LASHer
The Summit Is not the End: Thoughts on Post-Trail Depression
Huddled, a sodden mass of wet bodies, we watched the rain come down in sheets. We’d just covered 10-plus miles of trail dashing through puddles and downpour with a single...
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...
Above and Below The Mason-Dixon Line
After now hiking 1800 miles in total, I've noticed a few differences between starting almost midway versus starting at the southern terminus in Georgia.
Bugs Bunny Isn’t The Only One Who Needs A Carrot
Having people to visit, meals to be shared, places to stay, even a wedding to attend, became my metaphorical dangling carrot(s). Except unlike the horse/donkey/mule who never actually gets to...
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.
What Thru-Hikers Do When They’re Not Hiking, or How to Stay Grounded in the Real World
Thru-hiking was just a way for me to prolong those feelings of joy, peace, and connectedness I feel every time I find myself outside. It allowed/s me to be in...