Hiking the Appalachian Trail will fulfill a lifelong dream for me. I had the good fortune of enjoying New Hampshire's White Mountains as a summer playground for many years as a youngster -- a critical element in growing into future roles as student, son, hiker, skier, college grad, military officer, husband, systems analyst, father, and leader. I don't often let my mind drift to beta mode. I prefer active mental activities such as analytical problem solving, reading, poker, alternative music, fantasy sports, the stock market, craft beer, and puzzles of any type. Like everyone else, I'm constantly attempting to balance the life scales of mental, physical, and spiritual me -- but I'll try to do it with a laugh and a smile, OK?
Posts
AT Days 28-31: High Road Hits High Gear!
My enthusiasm continued to build as I moved into the New York section of the trail that would take me across the Hudson River towards Connecticut. My daily mileage also hit a four day high of 72 miles as I was really getting into a solid daily routine.
AT Days 24-27: Beauty, Beer, Balance, and Bears!
I'd really enjoy this stretch of the New Jersey and New York AT. The wide spectrum of sights and eco-settings really made these days special.
AT Days 20-23: Trail Math – Does Nearo + Nearo = Zero?
This four day stretch between Pennsylvania and New Jersey feels like a positive turning point for my AT hike. After taking two Nearos, my legs are fully healed and the terrain is improving.
AT Days 16-19: A Long Rain Hits PA
Through this point in my thru-hike, the weather had been very pleasing. That would change as I worked my way through more AT miles in Pennsylvania.
AT Days 12-15: Rocksylvania Shows Up, No Room in That Hamburg Joint
I’d spent the last eight days hiking in Pennsylvania, encountering manageable rocky terrain at times. Things got tougher in this stretch, including my efforts to find a place to take a zero day.
AT Days 8-11: From full recovery mode to full privy
After logging 120 miles in my first seven days on the AT, I was physically beat up. In Duncannon PA I’d take my first break before hitting the trail again.
AT days 4-7: Pennsylvania from fry to freeze
The next four days of my AT hike would start with a sweltering 80 degree day and end with a frigid windy night.
My first three days on the AT !
The first three days of my AT adventure were packed with a lot of memorable events. Here’s how my thru-hike started.
Start date is near! How I spent some of my final pre-hike days
Closing up my pre-hike life has been arduous. Here are a few interesting things I did with an eye towards optimizing my trail experience.
I’m Honoring My Late Father with My 2022 Thru-Hike—But I’m Quite Sure He Knows This
Who gave you the hiking bug? Most of you were, at some point in your life, brought to the mountains and shown a new world. I was a scrawny blonde five year old introduced to the mountains by my dad. He's one of the reasons I'm hiking the AT this year.