A California thru-hike

shoyz

in da woodz

/ʃɔɪz/

noun

A person who has traded sidewalks for switchbacks; one who walks the length of California on foot, carrying his life on his back and reporting in only when the mood (or the cell signal) strikes.
The act or state of being unhurried and unreachable along a long trail. No schedule, no tracker — just shoyz.
(informal) A dispatch, note, or fragment of trail wisdom sent from somewhere between two trees.

usage

“Where’s he at on the map?” “Couldn’t tell ya. He’s shoyz in da woodz.”

etymology

Coastal trail dialect. Origin disputed; widely believed to mean somewhere out there, doing just fine.

related forms

shoyzin’ (v.)|gone shoyz (adj.)

Meet Shoyz

Hi, I’m Shoyz.

I’m walking from the Pacific coast to the summit of Mount Shasta — 314 miles on foot through redwood groves, Klamath canyons, and alpine ridgelines. No GPS tracker, no schedule, no sponsors. Just a man, his pack, and the mountain pulling him east.

Currently somewhere between Crescent City and 14,179 feet.

Crescent City, CA → Mount Shasta, CA

Pacific shore to 14,179 ft — coast redwoods to alpine snowfields

314 mi

Trail

14,179 ft

Summit

Segments

Pacific → Summit

Route