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Some Friends I Met Along the Way
Making friends with people from all walks of life – on the trail, in the shelters, in shuttles, and in lodging spots – is one of the nicest, most extraordinary things about hiking the AT.
I didn’t capture any pictures of wildlife (we actually saw very little), but I did capture images of several hiker friends in their natural habitat. In hindsight, I wish I had been more forthright and diligent in this effort. The following images, therefore, show just some of the friends I have made along the way. All drawings by my daughter, Anna Wagstaff.
The Flip Flop Festival attendees just prior to heading north on the AT. Not all hikers were present in the group photo.
Trig, a retired surveyor from New Zealand and great companion. He started with our original group, and then got off the trail in MA. We were sorry when he left.
Bad Bats, a YouTuber with an undaunted spirit
Forest, a kind and free spirit from our hometown. He had the smallest, lightest pack of anyone we met, after having started in GA with what he described as “a lot of stupid stuff”.
Sponge Fob, a delightful hiker with whom we crossed paths several times.
Blackbird, who came all the way from Honolulu. She took a few weeks off and recently returned to the trail. I was always happy to see her at tent sites and shelters.
Root, a great friend and tenacious spirit. He recently summited Katahdin and is on his way south to flip from Harpers Ferry to Springer.
Crapshoot, who section-hiked with his brother Bedrock (not pictured). He shaved his beard shortly after this photo was taken.
Aves, Lobo, and their dog Ice Breaker, who joined them the first month or so. They got engaged along the way in NH.
NatGeo, fellow flip-flopper and quick with a funny story. A fast hiker, he lost no time heading back to Harpers Ferry after completing the northern half.
Coach, a section hiker from FL who liked to make up songs and poems about the trail
T, van support for her thru-hiker husband Porcupine (not pictured). She also generously cooked meals, offered rides, and provided support for other hikers lucky enough to coincide with Porcupine.
Typical, a retired OH state trooper. He maintained a near-daily YouTube channel, which motivated him to continue hiking. He even included us in a clip!
Flying Camel, wife and hiking partner of Alchemist, she got off the trail in MA and surprised us when she reappeared just before the 100 MW.
Alchemist, one of the friendliest, strongest and most patient hikers you’ll ever encounter. He recently completed his AT thru-hike!
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Comments 3
Thank you for sharing your daughter’s wonderful artwork. Its great to put faces with the trail names we’ve been hearing about.
I have watched and enjoyed several AT UTubers on UTube . My cousin is on the AT “Just Try” and I’m so excited to see her summit on mama K , here soon. She started in February 2023 at Springer Mountain in GA . I never heard of the AT until she announced that she was going on the AT. And ever since then I’ve been watching. I’ve watched BadBat and Typical “Pat Townsend”, Big Willy Dawg, Englishman Just Walking, Jordan Hikes , Craft beer cavalier, Aron Goss OGhikes, and I could go on. There’s so many great hikers and I love every one of them.
Anna’s drawings are just amazing. What a great idea! She is so talented.