These were our final sections on the Te Araroa. We decided to pick up bikes for the section from Tekapo to Lake Ohau to give our legs a rest. I was still nursing sore ankles/tendonitis, and spending a couple days pedaling a bike rather than walking on uneven trail was a relief. The bike ride followed impossibly blue glacial water along a canal that fed into lakes surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Planning our next move at the Holiday Park KT tape saved the day We ended our bik

We made it back on trail after a humbling last section and a few rest days in Christchurch. A lack of calories caught up to me and had me struggling to hike more than a few hours a day even on the easy sections. My camera stayed in my pack for the entire section before this because carrying it on my shoulder strap is less comfortable than carrying it in the pack - I was struggling hard and trying every little thing I could think of to make each step easier. Jamie is still goi

We just completed our fourth track of the Te Araroa. 115.5 km (72 miles) of trail through some of the most stunning landscapes I’ve ever seen. We started our morning in St. Arnaud as we headed up to our first hut. We had two options for which route to take to our first hut. One was more exposed and had the potential to be challenging in poor visibility conditions, but promised incredible views on a clear day. The other option was gentler and easier to follow but would have ke

Our last two sections on the Te Araroa were a 3-day stretch on the Pelorus River and a 6-day trek through the Richmond Range. The Pelorus was lush, green, and reminded me of the river valleys back on the Olympic Peninsula. Day 1 was rainy enough that rain gear eventually stopped keeping us dry. The rain always brings out the green and makes the forest glow in a special kind of way that you don’t get on a dry, sunny day. We stayed along the riverside for most of this stretch b

The first four days of our hike across the South Island of New Zealand has been a dream. Some call it The Land the Time Forgot because of its prehistoric beauty. The Maōri, the indigenous Polynesians of New Zealand, call it Aotearoa: The Land of the Long White Cloud. We started the trip on ferries from Wellington on the North Island to Picton on the South Island where the Queen Charlotte track begins. Ferry dropoff at the trailhead The Queen Charlotte track follows the shore

My last trip into the Olympics for 2025 was full of fall color. This time of year is beautiful on the Olympic Peninsula if you’re willing to get rained on a little (or a lot). We were incredibly lucky to get a break in the weather before a massive rain system blew in over the Pacific Northwest. We started day 1 in Port Angeles gathering some last minute supplies to keep us warm: kindling and a bottle of Wild Turkey 101. The sun goes down early this time of year - before 5:00p