Ashton Rollings

I'm Ashton, and I'll be starting my northbound thru hike of the AT in March 2018. I live in Madison, Wisconsin, and this past year, I've been everything from sailing instructor, to biology TA, to barista. I usually spend my summers in a boat or on a bike, but this year I'm excited to tackle some mountains instead.

Posts

Pancakes and Lightning in Shenandoah

Pancakes and Lightning in Shenandoah

I'm still working on catching up to the present, but this blog will cover my time in Shenandoah National Park and beyond, until Harpers

Jun 23, 2018 : Ashton Rollings
Unexpected Detours and Fabulous Zeros

Unexpected Detours and Fabulous Zeros

Here it goes: Virginia, part two. I'm hoping to slowly but steadily catch up to the present here. Still really behind. This blog will cover my

Jun 13, 2018 : Ashton Rollings
Hiking Through the Virginia Blues, and Awful Weather

Hiking Through the Virginia Blues, and Awful Weather

Clearly, I’m not good at keeping up with blog posts. It just takes so much time, you know? We've started doing longer-mile days, so we get into

May 22, 2018 : Ashton Rollings
Trail Towns, Milkshakes, and More Terrible Weather

Trail Towns, Milkshakes, and More Terrible Weather

I'm behind with blogging. This blog will cover my time from the end of the Smokies to entering Damascus. In reality, I left Damascus over a week ago.

Apr 26, 2018 : Ashton Rollings
Beauty Amid the Fog, Cold of the Smokies

Beauty Amid the Fog, Cold of the Smokies

Most of the thru-hikers I've talked to were not huge fans of the Smokies. The requirement to stay in the shelters makes it hard to plan reasonable

Apr 9, 2018 : Ashton Rollings
Forming a Tramily, the Trials of Bear Bagging, and Prepping for the Smokies

Forming a Tramily, the Trials of Bear Bagging, and Prepping for the Smokies

I'm almost three weeks into my hike, and taking my first zero at Fontana Lodge. Tomorrow I'll be entering Great Smoky Mountain National Park. In

Mar 23, 2018 : Ashton Rollings
Georgia, You’ve Been Cold but I’m Embracing the Trail

Georgia, You’ve Been Cold but I’m Embracing the Trail

Today is day nine on the trail, and I'm almost out of Georgia. It somehow feels like I've been here forever and like it's been no time at all. I

Mar 13, 2018 : Ashton Rollings
Last Minute Jitters and Remembering the Whys

Last Minute Jitters and Remembering the Whys

I have less than a week to go until my start date, and I'm doing everything I can to try to make the start of my hike go smoothly. So far, that

Feb 27, 2018 : Ashton Rollings
Shakedowns And Learning Experiences

Shakedowns And Learning Experiences

This time last year, I had never been on an overnight backpacking trip. It was about that time that I also decided to hike the Appalachian Trail,

Jan 18, 2018 : Ashton Rollings
Still Trying to Wrap My Head Around This

Still Trying to Wrap My Head Around This

Time is flying by, and in almost exactly two months, I’ll be starting my thru hike on the Appalachian Trail. It seems crazy to me that it’s this

Jan 5, 2018 : Ashton Rollings