Following the birth of their daughter, Jack Mc Clure and his wife Alana had every intention of continuing their life of adventure. After an extensive hiking trip in the desert southwest, they found that having a baby with them was no excuse to stay home and dream of adventures that could’ve been. With lofty ambitions, they set their sights on thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Canada to Mexico as a family, beginning when their daughter was 9 months old. What followed was a 1, 500 mile odyssey filled not only with primeval forests and sweeping mountain vistas but also countless lullabies, hundreds of diaper changes and innumerable tears shed.
Sparking warmth and inspiration, You Carry the Tent, I’ll Carry the Baby paints a vivid picture of the joys and numerous stressors of one family’s experience raising an infant on their terms, all while hiking twenty miles a day for months on end, in a journey that challenges them every step of the way.
About the author
RJ Cody Markelz is an artist, scientist, and adventurer living in the mountains of Northern California. Cody uses data, mathematical models, and illustrations as tools to understand the beauty and complexity of nature. When not behind the command-line in his role as a data scientist, he can be found exploring California’s extensive backcountry on foot, bicycle, or skis and documenting his adventures through illustration, photos or prose.