Alex McCafferty 
4/30 – Day 0 8 miles from Amicalola Falls to Springer Mountain The day finally arrived. The countdown on our phone that we checked daily for almost a year was at “0”. Amy graduated from college, we moved out, and suddenly found ourselves on an airplane to Atlanta, GA. The flight arrived nearly 20 … Read more
We picked the coldest, rainiest, muddiest weekend possible for our final shakedown before the Appalachian Trail, in other words, we went backpacking in Pennsylvania in April. The purpose was mostly to try out our new gear and take note of any deficiencies rather than tackle miles. This will be a brief report on our weekend, … Read more
One of the most common reasons people dropout of their thru-hike attempts is running out of money. It turns out that quitting your job for a six month vacation is never a strong financial decision and it is difficult to estimate the cost of a trip with so many unknowns. Fortunately with enough saving and preparation, … Read more
As I’ve been dreaming of doing this hike for so many years, I’ve had an equal amount of time to dial in my gear in preparation. The large majority of this gear I’ve field tested on multiple occasions in the backcountry under a variety of weather conditions. There are a few new pieces of equipment, … Read more
After a successful group trip in 2020, we decided to make it an annual tradition. Amy, Tim, and I were returning and now our good friend Dan was joining too. The more the merrier! We debated trails and locations around the country, but ultimately decided on Idaho, because why not? We had slightly less vacation … Read more
My brother Tyler moved to Los Angeles in early 2021 with his girlfriend Olivia. Eager to catch up with them and explore the area, Amy and I had a flight booked a few months later. We planned to hang out around the city and tour some of the National Parks. Tyler had never backpacked but … Read more
In August of 2020, after sacrificing the better part of the summer to social distancing and fighting off mind-numbing boredom from the pandemic, Amy, Tim, and I were ready to go on a hike. After watching some of our favorite YouTubers, Darwin and Jupiter, both hike the Uinta Highline Trail, we decided it would be … Read more
The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail holds a special place in my heart. Not only is it the best hiking trail in the state of Pennsylvania, but also where I took my first backpacking trip and have returned for dozens of trips over the years. I’ve likely hiked the entire trail in sections three or more … Read more
In the summer of 2018, my family took a vacation to Minnesota to visit my brother, Brennan, and sister-in-law, Becca, who lived in Rochester, MN. From there, we traveled upstate and rented a house along the coast of Lake Superior. I was blown away by the pristine beauty of this state as we toured the … Read more