Philip Werner

Philip Werner quit his corporate job in 2010 to become a full-time hiker, guide, and outdoor writer. Since then he's hiked over nine thousand miles, become an adept fly fisherman, XC skier, and written over 3000 backpacking and hiking articles for SectionHiker.com.

My Dad’s 90th Birthday

Gerhard Werner

My Father celebrated his 90th birthday this week. Pretty incredible, huh? Even more so because he’s still working, he remains very active, and is as inquisitive as ever. I hope I’m in as great shape, when I turn 90. Being 90, my …

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Western Catskills Traverse

Trout Pond, Western Catskills

I spent most of my formative years as a backpacker in the Catskills, a 700,000 acre forest preserve, located less than 100 miles north of New York City. It’s a beautiful place full of rivers, streams, valleys and mountains that maintains a …

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The Tentative Quilter

Ultralight Camping on the Maine Appalachian Trail

Have you ever used a quilt instead of a sleeping bag on a backpacking trip? I confess, I haven’t. But I took my first tentative  step in that direction on my last backpacking trip. Instead of a quilt, I used the 50 …

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Maine is for Mushrooms

Fluted Mushroom

I saw the coolest looking mushrooms on the Maine Appalachian Trail this year, but I’m having trouble identifying what kind they are. Care to give me a hand? Leave a comment if you know their names, or if you’d like to make …

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The Sound of Cicadas

Mount Katahdin, Appalachian Trail

When I was growing up, I used to listen to the sound of the cicadas in our back yard. It’s the sound that I associate with the hot days and evenings of summer. Yesterday morning, as I was hiking the last few …

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