When Do You Need Waterproof Hiking Shoes?
The answer is more nuanced than one might think.
Author
Brendan Leonard
I do a lot of things and wear a lot of hats, so I don’t have a nice tidy bio like “Olympian” or “Polar Explorer”—but I have run 52 marathons in a year, and I’m a columnist for Outside Magazine.
I’ve been an “adventure writer” since 2004, have authored 10 books, created award-winning short films, illustrated ad campaigns, and spoken to audiences across the United States, and around the world. I have spent cumulative months of my life climbing rock faces, running trails, summiting peaks (and skiing down them), and traversing mountain ranges, and I’ve held down a full-time job since I got out of college. I love talking about all these things, but what really gets me going is human persistence and resilience, and thinking about creativity. I create my presentations following the same steps I do with everything else I make: Be Curious -> Go Out And Do Interesting Things -> Survive -> Report Back (with Humor).
My editorial work has appeared in Alpinist, CNN, Outside, Men’s Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Backpacker, Adventure Cyclist and dozens of other publications. I am a contributing editor at Adventure Journal and am a former contributing editor at Climbing Magazine.
My Stories
10 Perfect Peakbagging Trips
What’s better than climbing one peak? Climbing two. Or three—or five. Head to one of these summit-blessed basecamps and go up until your legs give out.
The High Lonesome
Most people look at Colorado's Sangre De Cristo Mountains and see a line of peaks. Our scout saw an opportunity: pioneering the range's first end-to-end traverse.
Love on the Rocks: Hiking Italy's Alta Via 2
A trek through the Dolomites just might be the most romantic hike in the world. If you're lucky.
Grand Traverses: Great Range
Bag eight peaks on the way to New York's high point.
Grand Traverses: Franconia Ridge
Enjoy panoramic views on an exposed, granite ridgewalk.
Grand Traverses: Greenstone Ridge
Tackle 40 miles of an island ridge above Lake Superior.
Grand Traverses: Teton Crest Trail
Take this park's best tour.
Grand Traverses: Guadalupe Ridge Trail
Hike the length of an ancient fossilized reef.
Grand Traverses: Superstition Ridge
Catch an eye-full of the volcanic Superstition Mountains just 45 minutes from Phoenix.
Grand Traverses: Monroe Skyline
Bag six of the state's loftiest peaks in a single, stout day on the Long Trail.
Grand Traverses: Sierra High Route
Breathe in the views and grandness of the Sierras without the crowds of the John Muir Trail.
Grand Traverses: Great Northern Traverse
Cross the top of Glacier National Park.
Grand Traverses: Ruby Crest
Soak up the alpine solitude in the "Swiss Alps of Nevada".
Grand Traverses: Sawtooth Ridge
Tick of Washington's alpine gems the fast-and-light way.
Grand Traverses: Roan Highlands
Gorge on views that don't quit on a high stretch of the Appalachian Trail.
Grand Traverses: Pfiffner Traverse
Choose your own adventure on this rocky mountain routefinding test piece.
Table of Contents: Grand Traverses
Ever wished the view never stopped? It doesn't on these mountain-straddling routes. Here's how to conquer the skyline.
The Other Way In
Hike to life-list hot spots without waiting in life-list lines. These under-the-radar trails deliver everything but the crowds.
Backyard Everests: Mt. Wilson
Navigate a vertical sandstone maze to guaranteed solitude on a high-desert summit.
Backyard Everests: Mt. Stuart
Scramble a sneak route to Rainier-worthy views-of Rainier and much more.
Backyard Everests: Stone Mountain
Top a Yosemite-like dome in a sea of green.
Backyard Everests: Mounts Webster and Jackson
Claim a rare feat on this classic-in-waiting loop.
Backyard Everests: Spruce Knob
Stand atop The Mountain State's most famous peak.
Backyard Everests: Mt. Alice
Feel like you've notched a first ascent.
Backyard Everests: Mt. Conness
Walk a scary-narrow rock fin to an airy summit.
Backyard Everests: Elephant Head
Tackle tricky terrain to gain a solitary alp.
Backyard Everests: Pfeifferhorn
Bag a stout weekend adventure-and vistas from the big lake to the High Uintas.
Backyard Everests: Lone Pine Peak, Inyo National Forest
Climb without crowds to the state's top mountain view.