Below is some data and a few opinions from my 2023 Appalachian Trail Thru-hike. While most of the data was expected, a few numbers did… Read More »Appalachian Trail Thru-hike Data – Fun Little Facts | Average Hiker
Virginia is my favorite state on the Appalachian Trail. Often criticized as being a “long green tunnel,” many thru-hikers consider this longest state on the… Read More »Appalachian Trail – Highlights in Southern Virginia | Average Hiker
Appalachian Trail Thru-hike and brevity are not usually in the same sentence. This list offers some brief insights from my 2023 AT thru-hike.
These are only my opinions. I would love to hear yours. There are longer gear reviews for some gear, and I’ll create more reviews as… Read More »Appalachian Trail Gear Scores | Average Hiker
Tennessee is similar to North Carolina, and they share their borders. At times, I was unsure which state I was hiking through on any given… Read More »Appalachian Trail – Highlights in Tennessee | Average Hiker
North Carolina is the state where I grew up backpacking, tromping through hardwood and pine forests as I learned to backpack and hike. It is… Read More »Appalachian Trail – Highlights in North Carolina | Average Hiker
I started the trail on Springer Mountain at the end of February, wanting to beat “the bubble” and hopefully get ahead of the heat and… Read More »Appalachian Trail – Highlights in Georgia | Average Hiker
My Appalachian Trail Gear changed due to my early start in February. Temperatures were colder than I expected and stayed colder longer than anticipated. Because… Read More »Appalachian Trail Gear – There Were Changes | Average Hiker
October 6, 2023 I’m glad I moved my tent last night. Wind and rain raged along the Superior Trail last night as a front moved… Read More »Superior Trail Day 10 – Seeing Mike | Average Hiker
October 5, 2022 Today I was struck by the unique beauty and wildness of this trail. Nature has carved a landscape filled with the howls… Read More »Superior Trail Day 9 – Starkly Beautiful! | Average Hiker
October 4, 2022 The terrain had gotten harder; I noted as I hiked away from West Poplar in the cold, dark morning. My goal for… Read More »Superior Trail Day 8 – A Long Day | Average Hiker
October 3, 2023 I came back inside from sleeping on the front porch before the morning sky began to lighten. My neighbors were early risers,… Read More »Superior Trail Day 7 – Back on Trail | Average Hiker
Casecade River view from crossing.
October 1, 2023 I lazed around in my tent this morning at South Bally Creek Pond since I only had 7-8 miles to Trout Creek… Read More »Superior Trail Day 5 – Thug Squirrels! | Average Hiker
September 30, 2022 I didn’t rush out today since I only had 13-14 miles to the next campsite. Other than being woken up briefly by… Read More »Superior Trail Day 4 – Sandhill Crane | Average Hiker
September 29, 202213.6 Miles Last night, I learned the weather was volatile on this trail. My weather App. had indicated clear weather, so I was… Read More »Superior Trail Day 3 – Favorite Campsite | Average Hiker
September 28, 2022Miles: 23.6 The morning was well below freezing as I poked my hand out from under my quilt to test just how far… Read More »Superior Trail Day 2 – Longer than Intended | Average Hiker
September 27, 2022Miles: 9.6 Yesterday was spent prowling the town of Grand Marais, tying up a few last-minute items, and tasting all the delicacies the… Read More »Superior Trail Day 1 – Chilly! | Average Hiker
September 25, 2022 The flight into Duluth from Michigan was quick, and when I stepped off the plane on a grey, windy day, the drop… Read More »Superior Trail – Arrival | Average Hiker
September 14, 202316.4 Miles I was up early after one of the best nights’ sleep I’d had on the trail. The small dry campsite I… Read More »Foothills Trail Day 5 – Sassafrass | Average Hiker
September 13, 2022Miles – 15.6 The weather was cooler today, and I had robin egg skies! This was perfect weather for the more challenging hiking… Read More »Foothills Trail Day 4 – Sunrises | Average Hiker
9/12/2022Mile 44.2, 17.1 miles As I watched the sunrise from the Girl Scout Benches, the sky streaked with brightening layers of blue, gold, and orange… Read More »Foothills Trail Day 3 – Trail of Bridges | Average Hiker
9/11/2022Mile 27.1 – 16.1 miles I jerked awake as something crashed through the bushes near my campsite in the dark! This was to be the… Read More »Foothills Trail Day 2 – Chattooga Camp | Average Hiker
The rain was coming down in sheets as we drove across the state of South Carolina, headed for Oconee State Park and the western terminus… Read More »Foothills Trail Day 1 – Oconee State Park | Average Hiker
Getting from the campground to Highway 89 would probably have been difficult, but the one thing I had going for me was Wirepass Trailhead, about… Read More »Arizona Trail – Getting Home | Average Hiker
Coyote song woke me up at dawn. They were close, and based on their escalating yipping; they were hot on the heels of breakfast. I… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 57 – Final Day | Average Hiker
May 6, 2022 I was hiking by about 6:15 AM and hobbled along for about 15 minutes until my feet were numb. Unfortunately, my trail… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 56 – Nearing the End | Average Hiker
Today’s weather forecast – is COLD, with an every layer type of morning and lots of wind to make the cold even more biting. Winter… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 55 – More Cold | Average Hiker
May 4, 2022 It was dark as I quietly broke camp and crept down the trail so I would not wake up the other hikers’… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 54 – The Canyon | Average Hiker
The hike along the Arizona Trail to the Grand Canyon was short but took at least an hour. I stopped at every overlook and view… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 53 – Breathtaking! | Average Hiker
May 02, 2022 Breakfast was first on the list, so I headed for Bonita Plaza again and loaded up with carbs and proteins. Breakfast and… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 52 – One Elk Always Watches | Average Hiker
My Superior Trail gear changed towards the end of the hike due to the cold, but other than that, the equipment I used on this… Read More »Superior Trail Gear – What I Used | Average Hiker
Coyotes kept me up all night, yipping, howling, and even circling my tarptent a few times. They are forever opportunists looking for a light meal… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 51 – One Elk Always Watches | Average Hiker
The Arizona Trail was pretty uneventful today. I was out of camp early and did not see the Hoard much throughout the day. There was… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 50 – Closing in on the Canyon | Average Hiker
The Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) is approximately 310 miles long. It travels from the border of Michigan and Wisconsin up to what is referred to… Read More »Superior Trail Hiking Guide – A Thru-hike | Average Hiker
Gentle breathing slowly pulled me from a deep sleep, and I opened my eyes to large dark eyes staring down into my shelter. I had… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 49 – Damn Mud! | Average Hiker
April 28, 2022 My little space in the trees seemed home to the area’s Elk. All night, the creatures visited me as they arrived home… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 48 – Feet Pounding Roads | Average Hiker
April 26, 2022 There is not much to say about Flagstaff, mostly because I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express for two days on the… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 47 – Leaving Flagstaff | Average Hiker
April 23, 2022 The weather on the Arizona Trail makes it one of my favorite long-distance hiking trails. Throughout the entire hike, I had one… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 44 – Flagstaff, AZ | Average Hiker
April 23, 2022 Last night I checked my maps and realized I was only about seven miles from the cutoff to Mormon Lake. I was… Read More »Arizona Trail Day 43 – Mormon Lake | Average Hiker