Ronn Raszetnik

I'm "Wayfinder," a 34 year old adventurer, spiritual seeker, craft beer geek, and aspiring writer who is taking the path less traveled on the Benton MacKaye Trail in 2017. Born and raised in Florida, I have scaled as many swamps as I have mountains, but hiking in the southern Appalachians always renews my spirit.

Posts

It’s the end, but not really

It’s the end, but not really

At the beginning of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain, a plaque embedded in a boulder reads: “A footpath for those who seek fellowship with

May 15, 2017 : Ronn Raszetnik
300 miles later

300 miles later

It is amazing what two zero days can do to change one’s spirit and appetite. Some things never change, though. My walk out of Fontana Village started

Apr 12, 2017 : Ronn Raszetnik
Burgers and beer

Burgers and beer

One of my biggest challenges while backpacking is how to meet my nutritional needs. The problem is that I don’t have much of an appetite when I hike.

Apr 4, 2017 : Ronn Raszetnik
If the creek don’t rise

If the creek don’t rise

The Benton MacKaye Trail is full of surprises. On my first day out of Blue Ridge, I discovered the Little Free Library, located just a few yards off

Mar 30, 2017 : Ronn Raszetnik
I walk a lonely road

I walk a lonely road

I have now been on the Benton MacKaye Trail for 50 miles, and one thing is certain: this is not the AT. I saw more hikers during the .9 mile walk on

Mar 25, 2017 : Ronn Raszetnik
Gearing up! Why I am not going ultralight.

Gearing up! Why I am not going ultralight.

As I finalize my gear for my upcoming BMT/AT thru hike, it is obvious that my gear does not fall within the category of ultralight, and maybe not

Mar 9, 2017 : Ronn Raszetnik
It’s just a walk in the woods

It’s just a walk in the woods

Call it what you want—a pilgrimage, a lifelong dream, the best or worst decision of your life—but at the end of the day, a thru hike is exactly what

Feb 15, 2017 : Ronn Raszetnik
Germophobe Tips For Avoiding Trail Sickness

Germophobe Tips For Avoiding Trail Sickness

You know me. I'm the guy who uses paper towels to open bathroom doors, refuses to shake hands, and lives with a bottle of hand sanitizer attached to

Jan 23, 2017 : Ronn Raszetnik
On purity and hiking my own hike

On purity and hiking my own hike

It was a shuttle ride back to the trail on my 2015 thru-turned-section hike that caused me to question my purity. I overheard a hiker ask the

Dec 11, 2016 : Ronn Raszetnik
If at first you don’t succeed…

If at first you don’t succeed…

A year and a half ago, I stepped through the archway at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia to begin a two thousand mile walk to Maine. Two hundred

Oct 31, 2016 : Ronn Raszetnik