Featured

The Out and Back Podcast, Episode 2 with The Real Hiking Viking

by Mary Cochenour May 19, 2020

written by Mary Cochenour

The Out and Back podcast drops its second episode today with thru-hiking legend the Real Hiking Viking. In this episode, meet free-spirited and fun-focused Thomas Gathman, who picked up the Viking trail name due to his Norse-like beard and his warrior status as a former Marine Scout Sniper. Viking served two combat tours in Iraq before coming home, selling all his possessions in 2013, and hiking more than 20,000 miles on America’s longest trails.

Tune in as host Andrew “Shanty” Baldwin goes beyond the iconic beard and unravels Viking’s often-overlooked journey from sniper to pro hiker. Viking shines a light on how he was first introduced to thru-hiking culture and what inspired him to step on the trail in 2013 and never look back.

Episode 2: the Real Hiking Viking on his Journey from Sniper to Pro Hiker

Fresh out of the Marine Corp in 2012, Thomas Gathman crossed paths with some Appalachian Trail thru-hikers. They completely blew his mind.

“This Appalachian Trail thing isn’t just this idea of a trail, there are people walking from Georgia to Maine every year in this big, mobile community .. my brain exploded at the idea of it,” Gathman said of his first realization of what the thru-hiking community had to offer. “I was talking to these thru-hikers and, yeah, they were gross, they were dirty, they were stinky and I was, like, enamored by it.”

Nine months later, without any real backpacking experience, Gathman set out on his own Appalachian Trail thru-hike. Returning home to Pennsylvania with a trail name and a new direction in life, Gathman sold all his belongings and left town. Since then, one trail has led to another, taking Gathman to completions of the AT, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and many more.

Thomas Gathman, also known as the Real Hiking Viking, with mountains in the background. — The Real Hiking Viking in his element.

In this Out and Back episode, Gathman brings an honest account of trail life, recounting both successes and failures, including failed attempts at the Pacific Crest Trail, two winter bail outs of the Long Trail, and a botched try at the Hayduke Trail. Gathman reveals his easy-going, free-spirited approach to hiking, bouncing from mountain range to mountain range in search of the best conditions and most beautiful scenery. When the trail doesn’t pan out, Viking quickly and easily changes course, sometimes ending up at Burning Man.

Viking reveals the long list of places he will go as soon as quarantine lifts, what luxury item he always put in his pack, and which Triple Crown trail he can’t wait to revisit. Gregarious, spontaneous, and untethered to conventional life’s responsibilities, Viking reminds us why hiking is so much fun.

Follow the Real Hiking Viking on Instagram or look him up on his website.

Episode 2 Highlights with the Real Hiking Viking

2:00, Viking talks about his combat tours to Iraq, one as a Marine Scout Sniper
2:30, Viking explains the meaning of his trail name the Real Hiking Viking
5:30, Viking talks about his introduction to thru-hiking culture
12:12, Viking talks about why he’s chomping at the bit to get back to the Continental Divide Trail
14:45, Viking takes on the Appalachian Trail in winter, and how that trip was the pinnacle of danger for him
27:15: Viking touches on the visiting the Jordan Trail in the Middle East in early 2019
29:25: Learn why 2019 was a “train wreck” for Viking, felt like getting boxed by Mike Tyson
41:11, As soon as quarantine ends, Viking is headed to a whole bunch of trails, listen to which ones are on top of his list
46:60, Viking reveals the luxury item that he always takes with him
47:15, Viking tells us what kind of music motivates him on the trail
49:00, Find out the biggest town meal Viking ever ate
52:15, Shanty asks about Viking’s cinnamon-colored beard

Next Episode: Adventurer Andrew Skurka Talks Backcountry Navigation

Mountain guide Andrew Skurka talks backcountry navigation in the next episode on Out and Back.

In Out and Back’s next episode, Shanty catches up with backcountry navigation expert Andrew Skurka. Widely known for
making up his own unique and burly long-distance hiking adventures, Skurka has more recently turned his attention to developing shorter-distance off-trail routes in the Wind River Range, the Sierra, and the Colorado Rockies.

Author of The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide: Tools & Tips to Hit the Trail, published by National Geographic, and host to one of the most comprehensive websites for backpacking gear and tips, Skurka has become the definitive authority on ultralight, off-trail hiking. You won’t want to miss Episode 3, as Skurka passes along his insights on backcountry navigation, how not to get lost, and his favorite maps and navigation tools for hiking off the beaten path.

Last Episode: Record-Setting Thru-Hiker Heather “Anish” Anderson

Heather Anish Anderson looking at the camera with rocks in the background,

In case you missed it, go back and check out Out and Back’s debut episode, featuring record-setting thru-hiker Heather “Anish” Anderson.

Shanty dives deep with Anderson, who spells out the complex set of factors that drove her to accomplish speed records on the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Arizona Trail, as well as become one of a handful of athletes to nab all three of America’s long trails, some 7,500+ miles of hiking, in a single calendar year.

Listen in to find out what drove Anderson, a self-described overweight and unathletic kid, to subject herself to unimaginable sufferfests, ultimately becoming one of the backcountry’s most celebrated athletes.

Meet the Host of the Out and Back Podcast: Andrew “Shanty” Baldwin

Out and Back podcast host Andrew Baldwin covered in snow on the Appalachian Trail. — Andrew “Shanty” Baldwin finishing up his 2019 Appalachian Trail thru-hike.

In 2019, host Andrew Baldwin completed a southbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. After five months on the trail, Baldwin returned home to pursue a career in voice acting. A friend of the Gaia GPS company, Baldwin was a natural choice for hosting the Out and Back podcast.

In each Out and Back episode, Baldwin strives to bring you conversations with people who spend an extraordinary amount of time outdoors. Listen in as Shanty taps into each backcountry expert’s superpower so that you can take their knowledge and experience with you on your next adventure.

May 19, 2020

Adventures Featured Gaia GPS

Experts Say Small Doses of Time Outdoors Can Boost Mental Health

by Abby Levene May 18, 2020

written by Abby Levene

As a child, legendary mountaineer Conrad Anker suffered from ADHD.

“Second grade was a challenge,” Anker says. “Everything in the world screaming for attention and I didn’t know how to prioritize it.”

Rather than turn to pills, Anker’s parents cut sugar out of his diet. And they sent him outside. That decision helped set him on a trajectory of becoming one of the best mountain climbers in the world. Over his 57 years, the father of three has pushed the frontiers of alpinism from Antarctica to the Himalaya, pioneering challenging routes in some of the most obscure places on the planet. Mountains are Anker’s livelihood, yet he still reveres nature as more than his office. It’s his salve and sanctuary.

“I spent plenty of time outdoors as a kid,” Anker says. “It was built into me at a young age to go to that. There’s an obvious benefit to getting outdoors for just a little bit each day.”

Nature helps soothe stress and anxiety, a blossoming field of research shows. Yet the coronavirus pandemic has stripped access to wild places from nearly everyone. But you don’t have to climb a mountain, lounge on an exotic tropical beach, or head into the heart of a forest to reap nature’s medicine. Science suggests that simply getting outside — even if just for a few minutes a day — can boost mental health.

woman sitting on park bench alone outside.

Spending as little as 10 minutes a day outside provides a positive and significant impact on the mental health of university students, according to a scoping systematic review. Small doses of nature — taking short walks in an urban canyon or even sitting in a green space — can bring substantial benefits to mental outlook, the results found. Co-author Donald Rakow, an associate professor in the horticulture section of the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University, claims that those benefits can apply to the general population, not just college students.

“Part of the message we’re trying to share is that you don’t have to have a great deal of time to have a positive nature experience,” Rakow says. “These findings absolutely apply to people both younger and older than college-aged. And most of the research finds that one does not have to be in a pristine forest in order to derive the benefits of nature.”

The Pandemic Paradox

In a non-pandemic world, Anker would be gearing up for expeditions and talks on behalf of his primary sponsor, The North Face, as well as the non-profit organizations for which he sits on the board: Protect Our Winters, The American Himalayan Foundation, and the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation. USA Climbing had asked him to give a presentation about the history of climbing in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The future of his work — and the existential purpose of his work — remains up in the air. It weighs on him.

Conrad Ankor standing outside — *With stay-at-home orders in place, mountain climber Conrad Anker has been relying on small bits of nature close to his Bozeman, Montana home to stay connected to the outdoors. Photo Credit: Max Lowe*

“Climbing is my avocation and vocation,” Anker says. “It’s all wrapped into one. And now it’s being turned on its head. Climbing is superfluous. It’s selfish. Right now is about not getting hurt. Climbing puts people at risk. The value people place on climbing is different. That makes things problematic.”

Anker’s worries transcend himself. He fears for the Sherpas he works with at The American Himalayan Foundation. Their livelihood depends on the spring mountaineering season, which the pandemic effectively canceled. And he acknowledges how the pandemic magnifies the pitfalls of modern life.

“We live in a busy and frenetic world,” Anker says. “We’re oversubscribed. With our computers and our small screens, there is so much to grab our attention. And we’re constantly evaluating whether we are using our time wisely. It’s hardwired in our DNA as we evolved from hunter-gatherers to pastoralists to agriculturalists to the modern world. This creates a challenge.”

Mental and physical health should work in tandem. During the pandemic, they seem to be at odds: staying home saves lives, and staying home harms lives.

If you’re feeling down or anxious during this uneasy time, you’re not alone. Even under “normal” life circumstances, mental health disorders run rampant in the U.S. Nearly one in five American adults suffers from a mental illness. And depression, a diagnosis that covers a wide range of negative feelings that persist for at least two weeks, affects over 8 percent of American adults.

Unsurprisingly, mental health proves particularly precarious during a pandemic. Endless screen time, social isolation, and a looming unknown—the Coronavirus pandemic creates conditions that make people more susceptible to mental health issues.

Recent studies from Wuhan, China suggest that lockdowns and sheltering in place may escalate mental health issues and may exacerbate pre-existing ones. Research suggests that China will not be alone in suffering these consequences. A review of 3,166 studies on the psychological impact of quarantine around the world found that some people are experiencing negative psychological effects, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger.

In addition to stressors directly related to the virus, such as worrying about loved ones, financial anxiety, loss of normalcy and purpose, and social isolation, many people cannot participate in the outdoor activities that bring them joy. Many local and national governments continue to ask residents to recreate close to home, and many national parks remain closed. At the same time, stay at home orders compel extra screen time, magnifying the technological trap of modern life.

One solution to this paradox of staying at home is to turn to another trait hardwired into human DNA — getting outside.

Nature Rx: a Sunny Solution

Doctors have encouraged patients to go outside for millennia. Around 400 B.C., Hippocrates called walking “man’s best medicine.” Science has steadily corroborated this hunch that moving your body for 30 to 40 minutes a few times a week boosts mental health. But new research suggests that simply going outside for as little as a few minutes a day may improve mental health, too.

Rakow, the co-author of the systematic review examining how long students must spend in nature to gain a positive impact on their psychology, found that as little as 10 minutes and as much as 50 minutes a day can have a positive and significant impact on mental health.

Speaking from his home in Ithaca, NY, Rakow currently navigates finishing the spring semester remotely at Cornell University. Online learning could prove challenging if virtual classrooms continue into the fall, when he teaches a course on the prescriptive effects of nature. Rakow adamantly believes in the healing powers of stepping away from the screen and getting outside.

“There is a lot of documented evidence that spending time in nature can have a significant impact on mental health,” Rakow, says. “Stress levels, anxiety levels, depression, suicidal ideation, and self-cutting — all of these negative mental health conditions have been shown to be alleviated by going outside.”

Rakow adds that sitting outdoors reduces biological markers of stress, such as slowing heart rate, decreasing the stress hormone cortisol, and lowering blood pressure. These biological changes translate to lowering perceived levels of stress, mitigating feels of anger and hostility, confusion, depressive symptoms, fatigue, and anxiety.

“You don’t need a great deal of time to have a positive experience in nature,” Rakow says. “You can easily go out into nature and derive mental health benefits. There’s also evidence that spending time in nature can improve cognitive behavior and recall, as well as sleep patterns.”

Rakow strives to incorporate spending time outside into the normative framework of being a good student. He believes these benefits extend to children and adults anywhere in the world.

Warning Signs

Mental health issues manifest in myriad ways, so deciphering them can be tricky, experts say.

Dr. John Onate, who practices both internal medicine and psychiatry at the Sacramento County Health Center, studies depression in endurance athletes. Rather than use a checklist, Onate recommends methodical inquiry.

Onate outlines a few specific questions to ask someone who may be struggling:

Have you felt depressed more than half of the time over the past few weeks?
Have you been able to experience joy?
If you try and distract yourself by playing with your kids or by watching a funny movie, can you feel emotion? Or does emotion feel blunted?

“There isn’t a magic formula for identifying someone with severe mental illnesses,” Onate says. “But you will get a sense from connecting with them. Utilize technology, whether it’s Facetime or Zoom, to check in with your family members, especially those who are really isolated. Try and reach out to them in some way. If you have an elderly neighbor and they don’t have any family, drop them a note on the door.”

two people sitting on a blanket along a river.

If you think someone seems a little off, don’t be afraid to look out for them. Reach out and let them know you are worried about them.

“That very simple delivery can help a person open up,” Onate says. “Or at the very least, it will give you a better sense of what’s going on with them.”

Reconnect with Playfulness

Depression and other mental health disorders remain misunderstood, stigmatized and largely undetected, according to Onate.

A runner himself, Onate took a special interest in studying mental health among endurance athletes. His findings may seem counterintuitive: mental health issues seem to disproportionally affect endurance athletes. But the causal mechanism behind this trend remains unclear. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some endurance runners may start running to mitigate mental health problems. In fact, Onate’s research, which reviews the existing literature on exercise and mental health, shows that running can be an effective treatment for depression.

But even for professional athletes, like record-setting ultrarunner Scott Jurek, training looks a little different than it did just a few months ago.

Ultrarunner Scott Jurek runs with a stroller. — *Ultrarunner Scott Jurek has taken his training routine to the street since the pandemic has forced park and trail closures.*

In the spring of 2015, Scott set the fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail thru-hike. For those 46 days and 2,168 miles, his wife, Jenny, drove their van from one remote trailhead to the next to feed Scott, take care of his aching body, and provide a place to sleep. They now face an equally daunting task: staying at home in their 600-square-foot house with their two toddlers.

“Now that we’re all together 24/7 with no school or childcare, we’ve been doing a lot of runs on bike paths and roads with the kids as a way for us to get some miles in and get them outside,” Jenny says. “We’ve been doing these art runs, showing them the local murals around town. The kids love it and it’s a fun way to get them looking for beauty in unexpected places, be it in nature or urban settings.”

Jurek kids on their bikes in front of wall mural. — *The Jurek kids pedal around their hometown of Boulder, Colorado, for a tour of art murals.*

In fact, adults can learn from those small people suddenly home all day and in need of constant oversight.

“Kids possess this innate desire to be outside,” Scott says as he watches his children, ages two and three, play in the mulch outside their home. “They grow calmer and more patient in the open air. My kids go crazy inside, but they can stare at a piece of mulch minutes on end. I think adults can forget how good going outside feels. We need fresh air, too.”

Humans never outgrow the playground. Play literally rewires the brain. Studies in rats, who possess the same chemicals and architecture in the brain as humans, suggest that play may be imperative to survival for all social animals. Play lights up the brain like nothing else. Adults can learn from childhood play by incorporating playfulness into mundane chores like washing the dishes, and also into activities more directly related to play, like walking and running. In fact, because the human mind links play to going outside, the two can have a similar positive impact on the brain.

Jurek kids go for bike ride on neighborhood trails. — *Neighborhood trails offer small doses of sunshine to athletes Scott and Jenny Jurek and their two small children.*

Licensed professional counselor Haleigh Fisher has already noticed a resurgence in mental health issues among her patients and prescribes a healthy dose of the outdoors as part of her treatment protocol.

“Being in nature, working outside, these activities are connected from a young age to the idea of play, like being at recess,” Fisher says. “Going outside changes the brain.”

City dwellers should seek out nature in urban canyons, parks, and green spaces. Emphasizing that people can benefit from the healing powers of nature, Fisher takes a special combination approach for people with limited access to the outdoors.

“If you’re on your back porch in the middle of New York City, think about a combination approach for this,” Fisher says. “Go out on your porch, even though it’s still going to be loud. If you have plants, spend time looking at that plant. Take advantage of natural sunlight and then maybe supplement by looking at photos of nature or listen to recordings of waves crashing on a beach or a waterfall.”

Our brains cannot differentiate between a photo of nature and nature itself, Fisher says.

Though he’s made a life of pushing the limits in the world’s most rugged and remote mountains, Anker has come to rely on simple, neighborhood outings near his home in Bozeman, Montana to get his dose of fresh air. While not as epic as his pre-pandemic Antarctic expedition, these walks have proved equally as nourishing to Anker’s soul.

“When you go on a walk, every rock you see is unique,” Anker says. “That randomness is the most beneficial aspect for me. It allows my mind to freely associate and to relax. And then I go to favorite trail just to see that same rock, again, it’s a familiar. It’s beautiful.”

May 18, 2020

Company News Featured Gaia GPS Out and Back Podcast

The Out and Back Podcast Kicks Off with Record-Setting Thru-Hiker Heather Anderson

by Mary Cochenour May 5, 2020

written by Mary Cochenour

The Out and Back podcast debuts today, bringing you conversations with people who spend an extraordinary amount of time outdoors. Listen in as host and Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Andrew “Shanty” Baldwin dives in deep with long-distance hikers, record-breaking athletes, and a family of offroad travelers who sold everything to live full-time on the dusty backroads.

The Out and Back podcast drops every other week, featuring guests who have mastered their craft, like backcountry navigation expert Andrew Skurka and pro hiker Thomas Gathman, known on the trail as the Real Hiking Viking. In every show, Shanty goes one-on-one, tapping into each backcountry expert’s superpower so you can take their experience and knowledge with you on your next adventure.

The series launches with Heather “Anish” Anderson who spells out the complex set of factors that drove her to accomplish speed records on the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Arizona Trail, as well as become one of a handful of athletes to nab all three of America’s long trails, some 7,500+ miles of hiking, in a single calendar year. In this episode, learn how Anderson faced her fear head-on to finally convince herself that she is indeed an athlete.

Episode 1: Heather “Anish” Anderson on Confronting Fear to Break the PCT and AT Speed Records

Growing up, Heather Anderson harbored a pipe dream to break an athletic record or compete in the Olympics. But as a self-described overweight and un-athletic kid who didn’t do sports, those dreams seemed completely out of reach.

“It was so audaciously outside of my capacity,” Anderson told Shanty in the Out and Back podcast. “It’s the perfect daydream — something I’ll never be able to achieve.”

Yet fueled by a powerful mix of self-doubt and something to prove, Anderson submitted herself to unimaginable sufferfests, handily smashing speed records on two of America’s iconic long trails. In 2013, Anderson completed the 2,660-mile Pacific Crest Trail in an impressive 60 days — outpacing the previous record-holder by four days. Two years later she set a new record on the Appalachian Trail, walking 2,189 miles in 54 days. Anderson’s success championed ordinary people everywhere by daring to transform herself from an academically inclined bookworm into an elite athlete, seemingly overnight.

Heather Anderson hiking in through a leaf covered forest.

And she didn’t stop there. After claiming the PCT and AT records, Anderson went on to set the speed record for the 800-mile Arizona Trail and continued to lay down a series of “firsts” in the thru-hiking arena. In 2018, Anderson became the first woman to complete the Triple Triple Crown, meaning she hiked the AT, PCT, and the Continental Divide Trail three times each. She also grabbed the title of the first woman to hike those trails in a single calendar year, earning the coveted Calendar Year Triple Crown, a feat previously accomplished by a handful of male athletes.

In Out and Back’s premiere episode, Anderson explains what inspired her in her journey from her first overnight backpack trip in 2001 to thru-hiking some 30,000 miles over the last 19 years. Anderson talks about the very real post-hike depression that she and other thru-hikers experience after re-entering society following months on the trail. She describes how journaling helped her process the grief that overcame her after claiming the fastest known time on the PCT, and how those journals formed the basis of her book Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home, (Mountaineers Books).

Anderson also spills the beans on the one luxury item she added to her backpack in recent years, the “sappy” thing that colored her Calendar Year Triple Crown hike, and her new book Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail (Mountaineers Books) about her fastest known time hike on the AT in 2015. Her new book is scheduled to print in 2021.

Check out Anderson’s website for an autographed copy of her book Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home, which chronicles her record-setting accomplishment on the PCT. Inspiring and authentic, the book highlights Anderson’s background as an un-coordinated kid with big athletic dreams, and how she immersed herself in nature to fill a void of self-doubt within her.

Find and follow Heather “Anish” Anderson on Instagram.
Get her gear lists for all of her famous trips here.

Episode 1 Highlights

2:25: Anderson’s list of accomplishments
7:35: Different categories of fastest known times
9:35: Anderson discusses the writing process for her book Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home
12:09: Anderson talks about post-hike depression and the COVID-19 lockdown
18:10: Anderson reveals her offseason training routine and taking up a new sport
24:40: Anderson talks about her route plan on the Calendar Year Triple Crown
27:20: How Flyin’ Brian Robinson inspired her to do the Calendar Year Triple Crown
29:00: Anderson’s super sappy yet sweet story on the very first day of the Calendar Year Triple Crown trip
32:20: The unique Barkley Marathons, and Anderson’s four attempts
42:57: Don’t let fear stand in the way of following your dreams
51:47: Anderson’s all-time favorite trail food
52:46: The one luxury item that Anderson recently added to her pack

Next on Episode 2: From Sniper to Professional Hiker, the Real Hiking Viking, Thomas Gathman

Thomas Gathman, known on the trail as the Real Hiking Viking, is so much more than his iconic, long-flowing beard. Viking served two combat tours in Iraq, one as a Marine Scout Sniper, before inadvertently stumbling into full-time hiking on America’s long trails.

*The Real Hiking Viking on top of the Forester Pass trail sign on the Pacific Crest Trail.*

You won’t want to miss Out and Back’s Episode 2 as Viking talks about his transition from sniper to pro hiker. Viking also recounts his recent hiking efforts, including a trip to the Middle East to thru-hike Jordan, a bailout on Andrew Skurka’s burly Wind River High Route, and recovery from a recent knee injury.

Viking, in usual gregarious and fun-loving style, reminds us why hiking is so much fun, and why there can never be too much trail time for all of us.

Follow the Real Hiking Viking on Instagram.

May 5, 2020

Andrew Baldwin stands on a rocky outcropping on the AT trail and is overlooking a valley

Adventures Featured Gaia GPS

Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Leads to New Direction in Life

by Joe Pasteris May 5, 2020

written by Joe Pasteris

Warning: This story may inspire you to blaze your own trail on the AT, but before you make any plans be sure to check in with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for current trail closures and policy related to COVID-19.

Last July, Andrew Baldwin set out southbound on the 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail with the goal of gaining clarity and focus after a year of living in constant motion on the road.

Many would call it the dream life, with Baldwin quitting his nine-to-five job in the insurance industry, selling the house, and traveling the country with his wife, Ashli, in their self-sufficient Toyota 4Runner and R-Pod 180 trailer. The seasons passed and they put on thousands of miles, vagabonding to beautiful places like Colorado, the desert southwest, and the Cascade Mountains in Oregon.

Andrew Baldwin and his large dog sit in front of the R-Pod Trailer that he and his wife lived in for a year. — Baldwin and his wife spent a year living on the road in their R-Pod trailer.

But the longer they traveled, the more unsettled Baldwin felt. A struggle with self-doubt and depression slowly crept in as Baldwin and his wife wandered from one place to the next.

“I didn’t feel like I was doing much of value,” Baldwin said. “I wasn’t enjoying anything, even though we were doing something really cool. I wasn’t appreciating it.”

On a solo hike to Weaver’s Needle in Arizona’s Superstition Wilderness Area, the answer to Baldwin’s situation came to him — a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

“Just being out in nature, I realized that an AT thru-hike was something I really needed,” Baldwin said. “I knew I needed to have some sort of personal growth experience.”

Appalachian Trail route pictured on Gaia GPS map

The Appalachian Trail

And just like that, Baldwin committed himself to the AT, hiking through 14 states with an elevation gain and loss equivalent to climbing Mount Everest from sea level and back again, 16 times over. And, although hundreds of miles shorter than the Pacific Crest Trail, the AT is often deemed more difficult because of the ruggedness and steepness of the path.

Andrew Baldwin sitting on a ledge overlooking a forest.

Adding to the challenge, Baldwin looked at the maps and decided on a southbound hike, which is the more isolating, less popular direction to take on the AT. Last year, in an annual survey of AT thru-hikers, only three percent of survey respondents hiked southbound on the AT, while 86 percent hiked northbound and 14 percent flipped in different sections.

Southbound on the AT begins with the most difficult climb of the whole trek — 5,267-foot Mount Katahdin. After that, hikers tackle two of the toughest states on the trail, Maine and New Hampshire, before getting their hiking legs in shape.

“I chose to go southbound because July was the soonest I could get back to the east to start the trip, and because I really wanted to challenge myself,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin knew the challenges of the AT because Ashli had thru-hiked the AT in 2014. Plus, growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the AT was not far from his back door.

“I remember in the backpacking chapter of my Boy Scout handbook there was a page that showed a picture of the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail,” Andrew said. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, there’s a trail that goes all the way from Georgia to Maine?’”

As a kid, Baldwin never imagined he’d walk from Georgia to Maine, but yet, here he was at age 32 about to embark on the journey of his lifetime: Maine to Georgia.

Andrew Baldwin hiking on a single track trail high above treellne.

Maine to Georgia

Going southbound, Baldwin relied on Gaia GPS on his phone for most of his navigational needs on the thru-hike. He downloaded the NatGeo Appalachian Trail map as his main map source because it provided crucial thru-hiking details, including a clear picture of the exact location of the main trail, side trails, campsites, water sources, fire restrictions, highways, and shelter information for the whole distance of the hike.

Downloading the map allowed Baldwin to run his phone on airplane mode throughout his five-month trip, conserving the phone’s battery and getting several days of use before a recharge.

A National Geographic map of Mount Katahdin.

“It was really helpful to be able to see my exact location on the map, and not have to guess how far away the next shelter, water source, or resupply was,” Baldwin said.

In addition to Gaia GPS, Baldwin carried a paper copy of The A.T. Guide, commonly known as the “Awol guide” for its author David “Awol” Miller. Those two sources helped Baldwin stay on route the entire way.

The Journey: Lonely Miles, Trail Family, and Spam Singles

Like many AT thru-hikers, Baldwin started his trip alone. Baldwin made friends easily and quickly earned the trail name “Shanty” for singing old-time maritime tunes while he hiked.

Andrew Baldwin carrying a red backpack and looking away from the camera toward a mountain.

On the northern stretch, the different paces and personalities of those he met were never quite right for forming a group. Baldwin mostly made miles alone. During those solo miles, the self-doubt that nudged Baldwin toward the trail in the first place became impossible to ignore.

“The trail amplifies everything. The big moments are amazing moments, but the bad moments are hell,” Baldwin said. “I was in a dark place when I started the trail and I really had to battle that voice.”

Throughout Maine, Baldwin missed his family and questioned why he was even on the trail to begin with. But he knew he had to keep moving, and eventually, those negative thoughts faded with the miles.

“When I climbed Mt. Washington, when I reached the summit, that was when that dark voice went away,” Baldwin said. “And I haven’t heard it since.”

Along the way, Baldwin met fellow southbounders Oracle, Earthshaker, and Dropsey. Each one appeared separately at different points along the trail. Baldwin first hiked with Dropsey for a few days in New Hampshire, then split off by himself and caught up with Earthshaker in Delaware Water Gap on the NewJersey/Pennsylvania border. He met Oracle on his first day in Maryland.

Andrew Baldwin with his trail family. — Dropsey, Oracle, Shanty, and Earthshaker.

All four of them ran into each other in Shenandoah National Park and started hiking together as a group. Within two or three days, Baldwin knew that he finally met his trail family.

“I don’t think I would have gotten nearly as much out of this hike if I didn’t have my trail family,” Baldwin said. “You’re out there for your own reasons, but then to be out there with other people that you can share this incredible, but at the same time miserable, experience with, it’s amazing.”

Two hikers looking away from the camera, at a valley with trees. — Oracle and Dropsey take in the view.

Baldwin’s adventure lasted 148 days with 125 days hiking on trail and 23 zero-mile days spent in town either visiting family or healing an injury and resupplying his food. Baldwin fueled his adventure with a complete thru-hiker diet, which consisted mostly of candy bars, beginning with Snickers and then making the switch to Twix.

“I probably ate 500 candy bars on this trip,” Baldwin said, not exaggerating. “Sometimes I ate five candy bars a day.”

Baldwin ate things and in quantities that he wouldn’t normally eat at home: Pop-Tarts, protein bars, Spam singles, mac and cheese, and ramen.

“My wife bought a dehydrator and sent me resupply packages along the way with her homemade meals,” Baldwin said. “My favorite was this cheesy mac she made with dehydrated beef and onions and pepper. It was a real treat and I looked forward to those the most.”

Baldwin said he tried to keep his pack light but didn’t obsess about the weight. He modified Ashli’s gear list from her thru-hike to fit his needs. Fully loaded with gear, food, and water, Baldwin’s pack topped 30 pounds at the start of the trip. By New Jersey, he learned what ounces to shave and his pack weight dropped to the mid-20s. But, toward the end of the hike, the weather turned and warm clothes for winter travel made his pack heavier again.

Some 400 miles from the end of the trail at Springer Mountain, Georgia, the horse-to-barn feeling set in.

“I could feel the end was near and I really opened it up and cranked out the miles,” Baldwin said.

Andrew Baldwin standing at the end point of the AT trail, holding a fist up in victory. — After five months on the trail, Baldwin completed his AT thru-hike at Springer Mountain, Georgia.

Life After AT

On December 5, 2019, Baldwin reached the trail’s southern-most point in Georgia and emerged with courage and confidence to chase his dreams.

Since his completion of the trail, the Baldwins have moved across the country to Salt Lake City and settled into a house again. Instead of returning to his job in the insurance industry, Baldwin tapped into his creativity and talents to launch his own business as a voice-over artist for audiobooks. He also created his own podcast, the History 10s.

Baldwin’s wife, Ashli, works as Operations Manager for Gaia GPS. When she mentioned to Gaia GPS CEO Andrew Johnson that Baldwin had returned from his thru-hike and was working as a voice-over artist, Johnson proposed that Baldwin host an outdoor podcast for Gaia GPS.

Thus, the Out and Back podcast was born, and Baldwin went to work interviewing interesting people who spend an extraordinary amount of time outside. In each episode, Baldwin draws from his experience on the trail to mine each conversation for that nugget of expert knowledge and experience that listeners can take with them and use on their own backcountry adventures.

Baldwin credits his experience on AT for emboldening him to take this new path in life.

“Looking back on it now, I realize there were times out there that I was soaking wet, freezing cold, really hungry, sore, and covered in bug bites, and I was more miserable than I had ever been in my entire life,” Baldwin recounted. “But without a doubt, the good moments outweighed the bad moments, one hundred to one, especially as my confidence and clarity began to grow.

“The trail helped me in so many ways to become the person I truly wanted to be, and if you think the AT might be a good thing for you to try, I highly recommend it. It might help you in more ways than you know.”

Oracle, Dropsey, and Earthshaker also completed their AT thru-hikes. Although they live in different parts of the country now, Baldwin considers them the closest friends that he has ever had. They keep in touch, almost daily.

Tune into the Out and Back Podcast, hosted by Andrew Baldwin and presented by Gaia GPS.
Follow Andrew Baldwin on Instagram.
Listen to Andrew Baldwin’s The History 10s podcast.

Mary Cochenour contributed to this story.

Have you used Gaia GPS in a unique way or on a wild adventure and want a chance to be featured? Reach out to stories@gaiagps.com with your story.

May 5, 2020

Professional endurance athlete Anton Krupicka trains on his gravel bike along a dirt road.

Adventures Featured Gaia GPS

How Six Professional Mountain Athletes are Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Abby Levene April 9, 2020

written by Abby Levene

Professional mountain athletes and guides are facing canceled races, maybe even entire race seasons, guiding trips, and speaking tours. Some of these outdoor experts are tapping into their resiliency in the mountains to survive sheltering at home during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Gaia GPS checked in with endurance athlete Anton Krupicka, ultra runner Clare Gallagher, mountain guide and backpacker Andrew Skurka, rock climber Hazel Findlay, mountain-trail-ultra runner Sage Canaday, and mountain runner Hillary Gerardi to learn how they are navigating this uncertain time. Whether locked down in France or avoiding crowded trails in Colorado, these professional athletes share a productive outlook on how they can work on their weaknesses and recharge for future goals.

Anton Krupicka

Professional mountain athlete Anton Krupicka rose to ultra running prominence by winning the iconic Leadville 100. The 100-mile ultramarathon crosses the rugged trails and dirt roads of Leadville, Colorado, in the thin air of the Rocky Mountains. Krupicka ascended through the fledgling sport by running insanely high mileage in a minimalist style: mostly shirtless, sometimes barefoot, and always sporting his flowing hair and beard. While injuries have thwarted his racing goals for the past several years, the mystique of Anton Krupicka has only grown.

Running finally started to click for him this spring. Injuries abated and Krupicka had his eyes set on qualifying for the iconic Western States Endurance Run. The 100-mile running race traverses California’s Sierra Nevada trails and attracts many of the best ultra-marathoners in the world. Krupicka aimed to qualify for Western States at one of the “golden ticket” races later this spring, where the top two racers receive automatic entries to the big dance. But the pandemic led to the cancellation of all the qualifying races, including the Western States itself. Krupicka had also planned on racing a slew of endurance off-road cycling races, which suffered the same fate.

Despite the derailment of his racing season, Krupicka is making the most of what circumstance and health allow. His endurance bike adventures and climbing, scrambling, and biking-to-run linkups prove just as ambitious as his running style. The pandemic simply presents another challenge for creativity and controlling what he can.

“The main thing I’ve done is forgotten about doing any more skiing this year,” Krupicka says. “I have also quit climbing, unfortunately.”

He rationalizes that these activities present too much risk of injury and hence potentially stressing the healthcare system further. When he trains outside, Krupicka shies away from trailhead bathrooms and tries to frequent less traveled trails.

“I think there’s a lot of people — myself included — feeling quite out of control,” Krupicka says. “So we all just try to hyper-control those things that we think we have power over, whether it’s rational or not.”

For Krupicka, that entails still getting outside in the ways that he can. He dialed his running training back a bit; “no more 25-to-35-mile long runs.” Instead, Krupicka re-focused on biking and mountaineering with hopes of tackling some long bikepacking routes this summer and high alpine traverses on foot.

As an introvert and advocate for exploring your backyard, Krupicka’s relatively hermit-like, simplistic lifestyle offers some wisdom for staying at home.

“Read a good book,” Krupicka recommends. He is currently enjoying Empire Falls. “Go outside for christ’s sake. Exercise is good. Don’t unnecessarily self-martyr. Be responsible. Exercise from your doorstep.”

Follow Anton Krupicka on Instagram.

Clare Gallagher

Professional ultra runner and Patagonia climate activist Clare Gallagher trains on the trails, dirt roads, and mountains surrounding her hometown of Boulder, Colorado. Or at least that’s the case when she’s home. Gallagher usually spends most of her springs and summers traveling around America and Europe for speaking engagements and races.

The pandemic led to the cancellation of Gallagher’s spring international speaking tour and goal race for the year: defending her title at Western States. Last year, Gallagher hammered the last five miles of the 100-mile trail race to hold off Brittany Peterson for the win. She recorded the third-fastest time — including men — for that last 5-mile segment. But the pandemic hit her harder on a more intrinsic level than canceled events.

“I wanted to quit running,” Gallagher says. “Running just didn’t seem important compared to everything else going on.”

Gallagher tried going on a run. The trails were crowded. She was exhausted. Her back hurt. Gallagher accepted those signals as sirens. She walked home and didn’t run for the rest of the week. Her attention turned to planting a garden and reading One Breath, a book about the sport of freediving. Gallagher signed up for a freediving course this winter to rekindle her love for the water. With the freediving course now canceled, Gallagher started practicing breath control at home.

“It is deeply meditative and relaxing,” Gallagher says of holding her breath for minutes at a time. “And challenging.”

A week into sheltering in place, Gallagher decided that quitting running wasn’t the solution after all. As time at home passed, she felt less tired and more motivated. She started to run again, albeit at a slower pace. She takes the time to read plaques alongside the trial that she has run by hundreds of times before.

“I’m trying to be present, grateful, and to stop and smell the tulips,” Gallagher says.

Gallagher also remains cognizant of social distancing etiquette and doing her part to make people feel safe on the trails.

“When I see someone walking up towards me on the trail, I shout I’m going to hold my breath!” she says, before sprinting around them with a large berth.

Gallagher believes this year probably won’t include any racing, and she’s okay with that. In fact, her face lit up at the prospect of tackling some big mountain days close to home, including running from Boulder to her family’s cabin in Montezuma, Colorado — some 70 miles away and across the continental divide.

“There’s some pristine wilderness back there that is relatively unexplored,” she says.

Follow Clare Gallagher on Instagram.

Andrew Skurka

Professional backpacker, runner, and mountain guide Andrew Skurka has welcomed hardships in non-pandemic life. Diving into long-distance thru-hiking in his 20s, Skurka helped pioneer the concept of light and fast backpacking. National Geographic and Outside named him “Adventurer of the Year” in 2007 and 2011, respectively. Since then, Skurka has developed a thriving guiding business. He takes clients on trips to Alaska, the Sierra, Utah, the Appalachians, and the Rockies with a focus on ultralight backpacking and backcountry navigation. But the pandemic took its toll.

“When the pandemic hit, I was deflated,” Skurka says. “This was going to be a banner year for my guided trip program — by the middle of February, 28 out of my 29 scheduled trips were sold out. It’s not looking like that anymore. At this time point, I’m just trying to be constructive and salvage what I can.”

While the guiding business slows down for now, Skurka devotes more attention to running. The 2:28 marathoner had been training for the Colorado Marathon in early May, which has been postponed and potentially canceled. He pivoted.

“I extended the training cycle for another five weeks, hoping that the REVEL Marathon in early June happens,” Skurka says. “My racing goals are modest this year. I’d simply like to get a strong Boston qualifier for the 2021 race — when I’ll be 40.”

Skurka hopes that his guided trips still happen later in the year. He moved his April and May trips to the fall. And he’s mentally prepared for his June and July trips to get canceled.

“This will pass eventually,” Skurka says. “But for now, follow the doctor’s orders, and play your part. The more buy-in now, the quicker we get through this and with the least disruption.”

Follow Andrew Skurka on Instagram.

Hazel Findlay

For the past 24 years, rock climbing has played a central role in professional climber Hazel Findlay‘s life. She quickly established herself as a competition climber, winning the British junior championships six times before turning her attention to rock. Findlay’s specialty lies in extremely challenging traditional climbing. She has numerous first ascents around the world, including the first female ascent of Once Upon a Time in the South West (E9 6c/5.13b R/X), Devonshire, South Wales and first ascent of Tainted Love (5.13d/8b R trad), Squamish, Canada.

But now, for the first time since age six, Findlay’s life does not revolve around climbing.

“I had to cancel all the coaching and speaking events I was working towards, which was a real shame,” Findlay says. “And of course when [the United Kingdom government] said we shouldn’t go climbing that was pretty sad.”

“My life right now is like a rainy day.”

Findlay had a lot of “adventure” climbing trips planned for this year. Instead, she currently weathers the pandemic at home in Pembrokeshire, North Wales.

She spends the morning training on a hangboard in her loft and at her computer working. In the afternoons, Findlay continues to work, train, and tackle various home projects like gardening, cooking, cleaning, and decorating her new house. Ironically, the darker moments set in when the sun comes out.

“With my coaching business, podcast, professional climbing and all the things I still want to learn, I have a never-ending list of jobs to do,” Findlay says. “When it gets sunny it feels very weird not to be going climbing.”

While Findlay worries for the health of family members and her coaching business, she focuses on what she can control:

“I’m trying to be kind to myself and not ask too much of myself.”

Follow Hazel Findlay on Instagram.

Sage Canaday

Professional mountain runner and coach Sage Canaday felt excited and optimistic about his ambitious international racing plans for 2020.

“Suddenly, my running and racing season seem quite a bit less important,” Canaday says. “I’ve always viewed a lot of endurance sports as being pretty selfish endeavors. That’s magnified now.”

When his hometown of Boulder enacted a shelter in place ordinance, Canaday effectively shut down his training. He hardly left his 420-square-foot apartment.

“With my goal races for the year all up in flux I totally lost motivation to train hard,” Canaday says. “But it was more than that. I’ve burned a lot of energy worrying about the fate of society and the long-term ramifications of this event.”

Stress is stress. Whether it’s from intense training or getting into “pointless” debates with those who believe the pandemic is a hoax, it takes a physical toll on the body. Canaday slowly upped his activity.

“But my main goal is just to stay as healthy as possible and to not gain a beer gut!” Canaday says.

He aims to run a moderate-to-low amount while focusing on things he previously ignored: working weaknesses like hip mobility and glute strength with indoor exercises. While it might seem like this is a good time to go to the wilderness to find yourself, Canaday presents a more responsible alternative.

“Perhaps now is more of a time to focus on looking within and inside oneself and grounding oneself physically and mentally,” he says.

Canaday rose to distance running prominence at only age 21, when he qualified for the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials. For the first time in 13 years, he’s had the chance to take a step back and remember why he runs in the first place.

“As a professional athlete, you view running as a job,” Canaday says. “You throw out race performances and it gets back to why you really like and want to run, why you find meaning in running, or what it means in the context of your ever-changing life.”

He has also doubled-down on content creation for his popular Youtube channel. Recent videos range from the importance of ankle flexion for a longer running stride to covering iconic songs in his one-man-band.

When he’s feeling down, Canaday remembers the upside of this freeze on regular life: it’s good for the environment.

“I had become addicted to the luxury of international travel,” Canaday says. “And now I’m actually forced to reduce my carbon footprint. Finally!”

Follow Sage Canaday on Instagram.

Hillary Gerardi

American born and French bred, professional mountain athlete Hillary Gerardi calls the Alps surrounding Chamonix, France her training ground. The 2018 “Skyrunner Extra World Series” world champion planned to return to the Sky Running race circuit this summer in addition to other prominent mountain races around the world. When she’s not running, climbing, and skiing in the Alps, Gerardi works at the Crea Mont-Blanc, the research centre for alpine ecosystems, with her husband, Brad.

But on March 16, French President Emmanuel Macron imposed a national lockdown to help flatten the Coronavirus curve and to minimize accidents necessitating hospitalization. Residents may go outside once a day for one hour of exercise, and they must remain within a kilometer of their homes. In Gerardi’s village outside of Chamonix, regulations further limit citizens to only ascending 100 vertical meters. The heart of the trail running race season typically extends from April to November. This year, the pandemic forced race directors to cancel early season races, and the rest of the season remains up in the air.

Canceled races and quarantine restrictions have not stopped Gerardi from training. In fact, she has responded to the uncertainty and limitations with creative exuberance. Instead of long training runs, ski mountaineering, and climbing in the mountains, Gerardi bikes for an hour on her trainer set up on the deck. She then runs for an hour in “flower-petal-shaped” loops on the five roads around her house before hopping back on the trainer for another hour.

“I need more TV shows,” Gerardi laughs, citing the monotony of spinning in place.

Her work at Crea Mont-Blanc has shifted to home. Nonetheless, she swears by sticking to a routine. Now in the third week of lockdown, Gerardi wakes up, eats breakfast, gets dressed for the home office, and works for the first half of the day. She trains and rests in the afternoon.

“I find myself getting sad when I don’t give myself something to do,” Gerardi says.

No time in the mountains means more time to focus on neglected aspects of training: rest and strength work.

“I’ve wondered how good I could be if I truly rested like a professional athlete rather than ‘resting’ while working at my desk,” Gerardi says.

Capitalizing on this opportunity, she relaxes on the couch in the afternoons without her phone. To compliment her downtime, she grew diligent about strength work and physical therapy.

“My physical therapist is cognizant of what this time away from the trails will do to my balance and tendon strength,” Gerardi says. “So he’s having me jump rope and do balance drills so my body is ready for mountain adventures once the lockdown is lifted.”

While Gerardi can’t explore the Alps around her, she makes the best of her newfound free time by “armchair mountaineering” with her husband and mountain guide, Brad. Planning and dreaming give her motivation to ride the trainer while gazing at the Mont Blanc massif peering through the clouds.

“We’ve been pouring over maps, devising new link-ups, and pushing the limits of how fast we think we can tackle routes,” she says.

While she’s a bit disappointed about race cancellations, Gerardi also views the shutdown as a blessing in disguise.

“The last couple of years have been too focused on racing,” Gerardi says. “I was feeling a bit oppressed by the race schedule. Hopefully this summer I can finally focus on some personal running and climbing objectives in the mountains.”

Follow Hillary Gerardi on Instagram.

April 9, 2020

Featured Gaia GPS Hunting New Maps

Seek Out the Wild with the New Wilderness Areas Map Overlay

by Corey Buhay February 28, 2019

written by Corey Buhay

In the U.S., a wilderness area is officially defined as a place “retaining its primeval character and influence,” a place “untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” As such, wilderness areas are the gold standard for conservation, preservation, and experiencing nature in its rawest form.

But in the developed American landscape, true wilderness can be hard to find. That’s why Gaia GPS created the new Wilderness Areas Map Overlay. Now, getting your next dose of deep-woods solitude is a whole lot easier.

Why Find Wilderness?

Research has proven time and time again that nature is good for human health. But not all nature is created equal. In fact, some newer studies suggest that the deeper you go, the stronger the effect of nature on stress reduction. That means that out of every land management type, wilderness is the most effective medicine.

Plus, wilderness areas come with their own rules and restrictions, so whether you’re looking for guaranteed primitive experience or just trying to make sure you’re using a drone, 4×4 vehicle, or snowmobile legally, it’s a good idea to know where the boundaries are. With the Wilderness Areas Overlay, you can pinpoint those spots with ease.

How to Use the Wilderness Areas Overlay

The Wilderness Areas map overlay is currently available to Premium Members on Android and iOS platforms, as well as on gaiagps.com. Go to the Feature/Weather Overlay category of the map manager, and add the Wilderness Areas Overlay atop any of your favorite base maps. We recommend using the layer in conjunction with the Roadless Areas Overlay to find even deeper solitude, or adding the Snowfall Forecast or Precipitation Forecast Overlays to help you plan your trip.

In iOS, the layer is interactive. Tap on any wilderness to view the area’s land manager, acreage, and the year it was established, or to discover the best hikes within that zone

All boundary, land area, and land management information is sourced from the nationwide database of www.wilderness.net, a public information hub dedicated to United States wilderness areas.

February 28, 2019

Featured Gaia GPS Hikes How-To

Using the Gaia GPS App on Your Thru-Hike

by Corey Buhay February 21, 2019

written by Corey Buhay

First off, congratulations: If you’re reading this, you’ve either committed to going on one of the most memorable adventures of your life, or you’re seriously considering it. The people you meet, the landscapes you see, and the experiences you have—whether it’s downing a half gallon of ice cream in Cumberland Valley, or dodging a bear encounter in the Yosemite backcountry—will stick with you forever.

One of the best and worst things about thru-hikes is how tough they are. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources out there that can make your life on the trail a little easier and let you focus on getting your miles in. Gaia GPS is one of those things.

The Gaia GPS app shows you your realtime location on the map, the exact distance to the next camp or water source, and potential bail-out points to help you strategize on the trail. Plus, making sure you never miss a turn will save you from adding any extra mileage to the thousands you’re already hiking.

The Best Maps for Thru-Hikers

The Gaia GPS map catalogue contains over 250 maps. A Premium Membership gives you access to all of them, but these are some of the most useful for thru-hikers.

NatGeo Trails Illustrated. This map layer provides detailed topographic information, points of interest, and trail beta for the entire Appalachian Trail. Coverage also encompasses many national parks, forests, and wilderness areas throughout the West, including large portions of the PCT and CDT trail corridors.

Snowfall and Precipitation Forecast Overlays. Check these maps during resupplies (or whenever you get wifi or 4G) to see an updated NOAA forecast over your proposed route. They’ll help you stock up on the right gear for the weather and plan your mileage accordingly. You can also view them in the app up to 24 hours after you leave service.

Recent Wildfires Overlay. There’s nothing worse than planning to hit a shady section during the heat of the day and finding a sun-blasted burn scar instead of lush forest. Prepare for or reroute around burn zones and active fires with this overlay. In iOS, you can tap an area to learn the year of the fire and the acreage burned.

Satellite Topo Base Map. Satellite imagery gives you the most accurate picture of the trail ahead. Use it to scout safe water crossings, find durable surfaces for setting up camp, and identify loose or rocky terrain. You can access high-resolution ESRI World Satellite imagery with built-in contour lines on the Satellite Topo Base map in Gaia GPS.

Public Land Overlay. In areas where where the trail crosses a patchwork of private and public land, figuring out where to camp can be tough. Referencing land management boundaries can help you determine where dispersed camping is permitted—and make sure you never get woken up by a disgruntled ranger.

Slope-angle shading. When there’s snow in the high country of the Rockies or the Sierra, following the summer footpath may not be your best option. This overlay, coupled with satellite imagery, can help you find low-angle routes, snow-free ridges, and winter-only shortcuts for a safer shoulder season.

A Few More Ways Gaia GPS Can Make Your Life A Whole Lot Easier

For many, thru-hiking is about the social experience. And one of the best ways to make friends on the trail is to always know how far it is to the next spring, shelter, or laundromat. Here are a few features that will help you pull off a seamless hike, and ensure your map is the most envied in camp.

1) See your location on the map at any time. Using the built-in GPS in your smartphone, the Gaia GPS app allows you to view your realtime location on the map, even when you’re offline and out of service. (And when the trail is under snow.) It’s an invaluable resource for finding your way off passes in whiteout conditions.

2) Always know the distance to the next campsite or water source. Gaia Topo includes comprehensive coverage of springs and water sources. Plan your day, maximize your efficiency regarding water refills, and boost your hiking partner’s morale by quickly measuring the distance to any point on the map.

3) Quickly reroute on the fly. With Gaia GPS, it’s easy to reroute to avoid trail closures, scout safer water crossings, determine the quickest route to town, or bail in case of emergency. Simply click and drag to edit a route. If you have an internet connection, use the snap-to-trail tool to quickly determine the best way around an obstacle. You can also drop waypoints to mark points of interest or draw trail closures on your map as you get beta from locals, posted bulletins, and other hikers.

4) Share your location with family and friends. Set your data to public, and the folks back at home can monitor your progress. Your map will update whenever you get enough wifi or cell service to sync your phone with your account online. You can also post to social media directly from your Gaia GPS account, or embed your data into your website or blog.

5) Cross-reference sections of the route on multiple maps. With Gaia GPS, you can choose from dozens of relevant map sources, including the USGS, USFS, NPS, and NatGeo. (See above for more recommendations.) Having multiple map sources can be incredibly useful for double-checking dubious turnoffs and water sources when the way is unclear.

We recommend downloading the maps for each upcoming trail section during resupplies in town rather than all at once. This will give you more space on your phone for music and podcasts while you’re hiking.

6) Record a track to monitor your stats. Monitor your pace and progress by recording a track. You’ll get a user-friendly display showing stats like your hiking speed or elevation gain.

7) Backtrack easily if you get off course. You can also start recording a track if you suspect low-visibility weather or if you’re entering an area where route-finding seems difficult. That way, you’ll be able to follow your own track to retrace your steps.

8) Download GPX files to customize your route. Being spontaneous and hiking your own hike are part of the thru-hiking experience. It’s easy to mix and match side-trips and variations to create your trip—or add onto it mid-hike—by searching for and downloading GPX files online. You can sometimes find GPX files of entire long trails online, as well.

Backups and Other Resources

While Gaia GPS is the standard for GPS navigation and digital maps, you should also consider downloading other information and bringing paper maps as a backup in case your phone gets wet or your battery dies. Most hikers who opt for paper maps mail themselves relevant pages for upcoming sections in resupply boxes. (Keep in mind that resupply boxes are usually reliable but sometimes get lost or compromised, which is another argument for having an app downloaded just in case.)

There are several thru-hike-specific apps like Guthook and Halfmile that contain guidebook-style information on trail towns, points of interest, and other stops along the way. They make a great supplement to the navigational capabilities of Gaia GPS.

Many Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers download or print out the PCT Water Report, a crowd-sourced database of water conditions along the trail, to cross-reference with any downloaded maps. Water is less of a concern along the Appalachian Trail, but the AT Guide is a popular, regularly updated equivalent, and it includes campsites and other points of interest as well. Both of these are valuable additional resources and backups to Gaia GPS.

This article was written with the help of thru-hikers from all of America’s big long trails, including three members of the Gaia GPS Staff.

Lucas Wojchiechowski Gaia GPS Senior Software Engineer (CDT NoBo 2017)

Erik Baily Gaia GPS Customer Support Specialist (PCT NoBo 2015)

Ashli Baldwin Gaia GPS Operations Manager (AT NoBo 2014)

February 21, 2019

Android App Updates Featured Gaia GPS How-To iOS New Maps

New NatGeo Maps for Desolation Wilderness and Big Bend National Park

by Corey Buhay January 23, 2019

written by Corey Buhay

The National Geographic Trails Illustrated layer now covers both California’s Desolation Wilderness and Texas’s Big Bend National Park.

About Desolation Wilderness

Glaciers shaped the land of Desolation Wilderness thousands of years ago, leaving the granite peaks scarred and polished and dotted with alpine lakes. Located just west of Lake Tahoe in Northern California, Desolation Wilderness is about a 3.5 hours’ drive from San Francisco and 1.5 hours from Sacramento. The area is known for its waterfalls, open landscapes, and expansive Sierra views. For that reason, Desolation is one of the most popular wilderness areas in the United States.

About Big Bend National Park

The gem of West Texas, Big Bend National Park sits along the Mexican border, centered between El Paso and San Antonio. The park contains mountain hikes, greenery-floored canyons, dirt roads winding through rocky badlands, and cactus-ringed desert springs. It also contains a number of historical and cultural sites, including those of early settlers, miners, and Native Americans. Fossils and dinosaur bones have been found in the area, as well.

How to Use the NatGeo Illustrated Layer

Available with a Premium Membership, the NatGeo Illustrated layer lies within the United States section of the map manager. Simply click the plus sign to add the layer to your map, then download the area of your choice for offline use.

To further build out your itinerary, find hikes in either Desolation Wilderness or Big Bend National Park by using the Hike Search feature. Just tap the “Discover” tab in the app or “Hikes” in the menu on gaiagps.com to get started.

Want NatGeo maps but not a Premium member? Subscribe to Gaia GPS Premium or Premium with Outside+ here.

January 23, 2019

Adventures Featured Gaia GPS How-To

Winter Hiking: 10 Things to Remember On Your Next Trip

by Corey Buhay January 16, 2019

written by Corey Buhay

Winter hiking might just be the fourth season’s best kept secret. Don’t let a chilly forecast keep you indoors. Learn the facts, and use them to master your gear, fueling, and layering systems. Do that, and you can have just as much fun winter hiking as you would in summer. Honest.

Capitalize on the fourth season’s peace, solitude, and snowy landscapes by remembering these 10 winter hiking tips next time you take on a cold-weather adventure.

1. Hot cocoa is actually a winter safety essential.

Your body needs plenty of water for efficient temperature regulation. When you’re well-hydrated, your blood stays thin, which makes it easier for your heart to pump it through the tiny capillaries in your fingers and toes. If you’ve ever spent time exercising in the cold, you know it can be tough to motivate yourself to stay hydrated when all you’ve got is a half-frozen Nalgene. Instead, pack an insulated bottle with hot tea or cocoa.

Because it’s an effective mood booster and way to coax in some extra calories, cocoa mix is actually a recommended item for many search and rescue kits, and a documented tool for helping winter rescue victims cope in emergencies.

Pro tip: If you do carry a water bottle while winter hiking, remember water freezes from the top-down. Store your bottle upside-down in your pack to keep the lid from freezing shut.

2. There’s no such thing as bad weather—just bad gear.

If you find yourself cold or wet on a day hike, don’t blame the weather: You might just be wearing the wrong things. The biggest step you can take to stay safe and comfortable while winter hiking is to choose the right materials and really dial in your layering system. Wet or sweaty clothes can sap warmth from your skin, and in winter, that can result in hypothermia even in moderate temperatures. To keep yourself warm and dry, opt for plenty of thin layers so you can optimize your body temperature no matter how fast or slow you’re moving.

At the very least, pack a windproof layer, a waterproof shell in case of precipitation, and a fleece or light jacket to go under your shell. Select wool or synthetic materials for everything from your baselayers to your hat, gloves, and socks, and consider adding gaiters to seal out snow and a scarf or Buff to seal in heat. Unlike cotton, wool and synthetics retain warmth even when they’re wet. It’s also smart to pack an insulated “crisis puffy” in case of unexpected drops in temperature, as well as extra gloves or socks on long winter hikes.

3. Batteries die faster in the cold.

If you’re using Gaia GPS to navigate and want to make sure your phone lasts in the cold, keep it in a pocket close to your body to keep the battery warm when it’s not in use. For other electronics, consider using lithium batteries, as they’re lighter, more efficient, and typically perform better in extreme temperatures than alkaline.

(Note: Lithium batteries are a great choice for many uses, but not all. For example, most avalanche beacon manufacturers recommend using alkaline batteries, as a lithium battery’s remaining charge is harder for beacons to measure.)

4. Traction and flotation are essential for safe travel.

You wouldn’t drive on packed snow with summer tires, would you? Think of your winter hiking footwear the same way. If your route carries you across steep slopes, boilerplate, ice, or no-fall zones, consider bringing crampons and an ice axe (and know how to use them). To negotiate packed snow or even just a few slick spots on lower-consequence slopes, consider traction devices for your shoes like Microspikes or Yaktrax, as well as a pair of ski or trekking poles. If the forecast calls more than a few inches of fresh snow, you’ll need flotation, as well: Bring snowshoes or backcountry skis to save yourself some post-holing.

5. Walking through snow will take twice as long.

Traveling through even just a few inches of unpacked snow can increase your energy expenditure by up to 2 to 3 times what you’d need to hike the same trail without snow, and that means hiking slower—think one mile per hour or more. Even with snowshoes, you should budget for a longer and more strenuous day than you’d otherwise have in the summer.

If you’re in a higher latitude, you’ll be even tighter on time due to shorter days. Look up sunrise and sunset times before you plan your hike, set a hard-and-fast turnaround time, and start full-day trips before dawn to make sure you don’t get caught in the dark. (Bring a headlamp just in case.)

6. Frostbite and hypothermia can sneak up on you.

Hypothermia can strike in temperatures as high as 50°F, and many people who get frostbite fail to notice it until it’s too late (it’s easy for numb feet to stay out of sight and out of mind). Know the symptoms before you head out, and bring the right gear to keep your fingers and toes comfortable and safe in the cold.

If you notice you’ve got chilly toes even in thick, waterproof boots, take a look at the fit: Sometimes thick socks can impair circulation just enough to keep hot blood from flowing through. Try thinner socks, or sizing up your boots to accommodate your winter-weights.

Also be sure to keep your feet dry: Long days in wet boots can result in immersion foot, or trench foot, which takes longer to develop than frostbite but can also cause lasting damage if left untreated.

7. Winter navigation is a whole different ball game.

Even familiar trails are bound to look different in winter, either because of snow or just the visual differences of fallen leaves and bare branches. Download maps and routes in Gaia GPS before you head out, just in case. Be sure to reference the Snowfall Forecast overlays, which will show NOAA’s forecasts for snow accumulation up to 72 hours in advance. Always bring a map and compass as backup.

8. On average, temperatures drop 3 to 5°F per 1,000 feet in elevation.

This is a good rule of thumb, and it makes sense: The higher the altitude, the colder the air. However, winter weather can be unpredictable. Check the forecast before you go, and pack for the lows, not the highs. Use a weather resource like mountain-forecast.com, which shows the expected temperatures and wind speeds at the tops of mountains as well as at the bottom. If you can’t find a detailed elevation forecast for your area, do some rough math: If it’s 40°F at the trailhead and your hike’s high point is 2,000 feet above that, make sure you have layers to keep you warm down to 30°F.

9. Snow can reflect up to 80% of the sun’s rays.

In most conditions, the worst you’ll come home with is a pretty serious goggle tan. But on sunny days above treeline, all that reflected light can cause serious sunburns and even snow blindness, a type of UV damage to the eyes that can impair vision for up to several days after exposure. Wear sunscreen, UV-blocking chapstick, and polarized shades or glacier glasses with full coverage.

10. Quick-burning carbs warm you up the fastest.

Constantly adding fuel to the furnace is one of the best ways to stay warm in the winter. Carbohydrates metabolize the fastest, giving you a quick burst of energy and warmth. Munch on high-carb snacks like potato chips, crackers, and candy bars throughout the day. Mix in high-fat foods like nuts, chocolate, summer sausage, and cheese, which provide more consistent, slow-burning energy.

Whatever you bring, make sure it resists freezing and is easy to eat on the go. And make sure it tastes good: Winter hiking should be fun, and it’s hard not to have fun when there’s chocolate involved.

January 16, 2019

Featured Gaia GPS Hunting New Maps

Unlock New Routes with the USFS Roads and Trails Overlay

by Corey Buhay January 14, 2019

written by Corey Buhay

An overlay featuring backroads, forgotten trails, and brand-new routes currently unavailable on any other Gaia GPS map, USFS Roads and Trails expands your possibilities. Use it to explore the backcountry, and add it to your repertoire of tools for building the ultimate customized map.

The USFS Roads and Trails overlay displays a web of roads and trails sourced from official U.S. Forest Service data, and uses a color-coded scale to indicate how developed each road or trail is. In iOS, it’s also interactive: Tap a pathway in the app to get information on its width, surface type, and vehicle clearance requirements.

Because this layer is updated more frequently than the more expansive USFS topo maps, it’s a useful resource for discovering new trails that don’t yet exist on those maps, as well as for checking the status of old ones.

This new overlay is designed to supplement Open Street Map data with government-verified information. It’s an ideal supplement for existing Gaia GPS topo maps in addition to the USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) overlay, as the USFS Roads and Trails layer is derived from a separate dataset. It therefore covers some areas unavailable on the MVUM overlay, and vice versa.

How to Use the USFS Roads and Trails Overlay

The USFS Roads and Trails overlay is available for iOS and Android users as well as on gaiagps.com. It will be updated four times per year as the USFS releases new information.

To access the layer, find it in the Feature/Weather Overlays category of the map manager. Then, add it atop any of your favorite base maps to see available routes clearly picked out against the background of your choosing. This and other detailed map layers are currently available to those with a Premium Membership.

You can find the legend below as well as on the Gaia GPS Map Legends page.

January 14, 2019

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