Figuring Out My Next Step while Walking Five Million
In a little less than four months, I will be setting out on the adventure of a lifetime. I will spend approximately six months hiking the Appalachian Trail. Six months. ...
“Wait,” They Say, “You’re Doing What?”
The conversation usually goes something like this… “Hey, David! What have you been up to?” Me: “Oh, you know, just planning to go hike the Appalachian Trail this spring.” “Wow,...
How Would Your Thru-Hike Have Been Different Without Your Son?
Since completing our thru-hike, I have often been asked what the thru-hike would have been like without my son tagging along. The first—and most accurate answer—is that there would not...
Butternut, Laraway, and Maple Syrup: Day Four on the Long Trail
We wake up at 7 a.m., cursing myself for not waking up to my 6 a.m. alarm. I want to get an early start today since we have almost fifteen...
The Most Beautiful Spots from Our 290-Mile Hike Through Switzerland
While preparing our adventure in Europe, especially the crossing of the Alps, we planned to walk a few hundred kilometers in Switzerland, the ultimate mountainous country. Neither of us really...
Washed Out in Devil’s Gulch: Long Trail Day Three
I wake up to the sound of rain on the tin roof of the lodge. A lot of rain. Normally this would have been a welcome sound, the sound that...
Goldilocks and the Six Sleeping Pads
It's November and fall has finally arrived in East Tennessee. That means I have been itching to get outside, and try to sneak hikes or even overnight trips into my...
What Starts Well Doesn’t End Well: Long Trail Day Two
Hello, sun. I wake up in Jay Camp to the lightening sky outside, surrounded by the men I met the night before. My sleep was light mostly due to the...
Gear Review: Montbell Permafrost Light Down Parka
You can never have enough puffy coats, and the Montbell Permafrost Light Down Parka is the real deal. It's meant to be worn in extremely cold temperatures and rowdy winter...
Chinook Trail: Lost Lake to ALDHA-West Gathering
I was anxious to hit the Lost Lake General Store this morning---I really wanted something for breakfast other than Pop-Tarts and oatmeal. A breakfast burrito, cinnamon roll---anything but the usual!
