I think the word adventure gets tossed around a lot, I think my take on it is that if you know ahead of time you are going to be successful or you are going to achieve something, there is no adventure in that.
~Shawn Forry
We are lucky to have had the privilege to host in our home two very humble, courageous, and fun thru-hikers. Over the last few months, Shawn “Pepper” Forry and Justin “Trauma” Lichter, “Team Bad Winter” have been hiking southbound through snow, ice, wind, rain, mud, and freezing cold. They have now made it safely through the high Sierras and are on their last leg of the first ever wintertime thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.
They were kind enough to agree to an interview answering student generated questions by my tHInK outsidE outdoor class. One of my very clever and professional students agreed to conduct the following video interview on behalf of the entire class. It was a sweet and special experience to be witness to the interview. Grab some coffee and sit down for a special treat. These guys are unique. Don’t miss it.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZclQRpTYjAw?rel=0&w=853&h=480]
Thank you Pepper and Trauma for sharing a part of your adventure and yourselves with our family. Wishing you the very best on the rest of your journey.
Find out more:
- The PCTA wrote an excellent article on their background and trip with incredible photos, “Meet the two guys winter thru-hiking the PCT”.
- Follow along on their websites shawnforry.com and justinlichter.com.
This is my first time pay a visit at here and i am truly
impressed to read all at one place.
You guys have such a zest for the outdoor life . I just love it . I was always intrigued with the outdoor life and being able to explore the wilderness on my own terms and convenience . Keep up the great work and I will be bookmarking your site !
Thank you ,
Ron
Well, I did like how faith was intuitive and insightful in her questions and her direction of the interview. What an experience for her. It is events like this that shape us and of course its not just when we are young but when we are maturing as we are now! Rockin’, you are helping build the next generation and it is looking good!
I think she is still smiling!
Just think how many students will have a curiosity now, perhaps an inclination to hike a trail and spend a night or nights outdoors. Good work, Rockin’! And the adventures of Trauma and Pepper show what is possible. My little 8-mile day hike yesterday in the desert pales by comparison. But all hikes have merit.
I believe all outdoor excursions have merit. Just the act of putting one foot in front of the other outdoors takes determination and dedication. Way to go!
I love this interview. Very well done. Makes me smile!
I showed the class the video interview today (the class meets on Fridays), it was very cool. They had lots of questions, which I always love.
Yeah I’d agree, an awesome interview, and just to this point an amazing feat. Funny enough I was just there in tehachapi that same day, beautiful country. They are lucky that there is almost no snow in the Wrightwood areas and the temps have been record highs. 75 to 80 in the valley floors.
So sweet that the students did the interview and questions. Thanks for sharing this with us!
I was priceless. Still thinking about that cowboy camping thing or skill?????
Super Cool interview by one of your incredible kids. Thank you Rockin for makin it happen. Hoping to stash some trail magic as they make there way past Silverwood lake.. Is there anything planned for there finish???
They are moving and planning on stopping at Saufleys for a day. They left Tehachapi on Tuesday morning. Things were still open for their finish. Hope this helps.
So my guess would be after they leave the Saufley’s, they should be at Silverwood in 5-6 days. It will be kinda hard with my schedule, but I might be able to pull it off. Apples & Oranges, peppermint patties,,,???
Good luck! They also love chocolate milk and ice cream.
Been following …truly gutsy ..I’m a fan.. would love to know where else in the world have been hiking.. since I’m also planning to hike there outside the states for 2015..again you guys r rock stars. .Congrats
Nancy, If you go to their websites (links at the end of this blog entry) or the PCTA article there are extensive bios on both of them. It is VERY impressive and will give you a plethora of possible trips.
Good interview. A great accomplishment to complete the PCT in the winter. David Odell. PCT 1972
Glad you enjoyed it. I especially liked the calmness of the two. I think that is one of the qualities that got them through.
Dave i knew this is something you would appreciate and respect. ..Alaska man!
Having hiked this trail northbound we can only imagine the trials of crossing the mountains in the winter time. Thanks for sharing. ~Stagecoach & Family Man – PCT Class of 2013
Boy howdy. Just the short days and cold nights would be challenging enough don’t you think?
Would like to hear more about the winter foods that worked well and what to avoid. Great tips for winter search and rescue groups. My kids are in civil air patrol and need x number of meals in their packs and it would be good to know how to better support their training efforts in our winter season.
They liked lots of bars that stayed soft like Lara Bars and anything that had a wrapper and they could stick in their mouth while moving. Wonderful program Civil Air Patrol! Hope this helps a bit.
I was very impressed by the young lady’s composure. What a confidence builder
for one so young. Congratulations.
The interview immediately prompted
me to research their backgrounds. Impressive. Rockin’, thanks for your post and your efforts with tHInK outsidE.
I think she will never forget the experience. No doubt one day she will be hiking the PCT.
Loved the interview. Very well done. Enjoyed hearing about all the challenges. Will surely check out their article and pictures.
Apparently there is one advantage to a winter thru-hike and that would be…
10 hours of sleep every night. It does get dark early.
That was really cool! What a couple of great guys and excellent interview.
Hello Charlie, Thank you. It was very touching being an on-watcher during the interview. They not only were very humble, but super funny.
So happy that you too had the opportunity to host this team. So strange to see them in shorts and without snowshoes or skis. To be a part of their journey brings us all smiles.
I owe you a huge thank you for encouraging me to contact Justin. What an amazing treat it was and yes I am smiling.
What a great interview by your student !! I just read about those two PCT’ers a few days ago in a local publication ( Tahoe) .
They really HAVE had an adventure ! Very cool!
AND on top of that they used a TARP on the whole trail!!!!!!!! Unbelievable. Still can’t wrap my head around that one. Faith was a pretty incredible. She has a future in broadcasting. I am sure of that.