flip flop
The 100 Mile Wilderness
Just saying the name of this section of the Appalachian Trail can be intimidating. The challenge is 100 miles of straight hiking with no hostel or hotel stops, no resupply...
Why I Am Doing a Flip-Flop Thru-Hike
What the heck is a flip-flop? No one who has learned that I’m thru-hiking the AT has been shocked; not in the least bit. In fact, most have wondered what...
Hiker Hopscotch: Making a New Plan
I don’t know if a thru-hike ever turns out to be what the hiker imagines it will be. Sometimes (most times?) it’s a more amazing adventure than the mind can...
Stories From The Trail Ep. 14: Halfway There with Turnaround
Back in Episode 9 we met Chris, who was beginning his Appalachian Trail thru-hike the following day. This is Chris's first long trail, and he's having the time of his...
What It Feels Like to Finish a Thru-Hike
The final days leading up to finishing a through-hike and returning to civilization are a confusing mix of anticipation, terror, pride, sadness and relief. Here is what you might experience...
Back At It: Lashing Out My 2016 Thru-hike
Turns out the pain I experienced last summer was temporary. Like childbirth. And here I am back doing it again. I have now traipsed along 1400 miles of the trail...
Five (Final) Reasons to Flip-Flop your Thru-Hike
Once you go unconventional, you never go back. It's been encouraging to hear from so many flip-flopping thru hikers since I started posting my own reasons for going this unconventional...
Three More Reasons to Flip Flop on the AT
Getting my trail legs on. The good reasons for doing a flip flop hike just keep piling up. For a variety of them, I'm starting north on April 26* at Grayson...
Unconventional Wisdom: Is a Flip-Flop Hike Right For You?
Unconventional Is My Middle Name For a long time, I’ve been convinced that the only way to hike the AT is to start on Springer Mountain and end on Katahdin. I...
Shrewsbury to Bennington
The Cairn Gardens^ Corn is Heavy! I had a delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, home fries, and fruit at the Perry house in the morning. They dropped...