Tag Archives: thru-hike

10,000 Miles, video retrospective

Posted on November 15, 2021 by nathanrainer

When I head out there it isn’t in pursuit of anything, it is in pursuit of nothing. I like to get away from the noise. I like to get away from the things I associate with my everyday life, with … Continue reading →

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Instead of Canyons (final miles of the Mogollon Rim Trail)

Posted on November 6, 2019 by nathanrainer

“To go back into the wild is to become sour, astringent, crabbed, unfertilized, unpruned, tough, resilient, and every spring shockingly beautiful in bloom. Virtually all contemporary people are cultivated stock, but we can stray back into the woods. One departs … Continue reading →

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Ambulatory Beasts (MRT: mile 64)

Posted on October 5, 2019 by nathanrainer

Alex and I finished up our job with Colorado Fourteeners Initiative at the end of September. From there we hastily drove to Cottonwood, AZ, dropping Alex’s car off in Pine, AZ (where she’ll be leaving the trail) It felt very … Continue reading →

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Spiraling In Old Hachita

Posted on February 28, 2019 by nathanrainer

Another piece from the intimidating whole, this one is an old one, a strange one, I wrote some years ago about the first few days on the CDT that spirals into some difficult times preceding the trip.  The ruins of … Continue reading →

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I’m Sorry, You Can Go Home Now

Posted on February 9, 2019 by nathanrainer

Time for a new book of poetry. This is the first one I’ve compiled since my 2016 “19 POEMS AND A STORY ABOUT LOSING.” This new book contains 25 poems that detail my chaotic and intermingled relationships with people, nature, and … Continue reading →

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An Over-Use Conundrum

Posted on May 10, 2018 by nathanrainer

Oh boy. Before I figure out what my opinions are on this yet to be defined issue let’s talk numbers.  According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy an estimated 1,400 people completed a thru-hike of the AT in 2010, the year … Continue reading →

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Endless Exodus (an uncomfortable patriotism)

Posted on May 4, 2018 by nathanrainer

I finished my ~700 mile hike of the Grand Enchantment Trail yesterday. Standing up on Sandia Crest looking down on the endless flat sprawl of Albuquerque I thought very little. I just had the feeling that something good was over, … Continue reading →

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That Dark Calling (mile 657)

Posted on April 30, 2018 by nathanrainer

I left Magdalena a little past noon. I had a little tear in my eye and a pain in my chest as is often the case when I leave a nice little town full of people with real lives; lives … Continue reading →

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Made it to New Mexico (Alma, mile 340)

Posted on April 18, 2018 by nathanrainer

Lots to say, no time to say it. Long days of big climbs and massive views. The term “trail” on this route is not the same as my previous hikes. “Trail” portions tend to be the hardest. They are usually … Continue reading →

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From mile 230 (Aravaipa and the Pinaleno Mtns)

Posted on April 13, 2018 by nathanrainer

I’ve been in Safford, AZ for over two days now. I had a rear molar removed yesterday after it shattered on trail three days ago. I’m hoping to get back on trail today if I can chew a cliff bar … Continue reading →

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