10 Trek Bloggers You Should Be Following This Winter

It may not be the ideal season to tackle a thru-hike in your neck of the woods, but these intrepid adventurers have chosen their trails wisely. From the Everglades and road walks of the Florida Trail to New Zealand’s Te Araroa (plus a CA thru-hike you’ve likely never heard of), these are the Trek Bloggers in the midst of their adventure. Follow along with their journey for some serious FOMO this winter.

Did you know you can subscribe to receive updates from specific bloggers? Simply head to their author profile, enter your email above their bio, and you’re all set. 

Joal and Jenny

Currently Hiking: Te Araroa, New Zealand

Hello! We’re Joal and Jenny, a British couple who love spending time outdoors any which way we can. We first learnt that we liked hiking in Nepal where we made up our own route through the Annapurna mountain range. From here we’ve done a fair few in the United Kingdom steadily becoming more self sufficient. In 2018 all this culminated in us hiking Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. Now we’re hooked, always keeping an eye out for our next adventure.

Click Here for Joal and Jenny’s Most Recent Update From the Trail

Follow Joal and Jenny: Instagram | Facebook

Jim Bledsoe

Currently Hiking: Florida Trail

Hi, I’m Jim, AKA Dirty Gil, and I will be hiking the Florida Trail this winter. Despite being a native Floridian, and being a Florida Trail Association member on and off for more than 30 years, I have never strung the entire trail up in one trip. This is the year to do just that. I completed the AT in 2013, the PCT in 2016, and look to add many more arrows to my quiver of trails.

Click Here for Jim’s Most Recent Update From the Trail

Follow Jim: Instagram | Facebook | Website

Halle Homel

Currently Hiking: Backbone Trail, CA

Maria Llorens

Currently Hiking: Florida Trail

Hi there, I’m Maria Llorens, a.k.a. Sawgrass. I’m from Miami, Florida. Ironically, not many Floridians know about the Florida Trail, so I hope sharing my thru-hike will inspire more folks to explore our beautiful and (admittedly) weird state. Prior to this first thru-hike, I worked in publishing and nonprofit legal work. In the past few years, I took up hiking, film photography, and road tripping primarily in Florida and the southern U.S.

Click Here for Maria’s Most Recent Update From the Trail

Follow Maria: Instagram | Facebook| Twitter | Website

Sam Francart

Currently Hiking: Te Araroa, New Zealand

Hi! I’m Sam! I’m hiking because I want to slow down and speed up. I want to embrace simplicity, forgiveness, and freedom in a way that only a trail can provide. I’m hiking for clarity and peace, for new beginnings and new challenges. I’m hiking, because it’s a dream that only I can create into my reality.

Click Here for Sam’s Most Recent Update From the Trail

Follow Sam: Instagram | Facebook

Josh Widdowfield

Currently Hiking: Florida Trail

26 year old backpacker based out of Harper’s ferry West Virginia, the halfway point of the Appalachian Trail. After two different LASHs on both the Appalachian Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail. I’m ready to start talking about them, and my new journeys.

Click Here for Josh’s Most Recent Update From the Trail

Follow Josh: Instagram

Shari Edelson

Currently Hiking: Te Araroa, New Zealand

Professional plant nerd setting out to hike New Zealand’s Te Araroa Trail in 2023! I’m hitting the pause button on a career managing public gardens and landscapes so that I can take some time to dwell deeply in our world’s natural spaces. Feeling immensely grateful for this opportunity to live outdoors and walk every day, and excited to carry my pack 1800 miles across a whole country. Also, it’s been a minute since my last long-distance thru-hike (read: 20 years), so you can join me in discovering how much aging can really happen to the human body in two decades! Hope you’ll read along.

Click Here for Shari’s Most Recent Update From the Trail

Rachel “Clash” McVittie

Currently Hiking: Te Araroa, New Zealand

I’m Rachel (trail name Clash!) you will most likely find me up a mountain, camping, talking about the moon, or in a hospital – they do actually pay me to be there and work, I don’t just hang around. I’m sometimes a nurse, sometimes a hiker of long paths. In this sunny corner of the internet you can follow my musings, adventures, and general chaos as we delve into the mountains and more worryingly into my mind- lets get weird over here.

Click Here for Rachel’s Most Recent Update From the Trail

Follow Clash: Instagram

Ruth Morley

Currently Hiking: Florida Trail

After living overseas 18 years, I continue to enjoy exploring the world, especially via my own two feet. Doing the 1500 mile GR5 trail from the North Sea to the Mediterranean made me fall in love with long distance backpacking. Since returning to the US, I have completed the Appalachian Trail in 4 long sections over 4 summers, and covered half of Ohio’s Buckeye Trail. I do all of this completely plant powered, dehydrating all my own food, free of animal products and no added salt, oil or sugars. I love the health benefits, as well as how great it makes me feel! Please join me as I tackle new trails and enter into my 8th decade of life.

Click Here for Ruth’s Most Recent Update from the Trail

Follow Ruth: Facebook

Featured image via Joal and Jenny.