I’m currently at a Hostel in Andover, Maine, around mile 1950 of the trail. It’s starting to feel like the adventure is wrapping up. I’m happy about this at times, and upset by it at other times. I assume this will continue to some extent after the
I’m writing this from Manchester Vermont, at mile 1655, which is just beyond the three-quarter mark of the trail. Here, I took my first shower in over a week, a new record for me. After being pampered with 5 showers over the mere 52 miles of Connecticut trail,
I’m 1455 miles in, writing this on the train from Pawling to White Plains New York, where I’m excited to spend a night with my friends Chris and Audrey. To get there, I hitchhiked for the first time! After my scheduled uber cancelled, I asked someone in the
I’m writing this from Hamburg, PA, on my first rest day after 9 days of hiking since DC. There’s not a lot to do here at my highway-side residence, so I’m deciding if I want to reluctantly take a lengthy ride-share to make it to
I’m wrapping up my longest off trail excursion, a few days in Washington DC. I left the trail in Harper’s Ferry, the unofficial halfway point (1027 of 2198), where the AT is headquartered. It’s been fun and slightly jarring stepping back into urban life, especially after a
I’m writing this in my tent during a downpour and thunderstorm, on my second of likely 7 nights in Shenandoah National park. Shenandoah is the second of the two national parks the AT crosses through (the first being Great Smoky Mountain National Park). I just wrapped up a great
I recently made it to the 50 day mark, 1/3 mark, and McAfee Knob (where all are mandated to take the most classic AT photo from the cantilevered rock). I’m now approaching the friend gauntlet of the trail, where I’ll be seeing over 10 familiar faces in
I’m currently 40 days into this journey, crossing the quarter-way (~550 miles) sign yesterday. I’m about to spend my first night all alone in the woods, without the comfort of equally clueless strangers in their plastic bags (tents) a few feet away for comfort. Luckily, I have
I‘m in Damascus, Virginia, at mile 470. It’s supposedly the town most defined by the AT; the Trail Days festival occurs here (in a few weeks), it has the highest number of outdoor retailers per capita in the world (don’t quote me, but 4 for 800 residents
Just got settled in at a hostel in Erwin, TN, after a big 4 days, including 65 in the first 3. During this time, I’ve received the obligatory trail name: Tangent. My friend Bull, who I run into a couple times a week and is committed to the cause
Or a ”zero” in thru-hiker slang. A few days ago, I had my proudest accomplishment of my time out here; not due to some number of miles hiked or mountains climbed, but by jumping into a foreign social situation and having a great time. It feels noteworthy enough to
It’s been over 2 weeks of hiking now, so I’m slowly starting to overcome my impostor syndrome of being labeled a thru-hiker. Therefore, I present my first iteration of what feels like a representative day out here. I’m curious how much this will change over time.