So I have officially hiked across the entire state of Maryland! This afternoon I crossed the state line into Pennsylvania! Please excuse the quality of the photo. It was a hilariously executed selfie involving balancing my iPhone on an uneven rock and a timer and me running behind this sign numerous times to even get…

I swear that a hot shower is the greatest invention of mankind. Not space travel, not the internet. Hot showers! I had my first shower since Harper’s Ferry . The longest I have ever gone without a shower. It was glorious! I hiked 5.6 miles today to Penmar Park and I’m staying at a hostel…

It has been raining since my second day on the trail. It makes everything slippery or muddy, which is also slippery. Today I was shooting for Raven Rock Shelter. I got a late start because 1) I need to get more experience at breaking down camp (definitely going to happen) and 2) I had a…

I am using a hammock rather than a tent. It is a great hammock, basically like a tent that hangs in the trees. I really like it. It lets me side sleep has little pouches inside for my glasses and phone. I hang my headlamp off of the ridge line so I can see what…

I woke up a little sore and out of sorts this morning. I stayed in a shelter last night with 4 other people. It rained all night long, a steady or hard downpour the entire night. At least I wasn’t cold. My top quilt is working out beautifully and I was very cozy. However the…

Cold & Rainy. Low 50’s and constant rain. I hiked 9.1 miles by 2:30pm and decided to call it a day when I came to a dry shelter. My neck hurts from looking down the entire day! Of all the muscles I thought I might over use it was not my neck. There was no…

I left from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry this morning around 9am. I tried to sleep as late as possible and enjoying having a bed and a pillow. I was too excited and couldn’t wait to get going. Walking through the town of Harper’s Ferry was a history lesson on the Civil War…

Anticipation! I spent today taking care of last minute tasks before I start hiking tomorrow. My favorite task was picking up my thru hiker tag at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry, WV. Every year the tags are a color that are unique to that year. The 2024 color is yellow! It feels like…

I’m sitting at the airport exhausted but excited. Exhausted because I don’t think I have slept more than 4 hours a night in the last two weeks in the mad dash to get 26 years of stuff (so much stuff!) sorted, packed, and donated, tossed, or moved! It was a herculean task made possible by…

I’ve wanted to hike the AT since 2001 when I first heard about it. I’ve been planning this hike for almost two years. I have my gear. I have my flights. I have my hike registered with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. I fly out on May 1st and start my hike on May 3rd. Between…