
I'm "Ironjen." I'm a 38 year old professional photographer with a triathlon addiction who has always felt most at home in the mountains. My Appalachian Trail thru-hike adventure is the fulfillment of a dream 26 years in the making, and it began on March 18, 2015. It's a punctuation between life in Washington, DC and life in the Rocky Mountains. I'll be hiking with my husband, trail name Muskrat, and we look forward to celebrating our first anniversary in the woods!
Posts
Coping when Injury Turns a Thru into a Section
I dreamed of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail for 26 years before my husband, Muskrat and I stepped foot on Springer after a cold wet hike up from
What Blazes do we Follow Now?
I haven't posted a trail update here in over 400 miles, but we did keep hiking! Heck, I'm 400 miles behind on our personal blog too, but whatever.
10 Lessons from the First 200 Miles
1. If you see a mountain in front of you, you WILL climb it! If you see more than one, you will climb them all. 2. You CAN grocery shop at
Day 1-4: From Thru to Through and Back Again
Day 1: Amicalola Lodge to Springer Mountain ShelterWe woke early after our second night at Amicalola Lodge to a foggy rainy morning and a lot of
Day 1: Easing in with an Amicalola Near-o
Day 1: AT Approach Trail to lodge My husband, Muskrat, and I got dropped off at the lovely Amicalola Falls Lodge yesterday evening. After crying over
Preparing Your Relationship for a Thru-Hike
Thru-hiking with your significant other? Get your relationship ready for the challenges of the trail. . . There you both are, sitting starry-eyed
Pre-Trail Blues: Tips to Stay Happy ’til Spring(er)
Do you have the pre-trail blues? It's August, and you have made the decision to put conventional life on hold next spring and embark on a 2,100+
Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail, 12 Years After Dermatomyositis
Overcoming Obstacles to Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail 2003 ended on a low note for me as the mystery illness was finally identified as the