I began thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail north-bound in March of 2019. With steep climbs and even steeper learning curves, the AT was everything I'd hoped it would be— until four months in, I broke my ankle in New Jersey. I returned the last two summers (2020-2021) for another six weeks and logged 400 more miles of rocks, roots, rattlesnakes, trailer-hostels, tornadoes, and trail friends. I’ve made it as far north as the border of Massachusetts and Vermont, and plan to finish the remainder of the trail during a sabbatical in 2023. In my other life I’m a minister at the Woodstock Reformed Church in Woodstock, New York, where I also work at a bookstore and teach yoga. Come say “hi” if you’re in the area!
Posts
Power to Petites: Thru-Hiking Tips for Small Women
(Originally published June 2019; updated September 2020) Acing a long hike on short legs There’s a gap in Virginia just for us! An
Thru-Hiking Through Grief: How Widower Randy Fuller’s 2019 Hike Changed His Life
I don't remember when I met Randy Fuller, aka Survivor, but I know when I said goodbye. Last July, both of us were midway through our northbound
How the Hike Changes You: Reflections from 2019 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers
“It’s official,” I told my friend on the phone as I stepped outside and braced against the cold. “I just blew up my life.” The day was January 6,
8 Ways Thru-hiking Prepares You for Life’s Falls
How thru-hiking unexpectedly equipped me for life’s setbacks
Notes from the AT Disabled List
"... The problems of the human heart in conflict with itself - only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat." - William
And That’s How She Got Off Trail
What finally took me off trail for 2019
Finding Your People on a Thru-Hike
What I learned about loving the ones you’re with
Ready to quit the Appalachian Trail? Read this first.
When things get tough and something’s got to give
7 Things to Ask While Thru-hiking
A few questions worth asking, from the triple-crown section of AT Virginia
Five Things Thru-Hiking Teaches You
(Or what it's teaching me.) “And we would walk 500 miles and we would walk 1,700 more...” Five lessons after 500 miles Thoughts on tragedy, Trail