On a whim in September 2013, having never backpacked a day in my life, I decided to hike all of the Massachusetts Appalachian Trail... by myself, in 4 days. After painfully managing to survive it, I figured - why not hike the rest? I finished solo hiking the AT (except for southern Maine where I had a lovely NOBO trail family) on Katahdin in August 2017. At my day job, I'm a data-crunching research nerd, researching everything from teen pregnancy prevention to social determinants of health, from the unique needs of LGBTQ individuals to positive youth development. I've thru-hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc, and my next adventure will be finishing up the Vermont Long Trail in August '18. On the weekends, I'm working on completing the New England 100 Highest and New Hampshire 48 4,000' Grid.
Posts
Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc [Part II]
In the end, most things turned out as Id planned for my thru-hike of the TMB. We had fabulous weather, the people we met were friendly, and the food was delicious (definitely try the raclette in Switzerland). If you want to see more pictures and my daily blog posts, you can find them here. However, there were definitely some things I wished Id known before heading out on the trail.
Planning for the Tour du Mont Blanc
After reading this Trek article almost two years ago, I put the Tour du Mont Blanc on my bucket list and mostly forgot about it. Until this past
Digital media on the trail, part 2
If you're looking for some non-hiking related podcasts to pass the time and learn more about the world, here are some podcasts to consider!
Digital media on the trail, part 1
Bored-nothing to do: 9 subscriptions to consider So youve made the leap - youre thru-hiking (or maybe youre hiking a section). The call of the
AT Hiking and Cell Service: Pay-as-you-go cell phones
On the trail, cell phones come in handy. They can be used to stay in touch with other hikers, to make calls to family and friends, putting in
Transportation Along the AT: The Section Hikers Dilemma
I've section hiked more than 3/4 of the Appalachian Trail, stretching from Monson, ME down to Hot Springs, NC. Through section hiking, by necessity, I've become rather adept at patching together public transportation and shuttles to plan my trips (as well as bail partway through ill-fated hikes). Im happy to share what I know and the resources I've used, as a springboard for future section hikers.
Things I Wish I had Known Before I Started Section Hiking on the AT
When I started section hiking in August 2013, I had no idea what I was doing. These are the things I've learned over the past 3 years of section hiking that I'd tell my 2013 self, if I had the chance.
How to survive Southern Maine
Southern Maine is a beautiful but sometimes harsh section of the Appalachian Trail. Here's some lessons I learned from Southern Maine, that I wish I'd known before I started.
How to Prepare for a Thru-Hike from the Comfort of Your Own Home!
How do you know if youre fully prepared to hit the trail for 4-6 months of rugged terrain, hiking the ~2189 miles between Georgia and Maine (or for that matter, section hike longer than a weekend)? You need to do a mini thru-hike experience first, of course, and duplicate as many of the exciting thru-hiker experiences as possible!