by Liz "Snorkel" Thomas | Jul 4, 2017 | Uncategorized
The irony of my trip to Corsica is that for for weeks, I had been looking forward to hiking in Europe because I was getting tired of training in the hot, dry, scrubby, California ecosystem near my home. As soon as our plane landed, the view of the mountains looked...
by Liz "Snorkel" Thomas | May 15, 2017 | Advice, Uncategorized
I hear complaints all the time from climbers, runners, trail runners, mountaineers, mountain bikers about hiking: It’s slow. It’s repetitive. It’s boring. In a world of FKTs, GoPros, and Snapchat, the simple beauty of hiking...
by Liz "Snorkel" Thomas | May 3, 2017 | Advice, Uncategorized
It’s no secret this is going to be a big snow year on the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, too. It got me thinking about how I learned the hard way how to keep my feet warm in snowy “summer” hiking conditions. Distance hikers are going...
by Liz "Snorkel" Thomas | Apr 26, 2017 | Hike, Trail, Uncategorized
Nothing tells truth like humor. Last August and September, Naomi “The Punisher” and I hiked the Great Divide Trail through the Canadian Rockies. While I never blogged about it, now is the time. I’m gonna save you a lot of reading and let this Top Ten...
by Liz "Snorkel" Thomas | Jan 17, 2017 | Uncategorized
This year, I was one of very few ultralight or long distance hikers reporting on emerging gear at the Outdoor Retailer Winter 2017 show. Winter OR is always a smaller show than Summer OR, but I didn’t see many of the old faces, like Will Rietveld, who...
by Liz "Snorkel" Thomas | Oct 24, 2016 | Advice, Uncategorized
At first, being home will be great after your long adventure. Endless food. Endless Netflix. No more foot/leg/back/what-have-you pain. Temperature control. Roof. Your family wants to hear about your hike and see photos. But after about 2-3 weeks, they’re over it....
by Liz "Snorkel" Thomas | Jul 5, 2016 | Uncategorized
You know these hikers. You speed up or slow down to get away from them. They never seem to go away. Inspired by this hilarious story from Runner’s World, I bring you 12 odd long distance hiking types. FKT He’s running at 4 miles per hour, taking no breaks, and...
by Liz "Snorkel" Thomas | May 28, 2016 | Uncategorized
Nutrition and hydration were key to making Rim to Rim to Rim possible. When I did R2R2R in 2013, I never thought it would be impossible, but did not finish strong. This year, I knew hydration and nutrition would make the difference and was very strategic about...
by Liz "Snorkel" Thomas | May 23, 2016 | Uncategorized
Tomorrow, I head out to hike the grandaddy of all Grand Canyon hikes—Rim to Rim to Rim in a Day. Depending on what source you look at (and what route you take) the hike can be up to 48 miles and 11,000 feet of gain. Exposure, dehydration, hyponatremia happen...
by Liz "Snorkel" Thomas | May 17, 2016 | hiking as a woman
Last week, I wrote in the High Country News about why closing the gender gap in the outdoors is important and steps women can take to reclaim the outdoors. This weekend, I joined women around the country (and world!) in an effort to do just that. Hike Like A Girl...
