My name's Chuck, but it's "Stoic" to my trail friends. In 2016 I quit my teaching job and thru-hiked the P.C.T., losing 40 pounds, a good deal of fear, and various pieces of equipment along the way. Now I'm back in Seattle and teaching again, and the teenagers in my class tell me I look like "Tom Hanks from that movie with the volleyball...no offense." You can find me on Instagram and Twitter @mckchuck.
Posts
Thru-Hiking Reflections One Year Later: The World is Burning
A year ago this week, I completed my thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. It was a trial by fire, in the proverbial sense; I had been backpacking
Gear Review: Mountain Hardwear AC Long Sleeve Mens Henley
(Disclaimer: This item was donated for the purposes of reviewing.) Basic Specs Name: Mountain Hardwear AC Henley (Men's) Material: A super light
Hitchhiking and Thru-Hiking: A Roadside Symbiosis
Walking through the woods, as an end in and of itself, is as old and romantic an American tradition as there is. It seems fitting, then, that the
How Long Should I Wait to Clean My PCT Gear? An Idiots Guide
There is a certain class of hiker for whom the idea of the next trek is all-consuming. These worthy people, many of whom write for or read this
Thru-Hiking’s Socialist Ethos
The year 1875 was an eventful one. It was the year in which Karl Marx, the father of communism, brought to prominence the old saying From each
The One Short Story Every Thru-Hiker Should Read
More than a little ink has been spilled in praise of the outdoors over the years. For millennia, people have tried to capture the relationship
What it’s Like to Leave a Loved One Behind to Hike the PCT
A week away from the beginning of my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike, the southern terminus and the California desert were the furthest things from my
Your Winter Inspiration For the Day: Meet Peter Freuchen
Whats the coldest night youve ever spent? For me, the answer is easy: on the shore of Chicken Spring Lake on the Pacific Crest Trail. At a shade
What I learned hiking Mount Whitney from the Pacific Crest Trail
The old man came through the swinging door of the general store. Worn blue flannel shirt, knife clipped to jeans pocket, big hands that had spent a
6 Inexpensive Essentials You Should Know About
Were riding out the gray and gloomy days of winter, and sunshine and hiking season seem all too far away. But many ambitious hikers are in the thick