outdoors – Des Hikes Thru

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

My first visit to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I am guilty that I’ve lived in Ohio for seven years and I’ve never been here before! I did an 8.1 mile loop on the towpath and buckeye trail.

March 15th Low Gap Shelter to Unicoi Gap Miles Hiked: 9.7 AT milage: 52.5 Elevation chart from Guthook Guides. This morning we woke up at 5am, packed up in the rain and were hiking before 6am. We got up super early in hopes to make it to Unicoi gap before noon. That way my dadContinue reading “Day 5: Back to Real Life”

Day 4: Walking Through the Clouds

March 14th Bull Gap to Low Gap Shelter Miles Hiked: 10.4 AT mileage: 42.8 Elevation chart from Guthook Guides. I slept a whopping total of five minutes last night. The wind storm kept me up all night and then it started raining around 5am. We woke up at 7am and were out of the tentContinue reading “Day 4: Walking Through the Clouds”

Day 3: Mountain Crossings

March 13th Lance Creek to Bull Gap Miles hiked 8.5 AT mileage 32.4 Elevation chart from Guthook Guides. Today we slept in because we were all so exhausted from yesterday. I was really slow getting ready and took my time. We hit the trail around 9am and hiked very slow. After the miles we putContinue reading “Day 3: Mountain Crossings”

Day 2: The long day to Lance Creek

March 12th Hawk Mountain Shelter to Lance Creek Campground Miles hiked:15.8 AT mileage: 23.7 Elevation chart from Guthook Guides. Last night at the shelter before bed, the four of us (Emma, clay, Caroline, and I) decided we felt good enough to try for a longer day of hiking tomorrow. We wanted to get around aContinue reading “Day 2: The long day to Lance Creek”

Day 1: The Rainforest

March 11th Springer mountain shelter to Hawk mountain shelter Miles hiked:7.9 AT mileage: 8.1 Elevation chart from Guthook Guides. I slept great last night. Today we woke up at 7:30 broke camp, and hit the trail at 9:15. Our mileage was really easy. It was pretty much all downhill except the last 2 miles. AfterContinue reading “Day 1: The Rainforest”

Arriving and Night One at Amicalola Falls State Park, GA

On March 9th my dad, sister and her friend Clay, picked Caroline and myself up from my apartment in Columbus to drive down to Georgia. It felt like such a long drive for me because I was so excited, but it was only 8-9 hours. I set up and tested the sattelitephone my parents gotContinue reading “Arriving and Night One at Amicalola Falls State Park, GA”

Sources of information, inspiration, and motivation (to plan a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail)

This blog post originally appeared on my trail blog for The Trek which you can read here. Before hitting the trail I have asked countless questions about what I am really getting myself into. To answer this question I have done my own research on just about anything I could think of for the trail.Continue reading “Sources of information, inspiration, and motivation (to plan a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail)”

What’s in My Pack? The essential gear I bring along every backpacking trip … so far

With my upcoming trip to Shenandoah National Park this week I was inspired to make a post about what I bring in my pack. I am still a beginner backpacker, but this is the gear I am brining on this trip! Pack: Osprey Aura AG 65 … 4lbs Tent: REI camp dome 2 ( giftedContinue reading “What’s in My Pack? The essential gear I bring along every backpacking trip … so far”