In order to get over Jacob's Ladder before I knew what had hit me, I rose at 4:30am and was on the trail by 5:00am. I donned my headlamp and hiked my first two hours in the dark. It was fantastic. Jacob's Ladder kicked my butt (predictably), but as my range of vision was limited … Continue reading Days 14-15: Jacob’s Ladder, NC to Fontana Village, gateway to the Smoky Mountain National Park

I entered Franklin on my 10th day of hiking & departed 4 days later, after spending 3 days at the Macon County Public Library reading over the first round of proofs for the McCarthy edited collection. The lovely people there gave me free use of their computers for the duration of my stay. And I … Continue reading Days 11-13: Franklin to Stecoah Gap, NC

It's raining and miserable outside. Walked my last two miles in persistent drizzle today. But I'm warm and dry in my sleeping bag with my beanie and my Huxley and enough phone battery and reception to blog. What more could a girl want?   The next two days look set to be fine, so I … Continue reading Snug bug

After a half day in Hiawassee getting clean, fed & resupplied, I crossed the state line into North Carolina at Bly Gap. You can register your progress in the tree here if you have paper on you, but from the few scraps of paper I discovered, some of which were quite dated, I gathered that … Continue reading Days 7-9: Sassafras Gap, GA to Long Branch Shelter, NC

 After shedding the excess weight, I managed to pick up the pace a bit, hiking 11 miles (17.5km) on my first day back on the trail, followed by a cruisy 18 mile (29km) day and a subsequently painful 14 (22.5km) day.    After leaving Woody Gap, I passed through the Blood Mtn wilderness. Blood Mtn … Continue reading Days 4-6: Woody Gap to Sassafras Gap

Ok, I've walked 20 miles (32 km) in 3 days. Only 2169 to go! (At this rate it will take me about 11 months to get to Maine.) But... I started out with 46 pounds (21 kg) and it rained last night (a lot), so my pack probably weighed closer to 50 this morning, what … Continue reading Days 1-3: Springer Mtn to Woody Gap

I have made it to Georgia! I feel as though I have been in transit for days, what with the 24 hour flight schedule from Syd-NY & the 17 hour train ride from NY Penn Station to Gainesville, Georgia. But I did get one full day in that favorite of U.S. cities: NYC. Wandered through … Continue reading Commencing A.T. Thru Hike Tomorrow 11 March 2016!

I've always wanted to see Lightning Ridge, so during Spring Semester break last year I took a drive out west. I covered a lot of ground, visiting a different national park on each of my five days away, and I travelled cheap, cooking all my meals on my trusty portable stove, and sleeping in my … Continue reading Road trip out west – September 2015

People have been asking for a photo of all my gear, so here goes... It looks like a rainbow just pooped on my beach towel (no, I won’t be carrying a beach towel). I certainly won’t be blending in with my environment on this trek... Not the clearest shots as the afternoon light was shining through, … Continue reading A.T. Gear List

I am hitting the A.T. Finally! After working 70 hour weeks for the better part of 2015 I have decided to put the books to the side for a year - in all senses of the word. I have taken a leave of absence from my thesis, from teaching and from all things pertaining to … Continue reading Hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2016