Hi! My name is Rod Clemen — trail name “Boss” — and at this point hiking isn’t a hobby, it’s a full-body infection.

Back in April 2018 I set out on what, at the time, was the biggest thing I’d ever tried: a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. I spent basically all of 2017 obsessing, planning, training, dreaming… and then I actually did it. Mexico to Canada. Five months of mountains, deserts, snow, dirt, and a version of life that felt more real than anything I’d had before.

When I got home, it hit me hard: this isn’t just “something I like doing on vacation.” This is the thing. I’d already hiked in the UK and Ireland and knew I enjoyed long walks, but living outside for months confirmed it — I really, REALLY love hiking. I love the rhythm of it. I love waking up and knowing that “go north” is the whole to-do list.

And yeah, coming back to “real life” after that kind of freedom is rough. Right now I’m actually between jobs, which means I technically have the time to go hike — but I can’t afford to just disappear onto a long trail. That’s the worst combo. I miss the simple version of life: carry your home on your back, eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired, watch the world change one step at a time. No meetings. No fluorescent lighting. Just trail.