 22, 2019
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JMT, Red Pack Walking

This story, the fifth in a series, starts on day eleven of our John Muir Trail (JMT) hike of 2018. It’s of collection of grumblings, disenchanted anticipation, childish breakdowns, and uncharitable cruelty that happens over a week that concludes in redemption.

The JMT Series – Story 4 – Cloudy with a Chance of Breakdown

June 22, 2019
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JMT, Red Pack Walking

This story, the fourth in a series, starts on day seven of our John Muir Trail (JMT) hike of 2018. The account spans a few days and recounts pleasant surprises (and some unpleasant), unfounded expectations, fear, sheer panic, and an almost epic breakdown.

The JMT Series – Story 3 – Reiteration or Routine?

February 3, 2019
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JMT, Red Pack Walking

This story, the third in a series, starts on day four of our John Muir Trail (JMT) hike of 2018. It tells a tale of disgust, tranquility, and an onslaught from both the heavens above and the land below, echoing a resonating theme for the first segment of our trek.

The JMT Series – Story 2 – The Naked Sickness

January 20, 2019
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JMT, Red Pack Walking

This story, the second in a series, starts on day two of our John Muir Trail (JMT) hike of 2018. It’s an explicit narrative of what happens when you fall ill on the trail. Be forewarned that this tale is not for the meek or reserved, it’s a story of suffering on an absurd scale that now can be looked back upon in laughter.

The JMT Series – Story 1 – The Deluge on The Mount

January 14, 2019
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JMT, Red Pack Walking

This short story, the first in a series, starts on Day 1 of our John Muir Trail (JMT) hike of 2018. It’s a tale of danger and stupidity with a little splash of humor.

The JMT – A Series – An Unexpected Adventure

January 14, 2019
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JMT, Ponderings, Red Pack Walking

Welcome to my new series, a collection of stories about my fortuitous 2018 John Muir Trail thru-hike. These are stories of adventure, misfortune, friendship, perseverance, and sheer darn luck.

The John Muir Trail and Thru-Hike Planning – An Excel Workbook to Plan Your Hike!

December 3, 2018
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JMT, PCT, Planning & Pre-Hike, Red Pack Walking

Planning a thru-hike on the John Muir Trail (or any other trail)? If so, then you're in luck! Brought to you by popular demand, I've provided a downloadable Excel workbook for you to as a tool to organize and keep track of everything!

Mount Whitney…”You’re crazy!”

June 1, 2018
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JMT, Red Pack Walking

Climbing Mount Whitney is an extraordinary experience, full of sights that are out of this world and struggles that feel almost unendurable. In the end, it is the most rewarding thing that I've done so far. In this essay, I share my tale of what it was like to ascend this magnificent mountain via backpacking the John Muir Trail.