My name is Kirsten, known on the trail as Dagmar. I am a LASHer. Self definitions when you take months out of a year to hike become a bit strange. In 2015 I started out on a flip flop thru hike of the AT which due to injuries and life became a walk from West Virginia to Maine. The world of long distance hiking was new to me; I had done numerous miles (or kilometers since I am Canadian) on trails in Nova Scotia, Ontario, and even British Columbia but I had never gone out for more than a day. I read everything I could get my hands on from factual texts, gear books, and personal tales.  Nothing prepared me for the reality but everything was valuable.  I am heading back August 2017 as I want to cover the miles from West Virginia to Georgia. This time I think I know what to expect (I will likely be proven wrong). I am trying to prepare mind, body and pack for the trek ahead.