Somehow, I woke up today feeling fine. 10 hours of sleep seemed to have cured all ails. I continued hiking with Blake (trail name "Smiles" - the man is positive ALL the time. Sometimes I see him standing by himself in camp, thinking about something and smiling). He has been a trainer at the YMCA … Continue reading Sunday, July 15 (Kreg) →

On this day, exactly one week after my Katahdin summit, the trail broke me. I hadn't been sleeping well for the first 4 nights - waking up in the middle of the night and staying awake for an hour or two. Your body pumps adrenaline all day and can't slow down at night. It's adjusting … Continue reading Saturday, July 14 (Kreg) →

Today was a tough day. The elevation kicked in for the first time, and we summited White Cap Mountain around 2 PM. The view at the top was incredible - we could see straight back to Katahdin. I took an obligatory shirtless photo because, well, I was obligated to. Adrenaline fueled the ascent, but that … Continue reading Friday, July 13 (Kreg) →

I am grateful today. My tent is on the edge of a lake. The sun is setting, painting an orange-pink haze above the trees on the opposite shore. Bird calls echo over the water-- high-pitched, repeating the same sound on a loop over and over again. There are so many breathtaking moments each day that … Continue reading Thursday, July 12 (Kreg) →

Longest day yet - 14 miles with some ups and downs that provided great views. Lakes up here are beautiful - deep blue ovals plopped down in the middle of all the trees and mountains. Good news: Trekking poles are AWESOME. My leg had no pain by end of day. Going to keep stretching and … Continue reading Wednesday, July 11 (Kreg) →

Pretty uneventful day today, but it feels so good to be in the woods. I talked more to Calories today - he just graduated high school in Atlanta. Coolest things about him? He picks locks! All kinds of locks! And not for shady reasons, he prefaced. He goes to trade shows and lock picking competitions … Continue reading Tuesday, July 10 (Kreg) →

Up at 6am, on the trail by 7 with Preston (no trail name yet). He’s a recent college grad who is hiking the trail to raise money for a mental health program in high schools back in Cincinnati. He’s raised $12k of $20k so far, courageously sharing the story of his own struggles in order … Continue reading Monday, July 09 (Kreg) →

I woke up at 5 having barely slept, and I grabbed a massive breakfast at the AT cafe that came with my night’s stay. I ate with Preston, who sat down next to me on the bus ride yesterday. After breakfast, a bunch of us crammed into a van to head to the Katahdin trailhead. … Continue reading Sunday, July 08 (Kreg) →

What a mix of emotions! I started the day excited. Jumped out of bed, did my stretches, had a cup of coffee, and wrote down my “why” for this hike. I wanted to be able to come back to it later, especially when the hike gets tough. We also want to start a blog so … Continue reading Saturday, July 07 (Kreg) →

Why am I attempting to thru hike the AT? Gain perspective. “What’s the worst that could happen?” Answering this question is an exercise in perspective - parsing out irrational fears and unfounded emotion from reality and simple probability. Solo hikes in Arkansas and New York, leaving an amazing job, moving out of our apartment, planning … Continue reading “Why Hike the AT?” (Kreg) →