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AT 2009

In 2009, I was blessed with the opportunity to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (AT). At the time, the AT stretched 2,178.3 miles from Springer Mountain in Northern Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. Below are links to all of my journal entries. I hope you enjoy reading them at least half as much as I liked hiking! Please feel free to contact me with any questions/comments about my hike.

Why Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail (or any trail for that matter)?
What I did I carry?
Frequently Asked Questions

Georgia

Day 1: Here We Go!
Day 2: That was Cold
Day 3: No Appetite
Day 4: Blood Mountain
Day 5: Shakedown
Day 6: Trail Angel
Day 7: Blue Mountain Shelter to Sassafras Gap
Day 8: Hiawassee
Day 9: First Zero Day

North Carolina/Tennessee

Day 10: Welcome to North Carolina!
Day 11: Pushing On
Day 12: Hello Rain
Day 13: Franklin, NC
Day 14: Zero Day
Day 15: US 64 (Franklin, NC) to Wayah Bald Shelter
Day 16: First Big Mile Day
Day 17: Zero day at Nantahala
Day 18: The Haul out of Nantahala
Day 19:  Amazingly Simple, yet Never Boring
Day 20: Cody's Gap to Fontana Dam- 9.9 miles
Day 21-26:  Great Smoky Mountain National Park Part 1
Day 27: Departing Gatlinburg
Day 28: Hoping for Warmth
Day 29: Leaving GSNP
Day 30: Hello Wind!
Day 31: Practicing Acceptance
Day 32: Zero Day in Hot Springs, NC
Day 33: Hot Springs to Spring Mtn. Shelter
Day 34:  Trail Magic from Fals and Hercules
Day 35: Jerry’s Cabin Shelter to Hogback Ridge
Day 36: Holy Snowstorm Hikerman!
Day 37: I want off this friggin' mountain
Day 38-39: Family Time 
Day 40: And the Thunder Rolls...  
Day 41:  Deep Gap to Greasy Gap
Day 42:  Greasy Gap to Over Mountain Shelter
Day 43: There She Blows!
Day 44: Mental Recovery
Day 45: Spirits are Up!
Day 46: Hardcore Cascades to Campsite
Day 47: Camping to Iron Mountain Shelter
Day 48: Iron Mtn. Shelter to Abington Gap Shelter 

Virginia

Day 49: Damascus, VA!!! 
Day 50:  "Trail Stress"
Day 51: Relaxin' in Damascus
Day 52: Opps! to Far
Day 53: Poop, Poop Everywhere
Day 54: Ponies!
Day 55: Trail Shower
Day 56: Pizza, Pizza!
Day 57: Atkins, VA
Day 58: Goodbye Manly Legs
Day 59: Wait for the Rain to Pass
Day 60: iPod Day
Day 61: Three Months In...
Days 62-65: Muster's Family Reunion
Day 66: On the Trail Again
Day 67: Jenny's knob Shelter to Wapiti Shelter
Day 68: Shoe Sock Combo is Key
Day 69: Pearisburg, VA
Day 70: Trail Karma
Day 71: Predicting the Future
Day 72: Wet Feet on a Sunny Day
Day 73: Dragon's Tooth
Day 74: McAffe's Knob
Days 75: Daleville, VA
Day 76: Daleville, VA to Wilson Creek Shelter
Day 77:  Wilson Creek Shelter to Fork Mtn
Day 78:  Trail Magic along the Parkway
Day 79: First Hitch Hike
Day 80: Johns Hollow Shelter to Brown Mtn. Creek Shelter
Day 81:No More Tuna! 
Day 82: Reunited and it Feels So Good 
Day 83:  Devils Backbone Brewery
Day 84: Reeds Gap to Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Day 85: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter to Waynesboro, VA
Day 86: Virgina isn't Flat!
Day 87: Shenandoah National Park 
Day 88:  Beverage Appreciation
Day 89: Downpour
Day 90:  Happy 900 Miles!
Day 91: Lodge Hopping
Day 92: Bears!
Day 93: Linden, VA to Dick’s Dome Shelter
Day 94: Bear's Den
Day 95: Blackburn Center

West Virginia 

Day 96: Harper's Ferry
Day 97:Back with the Pack (of Divas's that is)
Day 98: Trail Haircut

Maryland

Day 99: Easing into Maryland
Day 100: Don't Sleep in Shelters
Day 101: Magnum 357
Day 102: A Magic Day

Pennsylvania

Day 103:  Then There was Nine
Day 104: Halfway There
Day 105: Pine Grove Furnace St. Park to Alec Kennedy Shelter
Day 106: New Shoes
Day 107: I'm Sleeping in a Bar
Day 108: A Day in Duncannon
Day 109: Ducannon, PA to Peter Mtn. Shelter
Day 110: Snack Break 
Day 111: Ivy Gauntlet
Day 112: Snake!
Day 113: Attacked
Day 114: The Pulpit
Day 115: PA Rocks
Day 116: No Water
Day 117: Trenching Through 

New Jersey

Day 118: Dear PA...
Day 119: Jonathan & Joan
Day 120: Zero the Mohican Center
Day 121:Abandoned YMCA
Day 122:  Blue Mtn. Rd./YMCA to Sunrise Pavilion
Day 123: The Mayor's House
Day 124: Heaven Hill

New York

Day 125:  Be Open
Day 126: Tubing
Day 127: Loosing Motivation
Day 128: Tired
Day 129: Black Mtn. to Graymoore Spiritual Life Center
Day 130: Happy Birthday Grommet!
Day 131: Fahnestock State Park to Morgan Shelter
Day 132: Pawling, NY
Day 133: Bugs!

Connecticut

Day 134: Ten Mile River Campsite to Kent, CT
Day 135: Kent, CT to Caesar's Brook Campsite
Day 136: Food Mood
Day 137: Holy Hail!
Day 138: 1500 Miles
Day 139: Homeless

Massachusetts

Day 140: Mt. Wilcox shelter South to Tyringham, MA
Day 141: Zero Day #1 at Angela's
Day 142:  Zero Day #2 at Angela's
Day 143: Upper Goose Pond
Day 144: Magic, Magic Everywhere!
Day 145: St. Mary's Church
Day 146: Mt. Greylock

Vermont

Day 147:  Hello Vermont!
Day 148: And by Vermont I mean Ver-MUD
Day 149: Stratton Pond
Day 150:  Manchester Center, VT
Day 151: Green Mountain House Hostel
Day 152: Restless Leg Syndrome
Day 153: Moose!
Day 154:  Big Branch Shelter to Mill Bridge
Day 155: Inn at the Long Trail
Day 156: The Day my Life Changed
Day 157: Compromise
Day 158: Kent Pond to Dana Mountain
Day 159: Dana Mountain to Campsite

New Hampshire

Day 160: You Already Know
Day 161: Moose Mountain Shelter to Fire Wardens Cabin
Day 162: Dancing Bones
Day 163: Prepping for the Whites
Day 164: Coming to Grips
Day 165: Glenncliff to Kinsman Knotch
Day 166: Kinsman Knotch to Kinsman Pond Shelter
Day 167: Kinsman Pond to Little Haystack Shelter
Day 168: Little Haystack Mountain to Campsite
Day 169:  Mt. Guyot to Crawford Notch
Day 170: Meeting the Presidents
Day 171: Mt. Washington
Day 172: Goodbye Mr. President(s)
Day 173: Slack-Packin'
Day 174: White Birches Campground
Day 175: Short Day
Day 176: Skeleton

Maine

Day 177: Maine Baby!
Day 178: Mahoosic Notch
Day 179:  In Need of Food
Day 180: A Great Day
Day 181:  Storm a Brewin'
Day 182: East B Hill Rd. to South Arm Campsite
Day 183: Zero in the Woods
Day 184: Southarm to Bemis Stream Trail
Day 185: Six Months In 
Day 186: Rangely, ME
Day 187: Reddington Campsite
Day 188:  Carrabassett River
Day 189: Stratton, ME
Day 190: The Bigalows
Day 191: Carrying Place Stream
Day 192: Crossing the Kennebec River
Day 193: Northern Outdoor Center
Day 194: Feelin Like a Badass Once More
Day 195: Monson, ME
Day 196: Entering the 100 Mile Wilderness
Day 197: Long Pond Tote to Chairback Lean-To
Day 198: Chairback Gap Lean-To to Logon Brook Lean-To
Day 199: Logon Brook Lean-To to Potaywadjo Lean-To
Day 200: Potaywadjo Lean-To to Rainbow Springs Campsite
Day 201: Katahdin Stream Campground
Day 202: Katadhin

Reflections

Returning Home
"How was your hike?"
Favorites
A Look Back


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