Trail Stories
Real trips, real miles, real battery percentages. The trips behind the app — and the moments on the trail that became its features. Best read in order.
Trail story · Tahoe Rim Trail
165 Miles Around Lake Tahoe
The trip I imagined before I wrote a single line of the app — a
complete loop around the largest alpine lake in North America, walked
first in my head. The vision Backpackers Friend was built from.
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Why I built this · No. 1
I Had No Idea Where I Was
My first backpacking trip into Desolation Wilderness: borrowed gear,
zero navigation skills, and the moment that convinced me every hiker
needs their own map. The origin story behind the routing feature.
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Why I built this · No. 2
I Took a Nap and Couldn't Find My Way Back
Two years later, same wilderness, still borrowing gear. I froze in a
hammock, wandered off for an afternoon nap, and woke up a mile from
camp with no idea which way to walk. A lesson in always knowing where
you are.
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Why I built this · No. 3
The Trip That Taught Me to Carry a Satellite Beacon
Four nights across Desolation — Aloha to Gilmore to Middle Velma — when
a member of our group fell seriously ill miles from any road, and not
one of us had a way to call for help. The backcountry rescue that
changed how I pack forever.
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Why I built this · No. 4
We Hiked Into Wildfire Smoke
Brand-new gear, a new trail buddy, and the Dixie Fire's smoke rolling
in as we drove up. We talked ourselves past every warning sign — and I
came home with lasting health damage. The story behind the app's
air-quality check.
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Why I built this · No. 5
There's No Trail on the Lost Coast
Three nights of black sand and elephant seals on California's most
remote coast. Keep the ocean on your right and you can't get lost —
until the trail climbs the bluffs and simply isn't there. The trip
that became the app's off-trail alert.
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Why I built this · No. 6
Six Miles Is Far Enough
One night at Coast Camp: six easy miles in from the Bear Valley Trail,
a beach fire, a sun-wheel drawn in the sand, and no plan to speak of.
A short story about the simple pleasure of leaving things behind.
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