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… Read more

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… Read more

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,… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

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… Read more

7/26-8/1: Hanover, NH -> Franconia Notch I’ve made it back to truly familiar territory in my “home turf” of the Whites! I had been looking forward to New Hampshire and the Whites for my entire hike, and they sure as… Read more

7/13-7/25: North Adams, MA -> Hanover, NH “Uh-oh! Mud! Thick oozy mud. We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. Oh no! We’ve got to go through it! Squelch squerch! Squelch squerch! Squelch squerch!” Michael Rosen, We’re Going… Read more

7/4-7/12: Kent, CT -> North Adams, MA I love New England. Hiking through the first two states here was a joy! Connecticut and Massachusetts were filled with beautiful scenery, quaint New England towns, an amazing number of wonderful trail angels,… Read more

6/22-7/3: Delaware Water Gap, PA -> Kent, CT I’ve made it back to New England!! I’m really excited to be here, and excited about how I got here, too. New York and New Jersey were surprisingly spectacular sections! In my… Read more

6/12-6/21: Duncannon, PA -> Delaware Water Gap, PA “Rocksylvania.” The name strikes fear in the hearts of many a thru-hiker. There is much and more fearmongering about the Pennsylvania section on trail, with plenty of horror stories of the soul-crushing,… Read more

Adventure is leaving your home and family to walk in the woods for six months. Adventure is everything you need in a pack on your back. Adventure is two thousand miles. Adventure is one step at a time. Adventure is… Read more

6/4-6/11: Harpers Ferry, WV -> Duncannon, PA I’ve checked off two more states in quick succession and made it halfway through another big state in Pennsylvania, as well as halfway through the trail as a whole! I participated in a… Read more

It’s hard to believe, but I’m halfway done with my AT thru-hike! At this point, I have passed the spiritual halfway point in Harpers Ferry, the true 2023 halfway point, and several more legit-looking but inaccurate markers besides. As I’m… Read more

5/15-6/3: Daleville, VA -> Harpers Ferry, WV At long last, I have made my way through Virginia and onto new states! Northern Virginia was just as beautiful and fun as the first half of the state, and the highlight was… Read more

5/8-5/14: Woods Hole Hostel -> Daleville, VA Southern Virginia also included one of the most anticipated sections of trail in the Virginia Triple Crown, and possibly the most iconic point on the whole AT in McAfee Knob. But from Woods… Read more

4/26-5/7: Damascus, VA -> Woods Hole Hostel The “Virginia Blues” is a well-known phenomenon on the AT, where once NOBOs reach Virginia, the novelty of the trail has worn off, the days get repetitive, and some people get depressed and… Read more

4/8-4/25: Sam’s Gap/Johnson City, TN -> Damascus, VA Now back to our regularly scheduled programming… I’ve crossed off two more states and made it into Virginia! I’ve been without a hiking partner for about two weeks now, which has been… Read more

4/10/23: Erwin, TN This post will be a little different. On the morning of Monday, April 10, 2023, my Gramma Kinney passed away peacefully in her home. I was in Erwin, Tennessee when I got the bad news from my… Read more

3/31-4/7: Standing Bear Farm, TN -> Sam’s Gap/Johnson City, TN It’s hard to believe, but we’ve been on trail for over a month now! What a month it has been. We got a delicious home-cooked breakfast at Standing Bear before… Read more

3/24-3/30: Fontana Dam, NC -> Standing Bear Farm, NC Ah, the Smokies. The roughly 70 mile traverse of Great Smoky Mountains National Park was easily the most anticipated section of trail thus far, and it did not disappoint: it was… Read more

3/17-3/24: Franklin, NC -> Fontana Dam, NC It was an interesting, varied, and fun week on trail with Daniel. He got a real taste of everything the trail has to offer so far! I missed Sophie but was thrilled to… Read more

3/12-3/17: Hiawassee, GA -> Franklin,NC Greetings from North Carolina! We’ve crossed into a new state, and reached the 100 mile mark, both big milestones! This has been by far my favorite leg of the journey so far, and Sophie’s too.… Read more

There’s a common saying on the AT: “no pain, no rain, no Maine.” It’s a reminder of the obstacles that you must inevitably endure during a successful thru-hike. Over the last few days, we’ve gotten a taste – mind you,… Read more

And we’re off! It’s day 5 of my thru-hike, and it still feels a little surreal that we’re doing this, but we’re certainly doing this! I’m not going to bury the lede here, I’m having a GREAT time so far.… Read more

On March 8th, 2022, I sent a text that changed my life: “Hi Sophie! Hope you are well. A while ago we had raised the possibility of hiking the AT together. And I believe you had said that 2023 might… Read more