Hiking
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Damascus, VA and Biking the Creeper Trail
Day 129 Yesterday was a great day. Despite getting turned around and hiking the long direction, the ponies, views, and my campsite all made up for it. And now, today was another great day. Today is the day I hike into Damascus, VA. Damascus is famous on the AT because it is the home of Trail Days, a yearly celebration of the AT. Trail Days is practically one massive party that takes place in March, so most NOBOs get to be a part of it. Thru hikers from all years will come to Trail Days, and they have a massive parade of all the thru hikers from throughout the years.…
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Marion, VA & The Grayson Highlands
Anddddd we’re back. Can you believe it? I bet some of you gave up on my blog. But, as I told you, I will finish my AT story for you! Day 120 This morning I sadly left the gorgeous Woods Hole Hostel behind me. Tentatively, I walked south through the woods, nervous that at any moment, bees, hornets, wasps (you name it) would appear from the trees to chase me down and sting me once more… luckily I remained sting free and, after taking a short detour to Trent’s grocery store for some snackeronies (see below), I ended the day 20.8 miles down the trail. Day 121 Waking up the…
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11 Gifts to buy this Black Friday for the thru-hiker in your life
Black Friday is HERE and it is one of the best opportunities for discounts on backpacking gear. I just finished my flip-flop thru-hike this last month (post summarizing those last few weeks are still to come) and here are some of my favorite items, and the Black Friday sales associated with them. 1. SOLE Shoe Inserts (25% off) I wrote about these time and time again. I went on a few backpacking trips before the AT and my feet were KILLING me. I got these inserts and wore them the entire time on the trail and they helped so much!! I also wore them in my ultramarathon after I completed…
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It’s Not Bears We Should Fear, its the BEES
“NOT THE BEES” – a quote not only from Wicker man, but from Reset, AT FF ’23. Day #: 119 Total Miles Hiked: 1,572 mi. Miles Remaining: 625 mi. This post can originally be found on The Trek. Day 115 – VA 620 Trout Creek (1501.7) to Niday shelter (1510.6) – 8.9 miles The day I waved goodbye to my family, also turned out to be a day of thunderstorms. My mom drove me to VA 620 Trout Creek in the afternoon. There we hugged, and as she pulled away, I began my climb up a hill. At this point, the sky was dark and cloudy, but no rain had…
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The VA Triple Crown: my sketchiest stunts, lowest moral, and a much needed family visit
Day #: 111 Total Miles Hiked: 1,501 mi. Miles Remaining: 696 mi. The Virginia Triple Crown The Virginia Triple crown is pretty famous on the AT. In fact, it holds one of the icons and most recognizable points along the entire Appalachian Trail, McAfee Knob. McAfee Knob is also the most popular hike in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Needless to say, I was excited to finally have reached it. Virginia’s Triple Crown has three main viewpoints: Tinker Cliffs, McAfee Knob and Dragon’s Tooth (from North to South), all between VA 652 and VA 620 (Trout Creek). Tinker Cliffs give hikers a stunning view for 0.2 miles as one hikes along Tinker…
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Thru Hiking on a Budget & Taking Advantage of Prime Day Deals!
Thru-hikers come from all different backgrounds. Not all of us need to hike on a budget, but if you’re interested, these are some tricks I’ve used while on the AT to save myself money. Originally posted on The Trek Saving Money on Trail Creative Ways To Use/Get More Money on Trail (please note that I am NOT A FINANCIAL ADVISOR) Take Advantage of Gear Sales, like Amazon Prime Day Coming Up! Speaking of budgeting, one great way to do so is to buy your gear when it is on sale! For many thru hikers, gear is probably the most expensive part of the entire cost of the trail, so I…
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The Best Electrolytes I’ve found for Backpacking
With Sugar Contrary to what you may think, you actually WANT SUGAR with your electrolytes. According to my doctor (who was the first person to tell me this), and a variety of websites like this one, or this one, the sugar helps your body absorb the electrolytes. So you are actually not helping yourself by taking sugar free electrolytes. You are exercising, you can afford the calories of the added sugar. That is one of the reasons why Liquid IV is such a good electrolyte powder. Another good option being DripDrop, which you can get with or without sugar. With Caffeine Nuun + caffeine. Personally I was not a huge…
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Backpacking Brands with Great Warranty’s
I’ve read plenty of articles talking about brands with great warranty’s, but I wanted to highlight brands that I have seen/used while backpacking which I have seen uphold their warranty’s. To me, I would rather buy a product from a brand I know will cover their gear, than one who will shrug me off when I contact them asking for help. Brands with Lifetime Warranty’s: Osprey “Osprey will repair any damage or defect for any reason free of charge“. I have personally seen Osprey uphold this warranty for their backpacks multiple times on the trail. Outdoor Research All Outdoor Research gear is backed by the OR’s Infinite Guarantee, which promises…
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15 Small Items That Make a Difference When Backpacking
When preparing for a backpacking trip, its easy to throw together the big items like your backpack, sleeping bag, tent, etc… but what about the tiny items? From my experience, these have just as much of an impact as the big ticket items. As I have hiked along, I have made a list of the “small” items I use while backpacking that I find useful, hopefully you find this list useful as well Garmin Products Tools Repair Equipment Cooking/Food Personal Items Honorable Mentions Ultralight Pillow – to me, this comfort item is worth carrying. Ultralight glasses case – go to the store and buy yourself a crystal light pitcher pack,…
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South to Shenandoah + Trail Angels
Before Shenandoah Days 96, 97, 98, and 99, miles 1172.5 to 1229.2 (56.7 miles total). I took the train from Washington DC out to Harpers Ferry. On the train I ran into Geisha Girl who was planning on spending the night in Harpers Ferry. I then neroed out 4 miles to a campsite. Since I had just come from Maine where there was never ending water. I forgot that water was some thing that needed to be kept track of, and I learned that lesson hard when I got to the campsite and there was no water. I hiked from Harpers Ferry to Front Royal, averaging around 20 miles a…
