Embrace The Alternate with Doug Laher | By Land Podcast #127

Doug Laher is the Father of Thru-Hiker Trevor “Microsoft” Laher who tragically passed away while hiking near Apache Peak along the PCT. He was 11 days into his hike when conditions along the trail deteriorated quickly, putting him in a decision to either push through or find another way around. The section of trail he was on had been close for years until this point so any and all tribal knowledge of potential risks had been long since forgotten leaving Trevor and his new hiking partners to gauge for themselves what they should and shouldn’t do.

Trevor was 22 years old, a graduate of Ohio State, and had a software engineering job waiting for him at Microsoft once his hike of the PCT was complete. He had a determined soul, a brilliant mind, and reflective in all respects. His love of hiking continued to grow year after year and the PCT was to be his pinnacle dream.

In the months since Trevor’s passing, Doug has taken up a mission to educate hikers on how to approach risks, gauge safety, and make sure PCT hikers know of the dangers of Apache Peak and that section of trail. Doug joins me to tell the story of his Son so that others may learn from it.

I’m incredibly honored and humbled to be a small part of Trevor’s legacy and I urge all of you who hear his story to take heed of Doug’s message and embrace the alternate when and if conditions call for it.

Show Notes

• Introduction to Doug Laher

• Recapping the events of March 27th, 2020

• Getting to know Trevor

• Doug and Trevor’s connection over backpacking

• Trevor’s journey to the PCT

• What Trevor wanted from the PCT and why he hiked   

• COVID decision making

• Trevor’s decisions leading up to his fall

• Doug’s mission to educate PCT hikers

• The nuances of decision making

• Doug’s unique take on “hike your own hike”

• The Event Horizon of decision making

• How Doug is able to remain objective and logical

• Doug’s newfound mission in life and the impact it’s having on hikers

• Common themes from hikers sharing stories with Doug

• The dynamics of assessing risk tolerance

• The impact culture has on decision making

• Doug’s new connection to the hiking community

• Addressing emergency beacons

• Doug’s safety program for PCT hikers 

• How to follow up with Doug
  
  

Links

Trevor Spikes Program

• https://nomadventures.com/product/trevor-spikes/ 

Doug’s Articles on Trevor’s Story

• https://thetrek.co/pacific-crest-trail/trevors-eternal-trail/

• https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a34785167/accident-pacific-crest-trail-louise-farr/

• https://www.pcta.org/2021/doug-lahers-call-for-safety-in-memory-of-his-son-trevor-87656/

Other Podcast Interviews

• https://backpackerradio.libsyn.com/73-dough-laher-and-riverside-mountain-rescue-unit-rmru

• https://www.hiking-thru.com/episodes/doug-laher

• https://trailtales.podbean.com/e/103-a-harrowing-reminder-of-what-can-go-wrong-on-the-pct-and-other-trails-with-doug-laher/

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