
I'm just a girl named Jessica from Pennsylvania. I have an amazing wife--my biggest supporter--and 5 crazy cats that make our days amusing. I'm headed NoBo on the AT with only a year of backpacking experience but hey, how else do we learn? I like long walks through the woods, drinking filtered creek water, and wondering if that noise was a bear who's about to eat all my food. Side note: I'd like to thank Doug for the inspiration to take this journey. If you're reading this, just know that the foundation and encouragement you gave me were monumental.
Posts
Keeping My Hiker Blues at Bay
Blackberry Milkshake Regrets We started our first full day in Shenandoah National park bright and early. I was typically awake before the sun, and
The Mountains in Virginia are Not My Friends
The vortex of Glasgow, Virginia almost got me. Funny to think that such a small town very nearly had the power to pull me in, but small towns always
Conquering Virginia’s Triple Crown
Wandering through the woods with my life on my back had thus far been such an adventure, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Well, maybe one
Cheeseburger in Paradise
“Today’s the day, Hellman. Today, you’re gonna get a beautiful cheeseburger.” I settled into a motivational morning routine on trail. Typically I
I Would Walk 500 Miles
Leaving town always proved difficult. Coming out of Damascus was no exception. We spent our time there eating delicious food and getting multiple
Virginia Is For Hikers
My desire to finally hit Virginia was getting unmanageable. The shelters in Tennessee didn’t have privies, so we saw no point in pushing to them
First “Zero Day” on the Appalachian Trail
Week 4 Update Out With the Old, In With the Cold Two hundred and fifty miles in, and I was still bewildered by trail life. Every day to that point
Smoky Mountain Madness
There were only a handful of miles left between me and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Jose and I had pushed to a shelter about 5 miles
Girl Power on the AT
Week 2 Finally, I have hit North Carolina. The pain in my foot was jarring. Every step of those last 2 miles in Georgia was agonizing. As my
Georgia Mud Pies
Week 1 on the AT The drive to Georgia was one of those things that feels fictitious, like the moments just outside of a dream. We arrived two days