The Trek Bloggers

The following awesome people are the official bloggers of the The Trek.   In other words, they’re the renegade trail-folk who will be blogging their thru-hikes right here on theTrek.co.  Their job is to be adventurous and share their experiences in vivid detail.  Our job is to live vicariously and envy their existence.

Want to be a Trek Blogger?  You can: apply here

Want to write for this site, but aren’t thru-hiking?  We’re always looking for more backpackers with a passion for writing. Find out more about the The Trek Writers.

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2014

Allison Kieley

My name is Allison and I will be setting out to NOBO thru-hike the AT starting on March 13, 2014.

Amy

Hi! My name is Amy. I currently reside in Huntersville, NC where I work as a nanny hustlin' fun dip and runnin' the cul-de-sac. This past December I graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelors degree in International Studies. Essentially I took a lot of Spanish and a smorgasbord of random classes like home horticulture, introduction to companion animals, and online mountain biking (twice!-the first time didn't go so well). Now that I'm free from school, I'll be setting out to hike the Appalachian Trail in April, 2014.

Brittany Lea Neal

Hey y'all, "Rodeo" here! I'm a 22 year old graduate from Virginia Tech, a crazed horse-chick, a dirty mountain hippie and a very bad singer. I'm big on the adventurer lifestyle and am hoping to find a career that combines conservation education, journalism, and my love of the outdoors. In 2013 I broke my spine in a rather nasty horse back riding accident and since then have been planning and plotting my 2014 AT Thru-Hike with my dog, Scout the Adventure Beagle. Our goal is to raise at least a dollar a mile while hiking across the Appalachian Trail ($2,200) for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and Spinal Cord Injury Research. We look forward to seeing y'all on the map! Happy Trails! Check out our adventure blog: Backwoods2outback.wordpress.com Donate: Christopherreeve.org/teamreeveallstars2014/trailmagic

Craig Tsao

I'm a self proclaimed unprofessional life coach. Let's keep this simple. I'm born and raised in New Jersey. The highlight of my time there was spending 1 month in Special Ed during elementary school. I moved to San Diego when I was 14. I'm fairly convinced that at least 100,000 thousand virgins were sacrificed to the San Diego weather gods. I'm trying to run away from this Satanic solar panel of a city that always has 69 degree weather of pure sunshine. I did go to college at University of California Riverside and got a BS in Business Administration. But what do you care? This blog is about the Appalachian Trail. That trail that stretches ~2,100 miles from Georgia to Maine. Witness my incognito inner hippy come out, read my nowhere stories, and be inspired by my terrible life advice. By terrible, I mean excellent. For example, my adventure on the Appalachian Trail will be one hell of a terrible experience. It will be totally titties. Tag along on my journey to see the trail from the mind of a "special" guy with mild outdoor experience. This will be interesting, I promise you that. I don't make detailed plans, have any sacred vows to keep, or have anywhere I need to be. I've put aside 6 months of my life for an open experience with one simple objective: follow the white blazes. If I start chasing a plastic bag and get lost, please help. www.trailjournals.com/affirm www.facebook.com/affirm2014

Dayna Thomas

Hello! I'm Dayna. I hate pencils pointing at me, eggs, any kind of melon, and the color red. I love free food, my bed, The Grapes of Wrath, cycling, and Guatemala. Until my thru hike, I had never bought anything at Wal-Mart, and I believe the best way to ruin good cookie dough is to bake it. In 2013, I graduated from law school at Brigham Young University, went through the police academy (long story), and passed the bar exam. In 2014, I hiked SOBO from Maine on July 15 and finished on Springer Mountain on November 22. My thru hike made me braver, but I'm still working on it.

Ellie B.

I’m Ellie, aka Sparky, I am 30 and from the great state of Vermont. I'm hiking the Pacific Crest Trail southbound during the 2021 summer/fall. I enjoy spicy food, the Constitution, and a good sunrise. My puppy Champ is the uncontested best boy in the world. Someday I want to be governor, but what I do between now and then is anybody’s guess. Past hikes include: Long Trail (2010), Appalachian Trail (2014), West Highland Way (2015), Te Araroa (2015-2016), Laugavegur (2017), Tahoe Rim Trail (2018).

Micah Handy

Crazy! Raving mad! Well... At least that's what most people say when you tell them your going on a SOBO thru-hike of the Appalachian trail. The truth is though I am your average guy who grew up on a farm in upstate New York. Growing up I learned to love the outdoors, especially New York's very own Adirondack park, 3,000 some odd square miles of lakes, rivers, forest, and mountains. I have an AS in Cyber security (So you know I have to be a little bit of a nerd too. Lol) and am by no means a savant when it comes to writing, but bear with me as I am sure that something interesting is sure to pop up if only by pure chance. =)

Michael Osborne

Hey I'm Michael! I am a twenty one year old bearded adventurer from Baltimore, Maryland. I'm headed down to Georgia on March 1st to start my NOBO thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. When I'm not dreaming of backpacking all over the country (about 99% of the time), I work as a barista to fund my dreams, I am an avid collector of antiques and oddities, and always have my nose in a history book. I've never had the time to take on an adventure such as the thru hiking the AT but come late February I'll be quitting my job, throwing caution to the wind, and going on a journey of a lifetime!

Montana N.

I crave adventure like that gnawing, pit-of-your-stomach hunger. I fetishize simplicity; I am thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail for an excuse to be homeless, own only what I can carry, eat jars of PB, and do headstands atop mountains. My intended profession is writing, but I also like to rock climb, flail to live music, and get my daily dose of vitamin D. You can check out my blog at peakedcuriosity.com.

Sarah (Ent)

Tried a NOBO hike in March 2014 and did 110 miles before deciding it wasn't for me. Learned a lot in the process, and excited to complete a section hike one day. When not hiking, I Iike writing fiction and am hoping to get a novel published in the fall. Daughter of HikerMom.

Steve Gallagher

Greetings. My name is Steve Gallagher. I am 30 years old and I will be thru hiking the AT starting in March 2014. I chose this rather unflattering profile picture because it represents the last time I accomplished a seemingly impossible goal: finishing a marathon. While running 26.2 miles once seemed impossible, spending the next 5-6 months hiking through 2,200 miles of mountainous woods from Georgia to Maine is unimaginable. It will be a true test for me, but one that I am excited to undertake. Hope you will follow along on my adventure.

Whisper

Kit Brady's first mid-life crisis occured at 40, when she enrolled in college because she could not afford a convertible. After recieving a degree from The College of William and Mary in Virginia, she decided to live to at least one hundred, thereby entitling her to a second mid-life crisis at age fifty. That crisis involves hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Zachsquatch

Zach Barger is a Kick Ass Kentuckian who hails from the great city of Louisville. Zach has always loved anything outdoors from kayaking to mountain biking to golf to backpacking and anything in-between. Zach's newest endeavor will be an epic 2,100 mile journey from Georgia to Maine along the Appalachian Trail. Join him and his two pals as they attempt to hike the world famous Appalachian Trail by following his blog!!!!

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