Posts
Dealing with Body Image Back in the Real World
In a post I wrote a few weeks after finishing my thru-hike last August, I described how my time on the Trail had left me confident in my badassery
AT Thru-Hikers Footwear by the Numbers
One of the many weird, but cool, things about hiking is that you are basically your own car. Your food is like gasoline: it is more expensive the
Hammock, Tent, or Tarp? A Flowchart
Every time the question "hammock, tent, or tarp?" arises, the answer seems to be, "it depends." Based on my own experience and the input of other AT
Bagging the 4,000 Footers During Your Thru-Hike
Before my thru-hike, Boston was the farthest north I had ever been. I knew of Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range, but I didn't even know what
Transformed by the Trail
Nine days after my thru-hike culminated at Mount Katahdin, I am still struggling to articulate what it meant to me. Those 145 days were the most
Confidence and the Wildcats
I know I haven't blogged since the halfway point of the trail, back in Pennsylvania. Since then, I've hiked through New Jersey, New York,
Rule #32: Enjoy the Little Things.
The movie Zombieland provides a very useful list of rules to help one survive a zombie apocalypse. These rules also seem to apply to surviving the
Inspired by Ice Cream
I expected the AT to be a "back to nature" experience, and of course in many ways it has been. Ironically, however, my diet has been less natural
The Sound of Silence
Coming from a big family and a home that was never quiet, I always used background noise to concentrate. I found utter silence so unnerving and
The Generosity of Trail Magic
Before I set out on the Appalachian Trail, I had heard from friends, books, and online sources about the unusual amount of kindness and friendliness