Retro hiker

Wow, that’s pretty neat!

Thanks for sharing. :)

Very cool, Jen! Thanks for the link.

I wish he’d been on the CT last year when I was — it would have been a hoot to see them!  Not sure how those boots will fare in some of the sections (esp. the last third of the trail), and I hope they have some “bomber” oilcloth for rain protection, knowing what I know about Colorado thunderstorms!

Actually, I love that type of historical re-enactment — I used to be totally hooked on the “Quest” series on Canadian TV (Pioneer Quest, Quest for Gold, Quest for the Bay).  The latter two series used period clothes, food, and technology to recreate some fairly tough early explorer/goldminer/trapper routes.

“Early Days in the Range of Light: Encounters with Legendary Mountaineers

It’s 1873. Modern climbing gear and Gore-Tex shells are a century away, but the high mountains still demand your attention. Imagine the stone in your hands and thousands of feet of open air below you, with only a wool jacket to weather a storm and no rope to catch a fall.

Daniel Arnold did more than imagine–he spent four years retracing the precarious steps of his climbing forefathers and lived to tell their tales here. From 1864 to 1931, the Sierra Nevada witnessed some of the most audacious climbing of all time. In the spirit of his predecessors, Arnold carried only rudimentary equipment–no ropes, no harness, no specialized climbing shoes.

In an artful blend of history, biography, nature, and adventure writing, Arnold brings to life both the journeys and the stunning terrain. In the process he uncovers the motivations that drove an extraordinary group of individuals to risk so much for the summits of our most fabled landscapes.”

A great read by an amazing climbing historian who writes well too.

More at:

http://danielarnoldearlydays.blogspot.com/

You might enjoy Bronze’s 2009 PCT expedition log ,videos, what he carried and references ect., I posted LINKS in this thread .

About 3-4 years ago a couple of Kiwi adventurers (Kevin Biggar and Jamie Fitzgerald) made a couple of TV series called First Crossings based on recreating some historically significant New Zealand journeys using the appropriate period clothing and equipment. The episodes made are available to view here:

http://tvnz.co.nz/first-crossings/index-group-4941278

Cool beans!

I absolutely loved reading Daniel Arnold’s book, probably especially since we have hiked around much of the area covered in the book.  So great to read the histories of the first ascents of those iconic peaks and about the people behind those familiar names.

I met Ben two years ago when he was getting ready for his first CT trip. We met at a coffee shop a few minutes walk from where I am typing right now.

Though we discussed the CT, I think I was more interested in HIS passions. Sewing his own clothing, shoes and so on? Amazing.

And here is two years later doing something  with this passion, energy and skill. Quite cool.