at2018
The End of My Walk Has Been Hard to Sum Up
Hey all, It has been a long time since my last post. Good thing this isn't my job, cause I would have missed a few deadlines. I had a feeling...
The Top Footwear on the Appalachian Trail: 2018 AT Thru-Hiker Survey
Each year as part of The Trek’s annual thru-hiker survey, we ask hikers about the footwear they used, and this footwear data remains my favorite to analyze and write about....
Hard Climbs and a Weary Hiker
OK, so here's the deal. I've run smack into a wall, a gigantic Mount Washington-sized wall. In case you didn't know a wall that big hurts, like hurts ya deep...
Every Kind of Cold
It’s hard to remember what I considered ‘cold’ before starting this hike. I remember regular cryotherapy sessions, cold plunges, and the occasional cold front that warranted checking porch steps
The Eight Stages of Planning a Thru-Hike
“Hey, wanna hike the AT?” was a question I had a very quick answer for. It was right around seven months ago that a friend from high school asked me...
Georgia, You Went Beyond Our Hopes and Fears
It’s been almost three weeks since Conner and I started our journey from Springer Mountain, and the amount of lessons learned, sights beheld, friendships formed, and memories made have been...
Lessening My Expectations, Focusing on Enjoying the Hike
I had a lot of expectations when I started my flip-flop hike last year. A thru-hike on the AT had been my dream since I was 17, and at 52...
Want to Get Over a Breakup? Plan a Thru-Hike
As my Appalachian Trail thru-hike approaches one of the most common questions I am asked is, why are you doing this? I’ve brainstormed several captivating responses to this question, but...
Like Eating and Breathing, I Hike Because I Must
One of the first questions city dwellers tend to ask about my plans to thru-hike the AT is why. The question is usually jammed at the beginning of what turns...
Raider’s Gear Review And Other Stories
My fellow hiker trash, welcome! What lies before you is all the hiking gear I used to finish my 2017 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. I've included, sizes, weights and ...