Our writers

The people behind Switchback

Jonah WebsleyFounding writer, trail guides & trip planningJonah Websley writes the trail guides and trip-planning logistics at Switchback, usually from notes taken with a stopwatch running at every junction and overlook. He hikes every loop he writes about at least twice, once to scout it and once to time it properly, and he still shows up to a trailhead by 6 a.m. just to watch how fast the parking lot fills.Keiko ThalerGear editorKeiko Thaler runs Switchback's gear testing, which mostly means she owns a closet of broken-in boots and dead tent poles that didn't make the cut. She logs mileage and failure points in a shared spreadsheet before she'll put a score on anything, and she's returned more gear for refunds than she's ever kept.Callum HartField writer, essays & explainersCallum Hart writes the mountain weather explainers and the occasional essay about what a long day on trail actually does to a person. He spent a decade on trail crews before he started writing, which is where he learned to read a sky turning before most hikers notice it's changed.