Appalachian Trail 2017

We Heard the Call, We Answered… Now What?

We Heard the Call, We Answered… Now What?

There is a particular day in every aspiring thru-hiker's life where we suddenly heard the call of the wild, or for me in particular, Katahdin's beautiful voice in my dreams....

Mar 5, 2018 : Ashley Hill
Thank You, Appalachian Trail

Thank You, Appalachian Trail

Katahdin Was Never The End   I finished my hike backtracking from Katahdin after concerns over my many injuries began to fuel doubts I’d finish before the park closed. The...

Oct 24, 2017 : Jeremy Gottschalk
One Last Milestone Before The Finish

One Last Milestone Before The Finish

I hadn't planned it to be this way, but my 2000-mile milestone arrived darn close to iconic McAfee Knob. McAfee Knob and the Katahdin terminus sign are unquestionably two of...

Jul 7, 2017 : Katina (Arachne) Daanen
The Zen of Hostels, Hotels, and Homes and the Power of Protein Bars

The Zen of Hostels, Hotels, and Homes and the Power of Protein Bars

Besides shelters and the homes of friends and strangers, hostels and hotels form the trifecta of hiker refuges. Each hostel and hotel found along the Appalachian Trail is as different...

Jun 25, 2017 : Katina (Arachne) Daanen
Living A Sheltered Life

Living A Sheltered Life

Shelters become nightly community social hubs after a long day of hiking, despite the lack of privacy, despite the snoring and despite the less than stellar accommodations.

Jun 1, 2017 : Katina (Arachne) Daanen
Only Three More Days

Only Three More Days

Three days from now I will summit Katahdin again. This time I will take Hunt Trail (the Appalachian Trail in Baxter State Park). The following day, I will head south to...

May 29, 2017 : Tom Abel
Momma told me there’d be days like this: Week 3 in Pennsylvania

Momma told me there’d be days like this: Week 3 in Pennsylvania

Let's just lay it out right up front. Everything you ever heard about the AT in Pennsylvania is true: 1) The rocks are ankle-twisting, knee-blowing, jagged, and apparently spaced in...

Apr 20, 2017 : Linda Vance
Gear Galore

Gear Galore

If at first you buy the wrong gear, research and research some more. The first thing I wanted to do when I decided I was going to hike the AT...

Feb 27, 2017 : Jennifer Giddens
Three Days to Go- Our Team is Ready for Launch

Three Days to Go- Our Team is Ready for Launch

Living Our Dream In just 3 days we will be stepping through the arch on the approach trail...OMG, it's really going to happen! As a boy, I had dreams of...

Feb 23, 2017 : Steve and Ivetta Severance
Hurry Up March, Waiting Is Overrated

Hurry Up March, Waiting Is Overrated

I first decided to attempt a 2017 thru-hike of the AT in March of this year. I brought this idea to my best friend, Sarah, who at first thought I...

Aug 23, 2016 : Danielle