Category: Uncategorized
-
With All Its Charms: Post-Trail
No one’s AT journey ends on Katahdin. It doesn’t end when you get down the mountain either. After that comes everyone’s least favorite part: the great beyond. The unknown. Re-assimilation. Post-trail. It was time for the rest of my life to begin. Macy and I spent the night of September 7th in a lovely B’n’B…
-
Reflections On My Thru-Hike
A year ago, I was just returning to the AT after a week off trail, ready to set forth completely alone, with only new faces around. It only got better from there. The time flies so quickly on this side of the trail. It may feel like so long ago, but the memories I have…
-
My Thru-hike by the Numbers
Here are a bunch of mostly numerical facts and opinions about the AT and my thru-hike, just for fun! States of the AT, Ranked All 14 states based on how much I enjoyed them. There’s a lot of leeway here, especially in the middle. All in good fun *Tennessee is kinda a meme for me.…
-
Katahdin
9/7/2023: Mt. Katahdin On September 7th, 2023, at 4:30 am, I woke up in the Birches shelter in Baxter State Park. I stuffed my sleeping bag; I deflated my sleeping pad. I changed into my hiking outfit for the last time. And, for the first time, I put on a certain bracelet. Way back in…
-
The Hundred Mile Wilderness
8/31-9/6: Monson, ME -> Baxter State Park The Hundred Mile Wilderness. The words inspire awe, apprehension, and excitement all at once. No section was more anticipated along the AT. As the final section leading up to Katahdin and the end of the trail, and being such a unique section at that, people had been bringing…
-
Misogyny and Lack of Diversity on the Trail
It’s time to talk about two of the biggest issues I saw on the AT: misogyny and the unique challenges women face on the trail, and the lack of diversity among thru-hikers. Yes, I had an overwhelmingly positive time on my thru-hike, but of course it wasn’t all good (and I sincerely hope that I’ve…
-
Southern ME, Part II: Making the Most of Maine
8/19-8/30: Rangeley, ME -> Monson, ME One of the most common regrets that people cite about their thru-hikes is that they went too fast towards the end of the trail. Countless people have expressed that in hindsight, they feel like they rushed through New Hampshire and Maine and wish they had taken more time to…
-
Indigenous Lands and Languages on the AT
The AT passes through the traditional lands and territories of influence of 22 different indigenous peoples. It’s important to be cognizant of this on a thru-hike. One of the reasons I wanted to thru-hike the AT was to feel more connected to the land, and this means respecting and honoring the history of the land…
-
Southern ME, Part I: Pain, Rain, and Maine
8/6-8/18: Pinkham Notch -> Rangeley, ME MAINE!!! The final state of this amazing journey, the long-coveted destination for us NOBOs, the culmination of all the hundreds and hundreds miles we’ve come so far. Yes, there are many more miles to go in Maine – it’s the second longest state on the AT, after Virginia! –…
-
New Hampshire, Part II: The Wild, Wonderful Whites
8/2-8/6: Franconia Notch -> Pinkham Notch I had almost forgotten how beautiful the Whites are. It kept getting better and better as I traversed over spectacular peaks and ridgelines. The Whites ended up being a rich social experience, too. I’ll come right out and say that this was easily my favorite section of the whole…
Out There 