The Hardest Miles

That's the title of a story I have in the latest issue of Backpacker—it's about the Bataan Memorial Death March, a 26.2-mile walk through the New Mexico desert, and it just hit the newsstands. It was my last big project before I left BP to move to NY. I tried to weave in a bunch of different ideas (the history of the original Bataan Death March in World War II; what survivors learned, in their own words; some survival psychology and science; and the big question of whether I have what it takes, mentally and physically, to survive a true epic). Check it out if you're interested!

By the way, not sure I figured out whether I have "what it takes." But one expert said that after completing the BMDM, I'm more resilient. Tougher. I know I can now survive a crowded subway ride at rush hour....

Here are a few snapshots I took from the experience. The real photos, taken by Jen Judge, capture it a hundred times better.


Abel Ortega, a survivor of the original march and the subsequent POW camps:


The White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, where the reenactment was held:


John Mims and Ben Steele, two more survivors who told me their stories:



Where I slept for a few days:


Beautiful day for a Death March:


The crowd I marched with:


The photo at the top of this post shows a scale outside the Community Building where people in the "heavy" category—who had to carry 35-plus pounds over the 26.2-miles course—could measure their packs to make sure they were heavy enough. To weigh myself down, I filled my pack with kitty litter, rice, and beans. 38 pounds' worth. Ouch.