One beautiful winter’s day in 2010, I was day-hiking with a dear friend just a few weeks before leaving for my thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. Her former career had been as a successful surgeon [...]
After a long day hiking in the rain, I passed the side trail to “Charlies Bunion,” a scenic rocky overlook that attracts many view-seeking hikers. Typically, many day-hikers are headed up to this iconic and [...]
I had the pleasure of sharing a wild Smokies Appalachian Trail adventure with the ATC’s newest ridgerunner, Andy… His excellent trail-maintaining skills were continually being put to the test. He’s going to make a great [...]
I frequently ask my guides and guardian angels to keep me safe and protected. This ritual has helped me create more personal trust and less in fear. The intense weather I have experienced in the [...]
On my last backpacking trip just before I left for Nepal last October, ironically in the Smokies, I had a critical equipment malfunction… the dreaded fatal-boot-blow-out. Thankfully, it was toward the end of the trip, [...]
I have to be honest. My first two “hitches” (each 4-day stretch on the trail is called a hitch) have been relatively intense. I knew the weather could potentially be brutal in the Smokies… [...]
