Deane "Roo" Giordano

Hey, y’all. You can call me Roo, shirt for Ruby Throat. I live in the Western North Carolina mountains and I’m planning a flip flop hike (because I never do anything in the “right” order). I’ll start with a new moon on April 26, NOBO from Grayson Highlands State Park (because….ponies!) I’m a card-carrying tree-hugger and a natural born nomad. If you see someone smelling wild roses and marveling at flamboyant fungi along the way, that will be me. Oh, yeah... my knees are totally looking forward to hiking the White Mountains. Please visit me at rubythroatjournal.com, too.

Posts

It’s Not You, It’s Me… Gear I Broke Up With On The Trail

It’s Not You, It’s Me… Gear I Broke Up With On The Trail

Last week I shared my top five pieces of gear on my 2017 AT hike.  I cheated and added an extra and don’t even get me started on Fluffy and Puffy and

Jan 16, 2018 : Deane "Roo" Giordano
My Top Five Pieces Of 2017 Thru-Hike Gear

My Top Five Pieces Of 2017 Thru-Hike Gear

It’s so fun seeing this flurry of thru-hike planning happening now on The Trek.  I love to plan and to do research, so I’m having some pleasant, and

Jan 10, 2018 : Deane "Roo" Giordano
Shedding Blood, Sweat and Tears in New Hampshire

Shedding Blood, Sweat and Tears in New Hampshire

New Hampshire Made Me Cry First, the good news...I walked out of New Hampshire and into Maine on Tuesday, August 29. And there was much

Aug 31, 2017 : Deane "Roo" Giordano
Getting My Slack Packer Glow On

Getting My Slack Packer Glow On

I met Namaste in Virginia at the Woods Hole Hostel (where we all held hands and expressed gratitude for things like coffee and a dry place to sleep

Aug 10, 2017 : Deane "Roo" Giordano
The End of a Tramily

The End of a Tramily

Feeling rushed and having regrets. I broke up with my trail family (tramily) today. I've been feeling rushed lately. And I'm starting to have

Jul 31, 2017 : Deane "Roo" Giordano
How to Train for the Thru-Hiker Olympics

How to Train for the Thru-Hiker Olympics

Massachusetts is pretty, y'all! I'm taking a zero today in Great Barrington, MA. It's my first day off in about 600 miles. That's a lot of

Jul 27, 2017 : Deane "Roo" Giordano
The Gift of Two Black Eyes

The Gift of Two Black Eyes

Ask almost any former thru hiker what they didn't expect when they first started their hike and almost every one will say something like, "The trail

Jul 3, 2017 : Deane "Roo" Giordano
See Ya Never Again, Shenandoahs!

See Ya Never Again, Shenandoahs!

How do you know someone's a thru-hiker? The outfit usually gives it away! Shenandoahs, done! I covered 108 miles over 8 days, which is

Jun 16, 2017 : Deane "Roo" Giordano
Rethinking How to Hike My Own Hike–There Will Be Consequences

Rethinking How to Hike My Own Hike–There Will Be Consequences

For the record, Virginia...not flat, not easy. I was 360.8 miles in to my flip-flop thru hike and looking forward immensely to a zero at the Quality

Jun 7, 2017 : Deane "Roo" Giordano
Day 21….Ending the Day Early Because I Can

Day 21….Ending the Day Early Because I Can

I might be getting my trail legs. Today I hiked almost 14 miles and had my camp set up by 3pm. Up until today, a 14 mile day meant dragging in at 5

May 16, 2017 : Deane "Roo" Giordano