I’ve been thinking through all of the hikes that I did in 2014 and trying to decide which one was my favorite. I’ve had some pretty amazing hikes, so it’s hard to choose just one. But in the end my first solo hike of the year was my favorite: Graybeard Trail, Montreat, NC Graybeard was…
Harley and I wish you a Merry Christmas! We hope your getting to spend time with your families and enjoy the fresh air!!
I read a lot of articles and books about hikes, treks, expeditions, and backpacking trips around the world. It fills my heart with a desire to explore and adventure as much as possible. Recently I decided to start my bucket list of trips that I would like to accomplish in my lifetime (I’m sure the…
There’s that moment when everything clicks. Your heart settles. Your mind calms to a peaceful emptiness. You breathe easier. Relax more. You feel more content than you ever have before. You feel home. I didn’t know that it could feel like this. That I would find myself more at home in the mountains, lost among the…
I’m addicted. I spend hours every day reading blogs, articles, books, and magazines about the Appalachian. I read about skills I need to work on. Plants I’ll find along the way. Personal experiences. The struggles. The joys. All of it. I dream about it at night. I can’t stop. I am craving the AT so…
This past weekend was a wonderful time for an impromptu midnight hike. We set out Friday at 11:30pm, bundled up as much as possible. The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight, and the moon glowed brightly, illuminating the path before us and eliminating any need for a flashlight. It was calm and quiet,…
This entire year has been a life changing experience for me. Especially in terms of hiking and backpacking. My favorite trip thus far was my first multi-night backpacking trip through the Shining Rock Wilderness. Up until that point I had only backpacked a few times, the hikes in and out were short and relatively easy,…
I went on a short sunrise hike in October to the top of Black Balsam Knob. What I saw that morning was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. I have yet to find the right words to describe the beauty that stretched out before me. To preface the pictures, the world…
One of the downfalls of being a hiker/backpacker is the expense of the gear. And the expense of a thru-hike. I’m on an AmeriCorps budget and funds are tight, savings are not exactly something that I have at the moment. But I’m desperate to start finding ways to fund my future thru-hike. I’ve been brainstorming…
There never seems to be enough time these days. With a new job, an active social life, and the need for sleep my affinity for hiking temporarily went on the back burner. Lately it seems that every time I plan on going for a hike I end up doing something else that has to get…
The Misadventures of Anna & Bear Bait 