Abby Evans

I'm Abby Evans (they/them) and I go by “Shitwater Fireball: Queen of the Salamanders” on trail, but usually just the first part. I'm trying hard not to light all of my gear on fire and I enjoy helping salamanders cross the trail. I finished thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2023 and I'm headed out on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2024. Huzzah!

Posts

The Uncomfortable Truth About the Dirtbag Lifestyle

The Uncomfortable Truth About the Dirtbag Lifestyle

When I hugged the Katahdin sign at the terminus of my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I realized the only thing I wanted to do was keep going. My heels

Feb 1, 2024 : Abby Evans
Sustainable Trail Magic: How To Help Hikers Without Hurting the Trail

Sustainable Trail Magic: How To Help Hikers Without Hurting the Trail

Every hiker learns to love those cardboard signs with hand-scrawled letters: Trail magic ahead! A Coca-Cola at the right time on a tough section of a

Jan 16, 2024 : Abby Evans
The Worst Conditions on the Appalachian Trail and How to Survive Them

The Worst Conditions on the Appalachian Trail and How to Survive Them

There were several times throughout my Appalachian Trail thru-hike where I thought, Why am I doing this? I don’t have to put myself through this. I

Nov 29, 2023 : Abby Evans
Broken on the AT: Gear That Breaks At 2,000 Miles (And The Gear That Doesn’t)

Broken on the AT: Gear That Breaks At 2,000 Miles (And The Gear That Doesn’t)

The Appalachian Trail is a rugged trail and is hard on gear. Here are the things that you might expect to get broken on the AT.

Oct 23, 2023 : Abby Evans
No Sleep Till Katahdin!

No Sleep Till Katahdin!

The Hundred Mile Wilderness did its best to make me almost hate the AT. It started off kindly — Lovechild and I arrived at Cloud Lake Shelter just in

Sep 23, 2023 : Abby Evans
The Highs and Lows of BigeLOW

The Highs and Lows of BigeLOW

As I climbed some of the last 4k peaks I would on this trail, I decided to run my legs ragged. The first Bigelow peak surged by beneath me; my legs

Sep 14, 2023 : Abby Evans
The Mental Side of Maine

The Mental Side of Maine

I thought hiking would get easier after the Whites. I was wrong! If Vermont is full of mud and the Whites are full of sheer rock scrambles — then

Sep 3, 2023 : Abby Evans
The Whites: My Favorite Place to Suffer

The Whites: My Favorite Place to Suffer

The Whites. Everyone’s favorite topic to fear monger about. Massive climbs, exposed ridge lines, the nightmare of AMC huts — you’ll never make it out

Aug 26, 2023 : Abby Evans
Vermud is Sucking Out My Soul

Vermud is Sucking Out My Soul

Pine forests with roots like dirty knuckles, eating grocery store sushi on a curb, a Budweiser balancing on a trail marker, light filtering through

Aug 13, 2023 : Abby Evans
New York: 98% Deet, 0% Sanity

New York: 98% Deet, 0% Sanity

New York began with me clutching my knees to my chest in my tent, naked, rocking back and forth, staring forwards, fervently

Aug 2, 2023 : Abby Evans