Appalachian Trail

  • Wrapping up Pennsylvania with Caving, Fires, Trail Angels and Magic: Days 15-20

    June 17, 2023 /

    I’ve been joking since I got on the trail that California stole all the snow from the East Coast… (hence why I switched trails). However, I must have said it one too many times because now, not only has the West Coast taken the East Coast’s snow, but in return it has given the East Coast: Fires. As I sit here writing this blog post, I have taken a day off trail because the smoke coming down from Canada has made the air quality unhealthy for outdoor physical activity. I just want to say… I am thinking of all those effected by these fires.. and… I thought I left this behind?!…

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  • Trail Terms to Know

    June 7, 2023 /

    Types of People on the Trail SOBO southbound NOBO northbound FLIP FLOP(er) Starting at some point on the trail (typically the middle, but it does not have to be), hiking to one terminus, returning to that same point and hiking to the other terminus. SECTION HIKER Hiking only a section of the trail (ie: Port Clinton to Delaware Water Gap). LASH(er) Long A$$ Section Hike(r) TRAIL ANGEL someone who takes care of hikers TRAMILY trail family SLACKPACKING hiking without the bulk of your backpacking gear. Typically your gear at a hostel or with a trail angel and you get it back at the end of the day. HIKER TRASH A…

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  • What I Have Packed for the Appalachian Trail

    May 19, 2023 /

    This was originally posted on The Trek, here. Being that I had never thru-hiked before, I did not have a ton of ultralight gear prior to the AT. As I began purchasing equipment, I kept in mind that I wanted to strike a balance between sticking with items I already had if they would do the job an, if necessary, purchasing new things that fit the bill but didn’t break the bank. That being said… my bank still hurt when all was said and done… I break down my pack by The Big 4 (Pack + Shelter + Sleep system), Clothing + Footwear, Electronics, Kitchen, and other. You can find…

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  • Precautions I took as a Solo Woman Hiking the AT

    May 15, 2023 /

    This was originally posted on TheTrek, here. I am a huge proponent that women can, and should, do everything they set their mind to. However, I also believe it is always wise to be aware, and plan for worst case scenarios, to not knowingly put myself in a bad situation. So, here what I want to do is simply provide a straight forward post for other women who plan to thru hike, so that they may read and hopefully get ideas from for themselves as to how they may prepare for a thru-hike. So, here are the steps I have taken to prepare myself to hike the AT as a…

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  • Why I am switching from the Pacific Crest Trail to the Appalachian Trail

    April 14, 2023 /

    This article originally appeared on The Trek, which you can read here. *This post is not written to churn up fear about the PCT this year. It is simply my way of describing how I weighed out the pros and cons and made a personal decision for what I believed to be the best choice for my first thru-hike. I still plan to hike the PCT in the future.  The Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and the Appalachian Trail (AT) are both popular thru-hiking trails in the US that I have had my eyes on over the years. In short, the PCT runs…

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