We took off work a little early from work on Friday so that we could get to the trailhead and get to a campsite. We needed to get back early Saturday so that we could celebrate Easter with Sean. It’s been hard fitting in backpacking around our work schedule, that’s for sure. I want to make sure that I’m in…
Category: backpacking
Backpacking Adventures at Hungry Mother State Park
Yesterday, we traveled up to Hungry Mother State Park in Virginia to get 6 miles of backpacking in. With 107 days until Maine, we need to get more miles under our belt. We had originally planned to backpack 17 miles on the Foothills Trail this weekend, but Sean had to go out of town, so we are dog sitting our…
Journey to Mile 0 of the Appalachian Trail
One hundred and nineteen days until Maine. One day shy of 4 months isn’t as far away as it seems. We are working on getting some more backpacking miles under our belt before time slips away. The best way to build endurance is by getting out there and doing it. Lugging the pack up challenging inclines prepares the mind and…
Exploring Bald River Falls Gorge and Scenic Trails
We had an AMAZING weekend. While things did not go according to plan, we still got a great backpacking adventure into the weekend. The campsite we were originally going to be staying at ended up being closed. It happens sometimes. We get there and the bar is down, blocking the entrance. We had originally planned on staying at Holly Flats…
Hiking the 100 Mile Wilderness and Summiting Katahdin: Preparing for the Challenge
Happy Sunday! I am in a small town in Tennessee this morning. I stopped here last night as I make my way to Missouri for work this week to help roll out a new client. Flying on an airline is not my thing. After the last crazy flights to and from Oregon, I decided that anything that is 13 hours…
173 Days to Monson!
Happy Wednesday! Only 173 days until we hit the trail in Monson, Maine! Less than 6 months to go. Woo! It seems so close, but yet so far away. It takes a lot of planning to get to day one on the trail, so we are deep into planning mode right now. We are working out the details of each…
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Fixed: My First Hiking Experience
Happy New Year! Yesterday, we backpacked to the summit of Mt. Jefferson to test out my new gear and my new ear. I was going to title this post, “Testing New Gear and My New Ear in the New Year,” but I refrained. Ha ha. The elevation of the summit is 4,665 ft, which is a good test of the…
Arrived! LiteAF Backpack: Lightweight Gear for Hiking Adventures
On the 5th day of Christmas, the postman brought to me my LiteAF backpack that I ordered back in October! I was so excited that it arrived almost one month early. It weighs in at 48 ounces and takes off 3.5 pounds from my other backpacking backpack. This will significantly help me keep my total pack weight below 40 pounds…
Rediscovering Christmas Cards: A Heartfelt Tradition
For the first time in 9 years, I have Christmas cards in the mail before Christmas Day! Woo Hoo! Christmas has been a struggle for me since my family was broken up. I know people don’t like to hear about that part, but it is completely normal for women to feel this way after abandonment– even 9 years later. This…
Dickey Gap to Damascus – Our 50 Mile Backpacking Adventure
It’s been a month since we got back from our backpacking trip on th Appalachian Trail. It was epic! I have not had time to write about it because I have been busy with work and trying to get fully staffed. It’s been rough-ish as I am hiring in 3 of my 5 divisions right now. The holidays are a…
My Little Red Bike 