Category: Appalachian Trail SOBO Stories
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Appalachian Trail SOBO Diaries Part 10: It’s the Journey, Not the Destination
The Smokies Entering Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Scuba, Wildcard, and I climbed and climbed and climbed. The Smokies are home to the highest point on the Appalachian Trail: Clingman’s Dome at 6,643 ft. (2025 m), and the elevation brought frigid temperatures in November. Reaching Tri-Corner Knob Shelter, the wind…
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Appalachian Trail SOBO Diaries Part 9: Ponies, Friends, and Good Days on Trail
A Sticky Situation After a wonderful night off of the trail spent with friends, I returned to the AT. Upon stepping foot back on the Trail, I had my first unfortunate experience of meeting another thru-hiker who wanted to hike with me, who I had no desire to hike with.…
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Appalachian Trail SOBO Diaries Part 8: The Virginia Triple Crown
Never a Dull Day on Trail Leaving Glasgow, I crossed the James River Footbridge and hiked up Thunder Ridge. I passed two interesting features in the next two days. First, I came upon a dead tree that contained a burl in the shape of the silhouette of a woman. A few…
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Appalachian Trail SOBO Diaries Part 7: Shenandoah and Fall Weather
Intro I felt revitalized after finishing the Four State Challenge and taking a few dearly needed days off. Getting back onto to Trail, I quickly entered my favorite section of the Appalachian Trail. From Shenandoah down to the Smokies, I had mostly beautiful fall weather, and it felt like I…
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Appalachian Trail SOBO Diaries Part 6: Challenges
Pennsylvania Days Hiking through Pennsylvania, I watched as the majestic greens of the Trail slowly transformed into vibrant golds and reds. Since the New Hampshire border, I had not taken a day off of hiking, and the days started to blend together. Misty mornings and sunny days hiking through the…
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Appalachian Trail SOBO Diaries Part 5: Naked and Not Afraid?
Lost on Trail A few miles after Bear Mountain State Park, I found myself off of the Trail. Out of the entire 2,200 of the AT, I only got lost on the Trail twice, and both times were in New York. It was a two-fold problem. First, many trail markers…
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Appalachian Trail SOBO Diaries Part 4: Back on Track
Intro Returning to the Trail after my grandmother’s funeral was bittersweet. I still had trouble processing my emotions, but I knew I was in the right place to introspect on my feeling. As a testament to my mental state, it was not until Virginia that I took another day off,…
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Appalachian Trail SOBO Diaries Part 3: A Final Goodbye
Intro After finishing Maine and the White Mountains, I was very much looking forward to some easier miles. Although the rest of New Hampshire and the beginning of Vermont were quite muddy, it was nice to not feel as exhausted at the end of every day. I even remember consistently…
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Appalachian Trail SOBO Diaries Part 2: The Going Gets Tough
Intro Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, if asked to determine the toughest 200-mile section of trail, would no doubt, overwhelmingly choose the section from the Whites into the first 100 miles of Maine. Or, in my case, vice versa. Middle Maine was the most challenging portion of the Appalachian Trail for me,…
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Appalachian Trail SOBO Diaries Part 1: Headin’ Down South
Part 1 of a 10 part series covering unique, informative, and entertaining stories from a Southbound prospective on the majestic Appalachian Trail.
Guru Hikes 