Daniel Balderose

Hello there! My name is Daniel Balderose, trail name "Patches". I am a long time nature lover and stoked to be hiking the Appalachian Trail! My partner (Mr. X) and I will start are Northbound thru-hike starting 03/01. I am so excited!!!

Posts

Meet the Tramily

Meet the Tramily

So, I spent a total of 59 days on trail. I hiked a total of 732 miles. Starting in Georgia, I hiked through North Carolina, Tennessee and Southern

May 5, 2026 : Daniel Balderose
500-732 miles

500-732 miles

Leaving Damascus... After leaving Damascus, we still had to encounter a lot of damage from Hurricane Helene. So, the officials at the ATC planned a

May 5, 2026 : Daniel Balderose
Part 2

Part 2

Sitting in a hostel in Damascus, VA, I contemplate the journey ahead. Each day is basically the same, just trying to get from point A to point B in a

Apr 11, 2026 : Daniel Balderose
Enough with the feet already (part one).

Enough with the feet already (part one).

Forty Two days in and I'm still talking about my feet, sheesh. Let's just say that they still are a mess, but I'm powering through (with a small

Apr 11, 2026 : Daniel Balderose
Trail legs…not quite

Trail legs…not quite

Everything is harder than it seems. Even this blog is harder than it seems. I'm tired, my feet hurt, I'm thirsty, all these problems have

Mar 27, 2026 : Daniel Balderose
Survival = lots of energy

Survival = lots of energy

SUN 3-15 Bryson City, NC 1918 hrs. Survival on the Appalachian Trail / wilderness takes a lot of energy! Day 1:  Arriving at Amicalola Start

Mar 15, 2026 : Daniel Balderose
The wait is over (almost)

The wait is over (almost)

As I have only 2 days left here at home base Charleston, I am beginning to operate on autopilot. There is not much else for me to do here as far

Feb 26, 2026 : Daniel Balderose
30.6

30.6

8 days to go With just over one week before I fly from Charleston, SC to Atlanta, GA, I find myself sitting in my comfy chair, feet up, relaxing in

Feb 20, 2026 : Daniel Balderose
Why in the hell am I doing this?

Why in the hell am I doing this?

12 days and counting... Being that this is my first post, let's start from the beginning. I am super excited to begin my journey thru-hiking the

Feb 16, 2026 : Daniel Balderose