mental preparation

What I Learned <i>After</i> My Hike Changed Everything – Colorado Trail Epilogue

What I Learned After My Hike Changed Everything – Colorado Trail Epilogue

If you followed my Colorado Trail thru-hike, you know it was fraught with challenges. From a suspected UTI that wasn’t to a fall down a snowbank that almost ended my...

Oct 2, 2023 : Joey Ferguson
Real Talk: The 5 Stages of Post-Trail Grief

Real Talk: The 5 Stages of Post-Trail Grief

So you’ve walked 2,200 miles, given six months of your life to accomplish a goal that few will ever achieve, created an entirely new world for yourself both socially and...

Jan 31, 2023 : Anna Crafton
Embracing the Challenge: Training and the PCT

Embracing the Challenge: Training and the PCT

Are you willing to train to achieve, or will you sit at home and dream?

Jan 17, 2020 : Becca Mickley
Dig into Your Toolbox for a Successful Thru-Hike

Dig into Your Toolbox for a Successful Thru-Hike

I’m not talking about hammers, saws, or screwdrivers. I’m referring to the toolbox we all have access to within our minds. Throughout your hike you're going to have some mental...

Feb 14, 2018 : April and Jake
Stories from the Trail: A New Podcast from TheTrek.co Family

Stories from the Trail: A New Podcast from TheTrek.co Family

Merry Christmas Hikers! Pox & Puss is no longer an only child! The world famous Appalachian Trail podcast now has a little brother and sister, as TheTrek.co expands our hiking...

Dec 25, 2017 : Gary Sizer
A Glimpse Into The Mind Of A Future Thru-Hiker (Part 2)

A Glimpse Into The Mind Of A Future Thru-Hiker (Part 2)

( I tried to keep my first post comical and lighthearted but things are different now. Reality is really starting to hit hard. I have 4 months until my desired departure...

Nov 25, 2016 : Vermont
My ‘why:’ I am hiking this trail & not quitting

My ‘why:’ I am hiking this trail & not quitting

Let's emotionally and mentally prepare for this hike! Here are my lists as to why I am hiking the Appalachian Trail and why I am not going to give up...

Oct 27, 2016 : Alli Huggins
Quitting my Job to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail

Quitting my Job to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail

The idea to thru hike the Appalachian Trail idea sparked my interest while ago. At that time, a thru-hike seemed more beautiful than challenging; more ethereal than rugged. My partner,...

May 6, 2016 : Lauren de la Vega
The Surprise in a Diet

The Surprise in a Diet

Wait, what? You went on a diet just before tackling the most physically grueling six months of your life? Aren’t’cha gonna lose weight on the trail? Don’t you need a...

Mar 16, 2016 : Notebook
Did You Sleep in the Woods Yet?

Did You Sleep in the Woods Yet?

The first time I stood on the Appalachian Trail was at Perkins observatory on New York's Bear Mountain, in 1983. My father took my brother and me camping, the three...

Nov 19, 2015 : Joe Schmidt