2024 · 159 days
Pacific Crest Trail
From Mexico to Canada: snow, fire closures, hard miles, and a finish at the northern border.
Watch the 2024 PCT series ↗Long trails · New chapters · Age 50+
It's not too late.
Get outside.
I'm Rob “Slide” Peters. After 30 years as a Navy submariner, I retired and took on the trails I had been dreaming about. Now I share the miles, the hard days, and the reasons to keep going.
A life outside
The next chapter is on trail.
I started long-distance hiking in 2009. In 2024, three weeks after retiring from the Navy, I started the Pacific Crest Trail.
Since then, I've thru-hiked the PCT and Vermont's Long Trail, and hiked 1,250 miles of the Continental Divide Trail. I made Bubblehead Hikes to encourage people over 50 to get outside, stay active, and keep challenging themselves.
Meet RobChannel trailer
Meet Bubblehead
A short introduction to the channel—then choose a trail below.
The miles so far
On the trail
Every trail has its own way of testing you—and its own reasons to come back. Choose a trail to explore the story, watch the videos, and take a few lessons along the way.
2025 · 20 days
Vermont Long Trail
The oldest long-distance trail in the United States. I completed its 271 miles in 20 days, crossing the Green Mountains to the Canadian border.
Watch the Long Trail series ↗
2026 · 81 days · returning in 2027
Continental Divide Trail
From Glacier to Rawlins, Wyoming. I hiked about 1,250 miles before a kidney stone ended the 2026 hike; I plan to return from New Mexico in April 2027.
Watch the 2026 CDT series ↗
Experience earned mile by mile
Lessons Learned
Long trails teach you to adapt, keep moving through hard stretches, and find your own pace. Take a look at the lessons I’ve carried home.
Watch the Lessons Learned series ↗“Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.”
A lesson from the Long Trail
About Rob · Trail name: Slide
Retired submariner.
Long-distance hiker.
I grew up in Washington State and retired from the United States Navy in 2024 after a 30-year career as a nuclear-trained submarine officer. I commanded two nuclear-powered submarines over five years.
After years of section hiking the Appalachian Trail, I stepped onto the PCT just three weeks after retirement. I finished 159 days later, on August 27, 2024. The trail opened a new chapter—and this site is a place to share it.
I want people over 50 to know they can still get outside, stay active, and challenge themselves.
Contact RobFollow along
Come along for the miles.
Trail episodes, gear, reflections, and the everyday work of building a life around long-distance hiking.
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Take a little Bubblehead Hikes with you.
Thanks for being part of the journey—whether you follow along, wear a sticker, or find a piece of gear that works for you.
Bubblehead Hikes merch
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