Barefoot on Mount Katahdin: How We Conquered Maine's Greatest Mountain (and Survived a Gut Emergency) A tale of a school bus too wide for the wilderness, a thru-hiker who'd rather go back, and a small stone elephant that crossed 2,190 miles The view that makes you forget your legs exist. Briefly. There is a special kind of humility that comes from driving a 40-foot converted school bus across North America only to be turned away — repeatedly — not by bandits, weather, or mechanical failure, but by tape measures. BaseCamp, our beloved home-on-wheels, has been rejected by Mexico (too heavy), bridges in the Deep South (too tall), and now, in a twist nobody saw coming, the great wilderness of Maine. Baxter State Park, home of Mount Katahdin — at 5,269 feet the highest peak in Maine and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail — has a vehicle size limit of 9 feet tall, 7 feet wide, and 22 feet long for a single vehicle...

Young and Unshod: Hiking Mount Washington Barefoot (And Why the Kids Won) A family ascent of New England's highest peak via Lion's Head and Boott Spur — featuring three barefoot children, two adults who should have known better, and a mountain with a reputation for killing people's dignity The mountain ahead. The shoes, dangling from backpacks. The adults, quietly questioning their parenting decisions. 9.6 mi Total Distance 6,288 ft Summit Elevation 4,790 ft Elevation Gain 8–9 hrs Typical Time 0 Kids' Blisters ∞ Adults' Regrets Let me establish something important before we begin: I am not a reckless parent. I am a creative parent, which is an entirely different thing, and I'd thank you to remember that distinction when I tell you that my three sons climbed Mount Washington — the highest peak in the northeastern United States and self-declared home of the world's ...

A Hiker's Guide to Costa Rica: Trails, Tips & Toucans (That Will Judge Your Fitness) Welcome to Costa Rica, where every hike comes with a side of existential humidity , at least one howler monkey trying to emotionally intimidate you from a tree, and scenery so jaw-dropping you'll stop mid-climb just to stare — which is convenient, because your lungs will need the break anyway. This is the only Costa Rica hiking guide you'll need: real costs, honest logistics, permit nightmares, and the hikes you absolutely cannot miss — whether you're a family with kids, a solo adventurer trying to prove something to yourself, or a retiree who has decided the Osa Peninsula is a perfectly reasonable place to have a heart-warming personal crisis. If you're planning an epic trek across the entire country, also check out our guide to El Camino de Costa Rica — the ultimate coast-to-coast thru-hike . It's 280 km of pure, beautiful, soul-testing trail, and I say t...