Ron Moak (left) and Eric Ryback (right)
at the Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kickoff

Over the years, I've had the pleasure of meeting various well known characters in both the climbing and backpacking fields. However, none have come as close to home as my meeting with Eric Ryback. Even though we're about the same age, Eric was already a legend when I was planning my first thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in the late 70's. By then he'd already become the first person to hike the Triple Crown.

Having completed the Appalachian Trail (1968), Pacific Crest Trail (1970)  the Continental Divide Trail (1972), he had authored books on both the PCT and CDT and had written a section of the Rhodale Press 2 volume AT book. He quickly became a legend to many of us seeking to follow in his foot steps.

In those early days, long before the advent of the Internet, there were few backpacking stores and even fewer avenues of information on the long trails. For the most part, the PCT existed only on paper with a hodge podge of interconnected trails. So many of us aspiring hikers would eagerly snap up every book on the subject and read and re-read them trying to gleam every last nugget of information and inspiration. Eric's well worn books still adorn my library shelves and will be handed down to my son.

Eventually, my wife and I did thru-hike the AT in '77 and had planned to hike the PCT a few years later. However, life sometimes gets in the way of plans. So my PCT hike was delayed some 23 years. With the CDT it's been 6 years and counting since I first started hiking that trail. With well over half done, hopefully I'll finish up in the next couple of years.  Then I too with join the Triple Crown team.

PS. Eric even bought one of our Lunar Duo tents. While he doesn't do much backpacking these days. He and his wife enjoy multiday bicycling trips. So the Lunar Duo is a perfect fit for their needs.