alison young | alison young • blissful hiker

Bear Safety with Tom Smith

Bear biologist Tom Smith has co-authored nearly every major bear study. Includes a free handout!

The highest rating of Five Anitas for pants made of soft, durable fabric that’s both rugged and stylish.

Luck, Plus a Whole Lotta Pluck: A thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.

I didn’t walk every step of the Cape Wrath Trail, but got in the best parts before a whirlwind tour of Scotland.

It’s a long, tough slog to the lonely Cape on trackless moorland, but our favorite days by far.

A bothy stay of mussel harvesting and seal watching ends in spectacular weather.

It’s an easy day on farm road along a beautiful fishing river in fall colors and horrendous rain.

It’s dead easy walking on track with fall colors to the loch, then back to a gorgeously restored bothy.

It’s an out and back to a high boggy plateau in gale-force wind, spitting rain and utter beauty.

Continuing the ‘sampler,’ we walk to a lovely bothy but are kept awake by obnoxious hikers after midnight.