Here’s a very Kiwi take on Christmas in Summer: (The kid in this video also starred in the movie “Hunt for the Wilderpeople.” He’s super famous in New Zealand.) Since the majority of the world’s population lives in the northern hemisphere, there are very few holiday songs, memes or themes that feature a summery Christmas. […]
It was an experience of haves versus have-nots, sharing of finite resources and reliving childhoods when we all played in the sandbox with kids whose names we never bothered learning. The local knowledge told us to arrive at the beach near low tide with shovels and some energy to dig. Once the right spot is […]
Hi Everybody! Apologizes for the delay in posting. A lot of logistical changes have happened in the last six weeks — including a long wait for our Internet connection. Thank you for all the well wishes and check-ins after the Kiakoura earthquake. We are fine and were not directly affected by the quake. When it […]
It took about three weeks for the psychosis to really set in, but here it is! Richard and I are obsessed with eating kiwi fruit. The last time we were in visiting this country, we discovered the wonder that is New Zealand-grown kiwis. The fruit originated in China where it was picked from the wild […]
Less than a month after finishing the PCT, Richard and I packed 280 pounds of stuff into four very large duffel bags and flew with them to New Zealand. The plan is to live and work in Wanganui, New Zealand for the next year. We’ll use any time off to travel the country and explore […]
Day 27 (129) Miles: 3.9 (plus 8.5 into Canada) Mileage: 2,650.1!!! It was a cool, wet morning. The rain stopped, but every fern and bush was dripping. We spent the morning chatting and the miles seemed to fly by. Three other hikers joined our campsite the night before, so we were all pumped, and yet […]
Day 26 (128) Miles: 26.4 Mileage: 2,646.4 Like I said, you never know what the mountains will bring. Most of the day was warm and sunny. But as we crested our last PCT climb, we saw a storm a few ridge lines over. As we walked, it came toward us, making every ridge in between […]
Day 25 (127) Miles: 29.4 Mileage: 2,620 It was our biggest day yet and as far as my feet were concerned, it was a twenty-mile day. It only took 480 miles but it seems my feet have finally settled in to hiking. And it’s less than 40 miles to the hotel in Canada where I […]
Day 24 (126) Miles: 21.2 Mileage: 2,590.6 Breakfast started at 7 a.m. and we were ready and waiting. There was eggs and granola and yogurt and potatoes, but I filled up on the delicious homemade biscuits. After breakfast we gathered our packs and caught the bus back out to the trailhead. It was another hot […]
Days 22 and 23 (124 and 125) Miles: 2.9 and 0 Mileage: 2,569.4 When I was in high school, I would spend a week every summer at my aunt’s house in Alliance, Ohio. It wasn’t just any week. It was always planned around the Rodman Public Library book sale. The majority of my book acquisition […]