Backpacking

The Good, The Bad, and the Truly Miserable aka Episode 5

As I was editing episode 5 I thought to myself, “Why would anyone want to see us at our most miserable?” Then I remembered that the point of creating these videos and updates is to share our experience with family, friends, and anyone else interested in what hiking the…

PA Part II: The Sky Opens

It’s been quite awhile since we posted a new episode. We started to get worried questions from friends and family. The good news is we are totally fine and will soon be crossing the NY-CT border! The bad news is we’re way behind on episodes.

PA Part I: Nice Shelters and the Rock Maze

The beginning of Pennsylvania on the Appalachian trail is beautiful. The trail is not too rocky yet and has stretches of idyllic forests and streams. The shelters are also gorgeous and very well maintained.

Ep 2 — Harpers Ferry to PA Border

We learned quite a few lessons in this 41 mile section. The first was that taking it slow and easy is very enjoyable. We took the time to look around and even spot some wildlife.

The second is that weekends are for day-hikers and Boy Scouts. A number of times we…

Ep 1.5: Intermission

We’re a bit behind our original schedule with some unexpected delays. We are very fortunate however to not really have to keep to a schedule.

It took us awhile to figure this out but now that we’ve had setbacks and the “plan” went out the window, we are thoroughly enjoying having…

Ep1: The Warm Up — 45 Miles

Remember those luxurious chair converters and oversized camp pillows I mentioned? It turns out they are not worth their weight. Especially when trudging up and down hills all day long and you don’t have the time or energy to use the luxury items you thought were absolutely necessary.

Week 1 — Not the problem I expected.

I had plenty of concerns for the first week: old injuries flairing up, hips/knees/ankles giving out, plain endurance. That has all been a challenge, but what nearly took me out was a surprise — not eating enough.

Gearing Up!

A lot of folks have been curious as to what we’re going to bring on the trail. I went into detail with my co-workers prior to leaving and the most common response was “You’re not bringing deodorant?!” Nope. We’ll be embracing the trail life and I secretly hope it’s one less scented item that will prevent…