Alex McCafferty 
Variety is the spice of life. Bicycle touring or “bike packing” was something I wanted to try for years. With a premier rail trail right in my backyard, it was time to stop putting it off and see what it was all about. I bike almost every day in the city, but an overnight trip … Read more
Thursday 9/25 Tokyo: Ueno Getting to Japan was a bit of an adventure. Just a week ago, Amy and I were still in Seattle after finishing a five month hike of the PCT. We flew to Las Vegas for five days, then to Pittsburgh for two, and woke up bright and early to catch a … Read more
Where: The Nakahechi Route of the Kumano Kodo, traversing the mountains of the Kii Peninsula of Japan When: 10/5/25 – 10/8/25 Distance: 40 miles (68km) Route: Caltopo (includes bus routes) Pre-Trip Information Overview Kumano is a sacred region in Japan that has drawn people for over 1000 years via pilgrimage across the Kii Peninsula. The … Read more
Happy to escape the interrogation, we vortexed at the bakery again. I literally tried over half of their offerings between both days. A few of us walked down the road to The Garden, a property owned by a profoundly chill, barefoot man named Carl. He sold a healthy variety of fresh produce, including some juicy … Read more
The man who picked us up was already shuttling another hiker to Stevens Pass. Ironically, he was a native Bavarian, who told us you would never see a place like Leavenworth anywhere in Germany. I believe German towns are one of America’s greatest inventions, right up there with Chinese food. There were five wildfires burning … Read more
Back at the Kracker Barrel, I finally met my good friend Doc (Tim to some, Skiddy to others). We have hiked hundreds of miles together and no doubt influenced one another’s obsession with backpacking. It was amazing to be see each other 2,300 miles into this wild adventure. The back patio of the gas station … Read more
Throughout this hike, we have been shown kindness by people of many different backgrounds and beliefs. After feeling a bit of pressure that we stick around for a sermon afterwards, I wondered what, if anything, could be said about those who show kindness with no strings attached, versus those who do so with an ulterior … Read more
The day was forecast to be a scorcher. This was especially bad because it coincided with a tremendous, 15 mile burn section. At points, the day felt eerily similar to NorCal. Fortunately, we came across some trail magic again. Cold watermelon and electrolyte mix packets go a long way in the heat. After the distractions … Read more
We followed the road for a short while to Mazama Village. We were one of the first tables to be seated at Annie Creek Restaurant, but the burger I ate was mediocre. There was a camping store that most hikers had to choose between shipping a package or relying on the small selection of snacks … Read more
The blowdowns were less frequent during the remainder of the descent in Seiad Valley. We made good time hiking through the woods, crossing quite a few footbridges over Grider Creek along the way. After several miles, the trail intersected a dirt road and we began a seven mile road walk into Seiad Valley. The sides … Read more