Four years ago today Jackson set foot on the AT so I thought it only fitting to share a post he wrote upon his return outlining a typical day of thru-hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail was one of the biggest journeys of my life. Stretching 2,189 miles from Georgia to Maine,…
While managing Gearhead Outfitters in Springfield, Missouri, we had the opportunity to meet and work with some pretty cool people. During one interview with a potential hire we learned she had done trail maintenance on the Appalachian Trail the very year Jackson hiked. I still find this a delightful coincidence. Aside from her work with…
A thru-hike of any trail presents many challenges that most are unaware of. The most exhausting, grueling, and wearisome aspect of this brand of adventure is the mental perseverance it takes to complete such a daunting task. Sure, hiking can be physically demanding but if you don’t have the head and the heart to endure…
The recent flood of attention given to the National Parks in the media due to the government shutdown had me reminiscing on our time in Yosemite. This trip sparked in me a deeper longing for exploration that encouraged me to ask questions about my fears, desires, experiences, dreams and goals. I think sometimes we need…
A few months ago I was bustling around the store when our co-worker, Michael(featured in the previous blog post), called me over to introduce me to the lady he was chatting with. He told me she was an avid traveler and backpacker and figured I might be interested in talking to her. Bless Michael. After…
If you read the most recent post (which was two weeks ago, because I’ve been a slacker) then you know our hostel host while staying in Salida, CO, just so happened to hike the AT the same year Jackson did, and I found that delightfully wild. It got better. While sitting outside the hostel and…
A few weeks ago we got back from what might be our favorite trip so far as a little family (Jackson, Kona, and myself). We spent seven days in Colorful Colorado and winded down our adventures in Salida where we stayed at the Simple Lodge and Hostel. We were able to walk pretty much everywhere…
What is it that makes us marvel at a landscape; why do we call it beautiful? Jackson asked me this question as we walked away from Corona Arch. We had decided to stick to state parks so that Kona could hike with us. The trek was every bit as beautiful as the ones from the…
Yesterday we celebrated Jackson’s 27th birthday. Well, we observed it. Typically celebrations include lots of people, maybe some fancy meals, drinks, music, or an event of some kind. We mostly drove; down windy roads through snow covered mountains and on straight roads through red desert. Occasionally we stopped to stretch our legs, let the puppy…
