There are few places in the world in which you can spend a morning rock climbing, an afternoon skiing, and an evening filled with your favorite cultural digs. Bend, Oregon can provide the perfect mid-winter getaway for those of us prone to getting waterlogged in the rest of the Pacific Northwest.
A few weeks prior in the Seattle airport I spotted Alan, easy enough given his bright red knee-high socks and signature “expedition mullet”. I gave him a long hug. We had been planning this trip for over a year, and the excitement of big plans coming tofruitionwas setting in.
There have been many times in the backcountry where I have been having a horrible time. I’m angry that it’s cloudy, I’m frustrated that I’m sweating, my pack is too heavy, my skins are sticking to the snow, my dad is blazing up the mountain without a care in the world.
The quiet is so loud, it will give you shivers. The peace will bring tears to your eyes when you least expect them. The candid nature of the trail will remind you what a small piece to a big world we truly are.
It was somewhere around the half day mark we got concerened. We had been walking since sun up and we had not made it 5 miles yet. The trail was becoming deeper, wetter, and less marked.
Hey there! I am Uriah Hon. They call me “Cheers” on the trail. I am a born-and-bred East Coaster currently residing in Maine near Acadia National Park. Over the last 10 years I have found myself as an aspiring long distance hiker, nature enthusiast, minimalist and adventurer.
The Fat Black podcast is hosted by Nomad Ambassador Kristian Manietta, who works with endurance athletes to investigate topics such as performance, health, and training in both mental and physical capacities.
