Intro Blog

Hiya! I’m Kaiyah!

I’m planning to thru hike the Appalachian Trail in 2024. The idea to do this hike came to me on a drive home from a friend’s house this past July. I live about 5-6 hours from the trail, and have hiked parts of it before, but the thought popped into my head that I ought to hike the whole thing. I had thought about it before, but not any serious thought went into it. This time, I became obsessed with the idea and will be obsessed until it is my reality.

I had never backpacked before coming up with this plan but have hiked and camped plenty. I did my first shakedown hike this weekend and loved it, so I’m looking forward to the A.T. even more now! After a couple more shakedowns I’m sure I’ll feel as prepared as I can be before hitting the trail. No shakedown will truly prepare me for the real thing, but that’s part of the beauty of it, in my opinion. Nobody knows what they’re doing! I don’t have to be hard on myself for having little experience, because most people thru hiking the A.T. in 2024 with me will be first timers as well.

I feel at my calmest and happiest while on the trail. Hiking has become such a stress-relieving activity for me. Camping has always brought me joy, so combining the two is like a PB&J. Each are great on their own but are even better combined! I am so excited for what 2024 holds for me. I’m excited to learn new things and meet new people on the trail. This hike is sure to change my life and I can’t wait to see what those changes will be. Plus, I get to bring the readers of this blog along for the adventure! I can’t wait to share my triumphs (and surely some defeats) with you all!