#thetrek
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...
Behind Trail Names: Average Joe or Super Hero?
I don't reckon I'll ever get comfortable hearing, "Oh, I heard about you" after introducing myself, but strangely enough switching out my very average given name, the name I've answered...
A Peaceful Katahdin Summit and 100-Mile Wilderness Walk
Yes, you read the title right. Weird descriptor of a Katahdin summit, I know. Usually folks are beaming with excitement over their completed trek or amped about what's to come...
Anxiety Ascent: Why I’m off the trail
I wake up in my room, surrounded by four walls and my black cat walking over my down comforter. The air conditioning is cool and my bed is soft. This...
Finding Connections with Others Along the Way
Pop your head into any shelter along the AT and I would wager the hiker chatter circles three topics: gear, weather and terrain, injury. News on the trail hops forward...
Little Toe, Big Problem
My first two days on the trail were, let's call them, eventful. I've been an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast since spring break camping trips as a kid, so I...
Be Stubborn: Advice from a Two-Time Thru-Hiker
"Be stubborn," said the two-time AT thru-hiker I ran into at Cloudland Canyon's south rim during my final shakedown hike. It felt like strange advice coming from the owner of...
North Carolina: A Not-So-Warm Welcome
I walked around the curving bend that snuck over the side of a mountain to see my AT partner, Lindsey (trail name: Dorothy), waiting for me at the North Carolina...
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...
Storms Pass – Leaving Vermont
Mud has been a serious problem for my adventures through Vermont with rainy days being plentiful and tiring. Body pains and a week-long stint in Rutland put me behind the...