I’ll admit that the title for this blog is the result of me fumbling the phrase “not every day is good but there is good in every day”. Nevertheless, I have opted to keep it as I have now used it several times on the trail. I have found that there is truth to my mistake. Not every day is a good day but every day is a great day. Not Every Day on the Appalachian Trail is a Good Day It is true that not every day on the Appalachian Trail is a good day. ... The post Not Every Day is a Good Day but Every Day is a Great Day appeared first on The Trek ..read more

Day 9 Start: Baggs Creek Gap End: Poplar Stamp Gap Miles Hiked: 9.7 Total Miles on AT: 44.2   This morning, wind blew through camp well before sunrise and continued well after we left. Despite it making for a cold and blustery night, I slept warmly and soundly on my new air pad. It was heavenly. However, waiting to leave camp while enduring the cold, gusty air wasn’t heavenly. But, I’m turning over a new leaf and embracing patience, ... The post Day 9 – The Sun is the Silver Lining appeared first on The Trek ..read more

As the hiking season officially kicks into high gear, the Pacific Crest Trail welcomes yet another class of thru-hikers, all of who are hopeful to complete the entire 2,650-mile journey. Some of The Trek’s intrepid bloggers have already set foot on the PCT’s storied path, while others meticulously prepare for their impending journey, eagerly counting down the days until they embark on their own epic adventure. Amidst this excitement and anticipation, we celebrate the start of another PCT season by highlighting the 22 remarkable individuals who will be documenting their PCT journeys alongside T ..read more

Day 42 Walnut Mountain Shelter to Hot Springs 13.1 miles – AT mile 275.2 Card of the day – The Tower Today we go to town, and I for one can’t wait.  Fortunately we’re taking a zero in town tomorrow as I need to sort a lot of stuff out. It’s drizzling outside my tent so I’m taking my time over breakfast and catching up on my blog.  My post about leaving the smokies now has about 20,000 views, ... The post Into Hot Springs appeared first on The Trek ..read more

Day 33: Shortish day today (only 10 miles). We started pretty early, so that we could get into town with plenty of time to eat, resupply, and hang out. And with how light our packs were, we were flying. I had zero food, having eaten my last two tortillas and peanut butter for breakfast. I also drank all my water quickly, so I REALLY had no weight. It took us about 2 hours to get 6.5 miles, ... The post AT Update: Goodbye North Carolina! appeared first on The Trek ..read more

All right…the blog to quench several readers’ queries: my gear list. I’m not sure why this is so, but there is a profound fascination with backpacker gear lists. I love them, you love them, and even non-backpackers are love-curious toward them.  NOTE: For the sake of complete transparency, I hesitated to post my full gear list and breakdown, as I am embarrassed by how much my pack weighs. Though I’ve made many improvements since first starting backpacking, ... The post Good Golly, a Gear List! appeared first on The Trek ..read more

AT day 19 Carter Creek Gap to Franklin, NC Woke up at 5 am in my tent at Carter Creek Gap. It was cold, 30s, but I had to pee. Could not get back to sleep after, so had coffee and breakfast, which was desperately needed calories after skipping dinner the night before. Slowly started packing up while bitching about the cold and wind. The plan for the day was to do about 8 miles to the next shelter. ... The post 100 Miles!!! appeared first on The Trek ..read more

Pro-tips Here are a few pro-tips I’ve learned since being on trail: 1. Hang your bear bag as soon as you get to camp or else you’re not going to feel like doing it after dinner. 2. If you’re yearning for fresh food on trail, pack it out! It’s cold enough at night (for now) that the food will be okay. Just make sure to eat it within a few days before your non-perishables. 3. Listen to the Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring audiobook on Spotify while walking through the forest, ... The post Live the Dash (Day 21-32) appeared first on The Trek ..read more

Day 33: Shortish day today (only 10 miles). We started pretty early, so that we could get into town with plenty of time to eat, resupply, and hang out. And with how light our packs were, we were flying. I had zero food, having eaten my last two tortillas and peanut butter for breakfast. I also drank all my water quickly, so I REALLY had no weight. It took us about 2 hours to get 6.5 miles, ... The post AT Update: Goodbye North Carolina! appeared first on The Trek ..read more

One of the most important pieces of gear for any backpacking trip, be it a weekend jaunt or a full thru-hike, is a shelter system. And while there are many options, the two most used options are either a tent or a hammock. Many people both on and off the trail have been curious about my own set up. While tents are more popular than hammocks, I switched to a hammock three years ago and have never once thought about going back to a tent. ... The post 8 Reasons Why I’m a Hammock Camper (and 4 drawbacks to it). appeared first on The Trek ..read more