Mary Meixner

I hail from Ohio, the state with no mountains, so this mountain-seeking girl is heading for the Appalachian Trail in 2017! I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 2013 and have been working in the animal care field ever since, taking care of everything from horses to snakes to tigers to bears to eagles. At present, I am the Curator of Birds at a sanctuary for birds in Ohio. I am not sure where in life I want to go from here, so I am hoping that spending four months in the woods will help me discover some direction. Happy Trails! “Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures.”

Posts

Yoyoing…but not that kind of yoyoing.

Yoyoing…but not that kind of yoyoing.

Usually, in thruhiking culture, a "yoyo" refers to a hike that traverses the length of a trail and then, upon reaching the end of the trail, the

Aug 22, 2017 : Mary Meixner
Hoping my way out of limbo…

Hoping my way out of limbo…

Following my previous two posts, here continues the saga of my rebellious left leg. I have now been off the Trail for six days.  My leg/hip/back

Aug 11, 2017 : Mary Meixner
When the “Q” word rears its ugly head…

When the “Q” word rears its ugly head…

Quitting. For me personally, the "Q" word is more of a fantasy than an option. Probably at least once a day, depending on the day, I, and other

Aug 5, 2017 : Mary Meixner
On the “Flop” Side: I’m a SOBO now

On the “Flop” Side: I’m a SOBO now

After about ten days off at home, I am back on the Trail with my sights set on Springer Mountain. Hopefully I don't forget that I am a SOBO

Aug 3, 2017 : Mary Meixner
Katahdin: The Halfway Point for This Flip-Flopper

Katahdin: The Halfway Point for This Flip-Flopper

Good news all around! I survived southern Maine. I survived the 100 Mile Wilderness. I survived Katahdin. I survived Maine. Leaving

Jul 22, 2017 : Mary Meixner
Raw and Real and Rugged Maine

Raw and Real and Rugged Maine

I celebrated the day I finished the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I ate a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. By myself. No

Jul 5, 2017 : Mary Meixner
White Mountains, White Knuckles

White Mountains, White Knuckles

Everyone I talked to about the White Mountains told me they would be beautiful but hard. They weren't kidding! In New Hampshire, hiking becomes a

Jun 27, 2017 : Mary Meixner
Week 7: The Whites, and Zeros with Grandma!

Week 7: The Whites, and Zeros with Grandma!

It has been a new kind of challenging this past week as I entered New Hampshire and, again, the mountains got bigger and rockier than anything I have

Jun 19, 2017 : Mary Meixner
Week 6: The Original Tough Mudder

Week 6: The Original Tough Mudder

Remember that thruhiker phrase I referenced in my first blog post on the Trail? "Embrace the suck." This was, quite literally, the first half

Jun 9, 2017 : Mary Meixner
Thru-Hiking: A Job or a Vacation? Week 5 Update

Thru-Hiking: A Job or a Vacation? Week 5 Update

 I have  officially been on the Trail for a month! I celebrated my trailversary with a hot dog and some ice cream at the Bear Mountain Inn on a

May 28, 2017 : Mary Meixner