Project Eveningland

To begin the blog at the first post of my 2023 Appalachian Trail journey (the original purpose of the blog), click this link. Additional navigation shortcuts are available in the sidebar. Spoilers ahead, highlight the next block to read:

Around about day 140, a 1000-year rainstorm caught me in Harriman State Park in New York. The Appalachian Trail in Vermont and Maine was a mess, and I had been slowed to a crawl by the lingering effects of the meds I had to take to treat giardiasis and so was running out of time anyway. I decided to switch to the Colorado trail for another 100 miles or so and dry out and make the finish less sad than a “failed” thru-hike, so that’s why the last posts are in Colorado, if you were wondering. There is no such thing as a “failed” thru-hike, by the way!

Anyway, enjoy the blog! I’ll add future journeys as I go. I hiked 100 miles on the AT in Georgia and North Carolina in February/March of 2024 to help work on my book. I may add those entries if the time is right–it was a very personal journey. I plan to hike and write and research throughout 2024, and will add posts and pictures as I see fit. Subscribe so you don’t miss out!

5/1/2023 Monday

The shelter grime at Cove Mountain Shelter was less than at nearly any other shelter I’ve been to. The floor wood was still almost honey colored! I mean, it was still gross, just less so. There were only three of us there last night, two in the shelter. I was last out, and loving it.

4/30/2023 Sunday

You can mix peach and strawberry instant oatmeal, if you want to. There was one packet of each in a basket in the kitchen—the real sugary kind. I needed something easy. The mixture has a fruit-punch vibe to it that I dig, being the sophisticate that I am. I paired it with perfectly cooked toast dripping in butter. Just a dash of salt, too.

4/29/2023 Saturday

I love Daleville, but it’s time for a new adventure. The trail out of a town is always a little bit scummy. More trash, more ticks (common in wildlife-urban interface), iffier water, and road noise for several miles. But how lovely to anticipate the views from Taylor Mountain Overlook, our 15-mile endpoint for the day.

4/28/2023 Friday

Ben is sitting beside me as I write this. He’s watching clips of “gender reveal parties gone wrong” online. He’s silent (watching on phone) but occasionally bursts into laughter.

4/27/2023 Thursday

It’s been a low-key kind of day. I’m caught up on all the news, particularly all the legal-political news. Got another night of good sleep and a morning lie-in besides.