A little about me, my introduction.

Hello everyone, this blog post is just to say hello and tell you who I am:

My name is Sammy Gouge, name of the Guide trail; I am originally from Jonesborough, Tennessee. I am currently 32 years old at the time of writing this and work as a telemetry technician in Johnson City, TN. This is the first time I’ve written something since high school, so please be kind to me. I’ve been hiking since 2013 after taking a day hike with my dad on the Appalachian Trail in Hampton, Tennessee to Laurel Falls; I had no idea how this would affect me at the time, even though I’m still here hiking. While my travels and ambitions in the outdoor community have changed a bit, the reason never has: to get away from all the things that stress a person out; whether that was my job I was working at the time, relationships, money problems, horrible drivers, or how fast everything moves.

The reason is to get away from everything and slow down. Last year, on March 8, I began the adventure of a lifetime, one that I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in: the Appalachian Trail, a journey that was full of struggle, finding myself, learning new skills, meeting and learning to trust new people, and losing old friends, pushing myself to the point of absolute breaking, how to put my head down and keep walking, and how to deal with failure. This trail was my first backpacking trip; In the end I failed in this company. I plan to one day finish this journey. This year however I don’t plan on returning, I’m here to hike 3 more trails this year. Perhaps this could be seen as a kind of sad redemption for my failure; I’d like to think it’s just passing the time and making the most of it with these trips until I get a chance to go out and see Mom K again.

I hope you enjoy my writing; I hope to become a better writer as I blog, a big thank you to Trek for giving me a place here to learn and grow. Also follow us on Instagram! I could start a YouTube channel documenting these places as well, but I can’t wait to share these beautiful places with all of you.

With all the love, happy trails!

– (Don’t forget to tip your) “Guide”

PS: Thanks to everyone who took the time to read!

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site hgtgdfgdtr8.