Hi Everyone! It’s been years since I’ve posted and life is going great up here in the PNW:)
I’ve kept the blog up all these years for others to use as a resource. Also, I procrastinated finding a way to move my journals offline for my own personal keepsakes. Using a WordPress plug-in called Print My Blog, the journals are now in pdf format for anyone to use in this online folder. I’ll keep the link to the folder on my profile in my Instagram and Facebook for anyone to find in the future. The blog will be deactivated on March 31st.
Doing this process brought back a lot of great memories and experiences that I’m so thankful for. I am currently taking some years to save up for a somewhat early retirement that will have lots of outdoor adventures ahead for Julie (my wife) and I. I won’t be blogging in the future, but I’m sure it will be shared through Instagram or whatever social media I’ll be using at that point. I’m so very proud of this journal and the ripple effects it continues to have on this world. Once again, thank you so very much for being part of the journey. <3
Thank you Wired for sharing your hiking life for so many years! Your blog (and your gracious reply to my ‘’Am I crazy for trying this’ Email) was the sole reason I went from 0 backing packing experience to thru hiking the JMT!
Aww, I love hearing that!
Wow, I followed your blog many years ago. After retirement, I was inspired to walk the 700 mile “desert” section of the PCT in 2019 and even flipped north for some more miles before I had to go home to take care of my ill husband. I planned to continue in the future, but a few months later I suffered an injury that ended my backpacking days permanently.
So glad I got to do what little I did!
Oh, and I also wrote a blog while hiking, inspired by yours and a few others. I go back and read it now and then. I am so thankful that I recorded those memories.
Happy Trails in your retirement!
Aw, so great to hear that Mary Anne. We are doing our best to stay active so we are ready when we get back out there! So glad you journaled about your time out there:)
Well, I keep trying to convince you to send me a bottle of your world-class smile. I’ll provide the bottle and pay postage. Good medicine it would be.
Haha, Hi Hamburger Helper! We got your card recently. Great surprise!
Wishing you the best! I have been following you, your adventures and advice for many years. I really appreciate everything you have done and shared with the world. And for giving me the ability to share your adventures and teach others. One of the most memorable was you returning an email in the middle of your CDT hike. Wishing you and Julie the best.
Aww, so cool, you’re an OG follower for sure!
You where one of my favorite bloggers… is it really that long ago?… whish you all the best in the future. Greetings from Switzerland, Michael
Hey Erin,
I totally loved following your blog right through to the end. I just retired about 8 months ago and am loving it. Surfing a lot and doing some day hiking as well. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll get around to a short, long trail like the JMT. We’ll see, but I can say that you and Rockin’ were and would be huge motivations for doing so. Blessings on your future endeavors, including retirement!
Oooh! We can’t wait to be like you and also have plans to get Julie on the JMT:) So great to hear from you Warren!
It was so much fun following your adventures. Thanks for sharing!!
It has been nice knowing you and meeting you several years ago on the PCT in Washington. You have been an inspiration to many. I am glad to hear that life is going well. Good luck with your adventures.
Thank you Dennis, so great to hear from so many of these names/faces. What blasts from the past!
Thank you Wired! You were a positive influence towards getting me out on the PCT and making cherished memories. I so enjoyed your writings.
Wishing you and yours all the best!
Hi Erin – I have truly appreciated that you have kept all your writings on-line and hope they don’t go away. This last fall, your GHT/Everest region journals got me thru a long bout of food poisoning while trekking up to Gokyo Ri and ultimately making it over Renjo La. Alas, it was my second time in my Nepal – and the infectious disease level was just as bad as my first time in 1998. Many thanks for your inspiring writing and travels, Sarah
Oh man, I wish I had more fond memories of Nepal. Those stomach issues over there are no joke!!
Hi Erin,
Just wanted to share the impact your blog had on me! I ended up completing the triple crown and blogging every day of my journey just like you! This was a total inspiration for me. I remember the early days of planning my first thru hike and reading your blog while I worked the desk of a gym at 5am. Congratulations on an early retirement and thanks for keeping the blog alive for all of these years. Clearly you have made an impact on so many people. I love the way you are changing it over to a pdf and good to know about the plug in to help with it! I will likely need to do the same some day. Maybe our trails will cross 10 years down the road. Happy Trails!
-Deserrae “Early Bird” Potts
Hearing that is the best I could ever hear. I feel like it was especially impactful for me to see other women out there doing the trails. Hearing their daily stories made it seem real and doable for myself. I’m sure you’ve done the same for so many that you aren’t even aware of! Congrats on the triple crown:)
You were my inspiration to complete my hikes. (sectioned PCT, CT, JMT – met you on the trail -, TRT) Loved reading your blog! So good to hear that everything is going well for you and Julie.
So cool! You’ve done some great ones! For sure aiming to do some of those “shorter” long ones like the JMT and CT with Julie someday:)
thank you so so much for all of your writing and expertise over the years-i too benefitted heavily from your information and went from a ho-hum backpacker w heavy stuff to a very happy middle aged light weight backpacker-your example and gear choices were so so helpful-im thrilled youre having a wonderful marriage and best of luck on the early retirement!!
I loved following your journey: all those miles and kilometers, people and places, all leading you to present day and Julie. Follow on Instagram and maybe I will live to see new journeys. Wishing only good adventures for both of you.
Hi Erin,
I came across your blog while in East Glacier Park in Sept. 2015 after researching why all the backpackers were in town. I then caught up on your earlier blogs and eagerly awaited reading about each of your subsequent trips. Thinking back, I wonder what happened to the young girl you befriended on the AT and the young woman you helped out in New Zealand. Probably my favorite reads were the descriptions of your trek on the Hayduke Trail and the surprising conclusion to your Nepal trips.
Thanks for sharing your adventures publicly. And best of luck to you and yours in the future
Ah, I think you are asking about Jett Cat on the AT. She’s now a mom of a little baby girl and sharing adventures with her. Becky from NA is still with Tom who was also along on the NZ hike. So great the two of them have been able to continue the adventuring together as well!
Hello Erin, it feels good and warm to read so good news of your life and happyness with Julie. You deserve it.
Thank you once more for all you have given and share to the others.
I am now 69 and a real long hiker each year and even a 4300km in the french mountains i invent in 2023.
We all have writters or adventurers who inspired us and our decisions, let me tell you once more how you have been a major of them with of course my dear “Why not/Nancy” the marvellous.
Plenty of nice hours to you and Julie dear Erin and thank you once more !
Greetings from Western Australia ! I have actually been thinking about you lately. My parents picked you up at the lighthouse, after you completed the Cape to Cape hike , near Dunsborough. And the reason you’ve been in my thoughts is that my niece is about to set out on the Pacific Coastal Trail.
She has her permits etc and is heading off from Australia soon.
I’ve suggested she look at your blogs,for some hints and have sent her the links.
I loved being an armchair hiker,following you along. I need to find you on instagram .
.The timing of this email is amazing. Now I’ll get in touch again with my neice ,and encourage her to read some blogs for some hints .
I’m happy that life is treating you and Julie well . Take care .
What a pleasure to see you in my inbox. Thanks for sharing your adventures!!
So good to hear from you Erin and happy to hear your life is fantastic ( still! ). Your adventures are so inspiring and were always fun to follow. You have been missed and will be missed but life takes over. Please accept my best wishes for a very happy retirement in the future and safe and fun travels.
Hey there. I started following you when I was following Balls and Sunshine.
Wondering if you can recommend a plugin I can use to capture and save my old FB hiking posts. I have over 15 yrs of trail journals that I posted on FB.
Good question about the trail journals on fb. I never did this, but it does seem that there is a process to do this. I found many how-to guides. Here is one. https://youtu.be/YV_cXq7LuDs?si=-iAEDub8ATqM9KNS
It does seem to take a couple days before the request is completed so know it isn’t immediate. I’d try it for a short span of time and see how it comes out before doing a larger request. Hope it works!
Thank you so much for sharing your adventures, I’ve read all of them at least twice! I also really appreciate you’re making them still available, thank you! You were the first person I followed on a long distance hike, no idea how I stumbled across you but I’m so grateful that I did. Good luck on all your future adventures. Take care x
Oh my TWICE that’s so cool!
I loved all your adventures. Thanks for being so brave in your undertaking of them and so generous and diligent in your sharing of them.
Bless you Erin, and thank you so much for all your blogging contributions. I found your remarkable walking abilities and even more remarkable blogging ability almost intimidating to start with, But I have learnt so much from you over the years… I shall remember your interactions with the lovely Kallin family on the AT as long as I live.
Bring Julie to Europe some time!
With love and best wishes for the future
Awww, I love them!!! Such great memories<3
Thank you so much for sharing your life and adventures with us!!
Thank you Erin for everything you’ve done for the Hiking community, bringing many new people to the thrill and excitement of Hiking!! Greatly appreciated, congratulations on retirement, have Fun!!
Greetings from Australia. It’s amazing that I received this email. I had been thinking of you..and here you are..just popped in to my inbox. A litle memory jog..my parents picked you up at the lighthouse,after you completed the Cape to Cape,in Dunsborough, Western Australia.
The reason that you were on my mind,is that my neice has just left Australia, to embark on the PCT . I suggested she read your blog,and sent her the link .
It’s great to here that you are happy, and you and Julie are enjoying life.
Take care .
I’ll find you on instagram
In 2013 my wife and I decided to hike as much of the CDT in 2014 as we could make time for. In researching the trail that winter and reading various blogs, it was dawning on me that maybe my old backpacking gear from the 60s and 70s, with base weight of around 25 pounds should probably be replaced. Then I stumbled on your blogs of the PCT and CDT and they became my bibles. Your generosity in sharing your before and after gear lists was astounding and, as a consequence, our base pack weights were 11 pounds for me, 12 for my wife, which was wonderful for our late 60s bodies. The daily accounts of your treks were valuable too, especially those pertaining to water sources. Several times water alone added another 10 pounds to our packs, though briefly. We made it about 300 miles before running out of time, but it was a great trip. I’d had a knee replacement 4.5 months earlier and it was a successful test. Now, my wife’s back only allows for day hikes and, at near 80 I prefer bike packing, letting the bike carry the weight! But, I referred to your blog again just last summer, when biking between Snow Lake and Pie Town in NM, and I’m sure I’ll refer to those PDF’s in the future. Thanks for keeping them alive. Heartfelt thanks from both of us Erin, for helping kickstart our new era of backpacking.
Aww, thank you!