We set out From Amilcolola, ready for the adventure of a lifetime
Before we knew it we were 100 miles in, and on our way to being real hikers.
Even bad weather was beautiful
Before we knew it we were 1/4 done
Hikers have the best graffiti
One of the most Iconic shots on the whole trail
Finally halfway at Harper's ferry
Tragedy hit with a broken Uke that I fixed with glue in a wallmart parking lot
Sage advice
Folks would stop and give share food with us, called "Trail magic". This was from some dayhikers that make this on trail
A gorgeous bridge in New York
This is the Telephone of the wind. It's not connected to anything, but you can talk into it if you need to. Early on trail, I played an incredible game of chess with a hiker called gradmaster. He fainted at the wrong time, and fell to his death. It had an impact on everyone who knew him. I remember calling him here, and telling him I hoped in some way I could bring him with me to the end. Happy trails Grandmaster.
New york was its own kind of beautiful
And here I met my Tramily! After enjoying some conversations with them, I asked them to hike with me. It felt oddly like asking someone out. These are folks who all hike together. On the left is Homade and to the right it fox. Their company made the last 500 miles so special.
We kept going on together, counting down the miles until we reached Kataden
The whites were so challenging. Where we had been moving 20 miles a day, our pace slowed to 10. They were steep, slippery, and unforgiving. But they were also the most beautiful places on trail. This is Franconia ridge.
The views were the best they'd ever been, but we were tired, and 1000s of miles in, and ready to be done
Summitting Mt. Washington was hard and treachorous. Winds were gusting 120. Visibility was nothing. But we kept our cool, talked eachother through it, and colapsed at the end. We were safe. We were almost done with the whites.
Safe and warm in the last hut, I called my dad to let him know that I wasn't dead
Right before the end, we split up. This was nearly the last time I saw Fox and Homade. I was racing to the end to see my brother, and was ready to be done
Maine was beautiful, but every day I was looking for the end
My shoes were done and so was I
As I reached the end, 2193.7 miles at Kataden, I reflected on how I couldn't have done this alone. Not without Fox, or Homade, or the people who I called. I carried them all with me up the slopes of Mt. Kataden