Hike the AT in 84 Days: How I Saved 64 Days on My Second Hike

Appalachian Trail 2025: 2,198 miles, 84 days.

It’s not the fastest known time, but it seemed like a new kind of achievement, especially when I compared it to my first AT hike in 2018, which took me 148 days to complete.

This time the goal was different: walk faster, spend more time alone and finish the route in less than 100 days.

I had no idea if this was something I was mentally or physically capable of. I didn’t know if my body would last walking nearly 30 miles every day, with thousands of feet of elevation gain. I wasn’t sure if my mind could handle the repetition of long, uncomfortable days, mostly alone.

There are many reasons why people might try to complete the AT in a shorter period of time, such as having limited free time, financial limitations, or simply wanting an extra challenge. For me, it was mostly curiosity. I wanted to see what would happen if I approached the trail differently than the first time I walked it.

I finished in 84 days. I felt incredibly proud, a little surprised, and honestly, I wasn’t entirely prepared for it to end because I was having the time of my life.

These are some of the things that made the biggest difference in cutting 64 days off my hike.

1. I went ultralight.

On my first AT hike, my pack weighed about 32 pounds with food and water. I was working on a tight budget (a chronic hiking life!) and very little experience, so I was carrying a lot of gear I didn’t really need.

This time, he had everything under control. Years of backpacking taught me what really matters and what doesn’t matter at all. I stripped my settings down to the essentials.

I figured:

Lighter backpack = faster hike.

Faster walks = more miles per day.

More miles per day = fewer days on the road.

Plus: lighter backpack = happier body = lower risk of injury.

Check out these two other articles I wrote about lightening my backpack load and gear setup for more details:

2. I focused on strength training.

This one surprised me. And in a way it happened by accident.

After finishing the CDT and before doing the AT again, I had been dealing with a frustrating hamstring injury that prevented me from running and made me wary of walking too much before the first day.

One thing that I could do: strength training. I worked with Blaze Physio on a rigorous leg strength rehabilitation program and spent months in the gym preparing my hamstrings.

Although I wasn’t in the best cardiovascular shape of my life, I noticed a significant increase in leg strength and recovery along the way. Thanks to my efforts at Planet Fitness with the stepper, squat rack, and mat, I was able to really tune up my walking muscles. My legs felt more stable, durable, and resilient than ever, even when I started SOBO in Maine, which is no joke.

That base of strength saved me and gave me the power I needed in those first challenging miles.

3. I ate constantly.

I will never underestimate the power of nutrition again. I had to relearn many times the amount of food I really needed to eat while walking over 25 miles every day. Spoiler alert: it’s A LOT.

Learning the hard way, I discovered that I had to eat constantly, at least every hour of the day, to keep my body stable and avoid blood sugar crashes. By doing so, I was able to continue walking for over 13 hours a day without hitting a low point.

Plus, the food tastes great on the road. A small, delicious treat every hour gave my mind something to look forward to and distracted me on tiring days.

By the end of the hike, I was eating almost everything as I walked and rarely stopping to rest beyond filtering water a couple of times or making dinner once I got to camp.

4. I overcame my fear of going on night walks alone.

i used to be terrified of walking alone in the dark.

But starting a hike in late July meant the days got shorter, which meant more night hikes. If you only walked during the day, you would lose hours of mileage.

It took me some time to adjust; I had to do everything I could to overcome this obstacle. Here are some things that made me feel better while walking alone at night:

• Play upbeat music or podcasts quietly and loudly
• Singing or humming to myself
• Rely on my headlamp and backup battery
• Consciously forcing myself to tune out and keep my eyes in front of me in my little tunnel of light. This helped me not think about the «what ifs?»
• Reminding myself that it is the same forests like day
• I just did it. The more I faced my fear, the more I realized that nothing bad would actually happen to me.

Finally, through self-induced exposure therapy, I forced myself to overcome my intense fear of walking alone in the dark. I even started to love him.

The tranquility of the forest brought me peace and calm. It allowed me to clear my head. There was something wild about it that made me feel brave and confident. The stars were absolutely beautiful. I loved seeing all the pretty little lights twinkling in the towns from the top of a hill. Appreciating little things like this really helped.

5. I woke up stupidly early.

“Miles in the morning don’t count” became my mantra. I would wake up, pack my bags half asleep, and start walking in the dark. When the sun rose, I had already traveled miles. And mentally, I felt like my day was just beginning. It was a cheat code.

Plus, the mornings on the trail are unreal: the fog lifts, the birds wake up, and a soft orange light shines through the trees. That part is the one I miss the most.

6. I got very few zeros.

Taking a total of only six days of complete rest meant that I had to find other ways to feel well-rested during my hike. Here are some of the ways I would reset my energy on my 84-day AT hike without taking a zero day:

• Eating a GIANT meal at a restaurant
• Let me sleep a little in the mornings in the city
• Getting up earlier on the trail to finish my mileage early and have more rest time in the afternoon.
• Do a mask or hair mask in the city to feel fresh and relaxed
• Extension
• Take more breaks or walk slower for a while.
• Drink a WHOLE liter of water
• And as a last resort, if all else fails: drink more caffeine.

I was still tired most of the time, but these little resets added up and helped me stay on track without stopping completely.

One of the few times I visited a town to relax and go swimming with friends.

7. I minimized time in the city.

City stops can be the highlight of a hike, but they can also be a rabbit hole of comfort. They are very good at convincing you to stay longer than planned and at tempting you with amenities at every street intersection. Food, comfortable beds, other hikers, shelter, and a lack of bugs sound much more appealing than the discomfort of the trail. But the less time spent off the trail, the less time it will take to complete.

This time, I tried to be more intentional about when and where I stopped. I prioritized towns that were close to the trail and kept my visits relatively short. Plus, as a woman who hitchhikes alone, it was reassuring to know that I wouldn’t have to hitchhike alone.

Minimizing time in town helped me maintain momentum and made the transition back to the trail easier each time.

8. I listened to A LOT of podcasts and audiobooks.

Don’t worry, I spent plenty of time walking in silence, appreciating the singing of the birds and the rustling of the leaves. But I think some entertainment for the mind is nice to make long days on your feet seem more sustainable.

Podcasts and audiobooks gave me something to focus on and helped pass the time, especially during tedious stretches or harder miles. They helped get me in the zone, making it easier to keep moving without feeling the need to stop as often.

I love learning new things from an educational podcast, laughing while listening to a comedian, or being completely captivated by the plot of an audiobook, all while walking through the woods.

9. I set limits with visits.

On my first three Triple Crown hikes, I had a lot of visits from friends and family, which I really appreciated. But they often arrived with extra time out of the way.

This time, I was clearer about my schedule and my goals. I kept visits limited and tried to stay consistent with my walking days. The people who visited us were incredible: supportive, flexible and very helpful. But keeping those visits short and specific made a big difference.

Sacrificing more quality time with my loved ones was a trade-off, but it helped me stick to my plan.

My mom and dad came to support me along the way on different occasions.

10. me in fact I walked my own walk.

“Walk your own walk” is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot, but for me in this endeavor it was more important than ever before.

I didn’t adjust my pace or mileage to match others like I did on my previous three hikes, as it’s often easier or more social to do so. On this walk, when the paths lined up, it was great to share miles with people. But I always stayed committed to the plan I had set for myself.

The longest I hiked with anyone on this AT was with a friend I made at a lodge in Maine, Boo. Back on the trail, he committed to riding the same mileage for as long as possible. As we climbed a grueling mountain in Maine, I remember him saying, “I’ll try to keep up with you as long as you can keep up with me,” and I responded, “I’ll keep up with you as long as you can keep up with me!” It was so much fun having company that week.

But aside from these fleeting connections, doing my own thing and learning to be comfortable and even love being alone was a huge factor in how I completed my hike in 84 days.

Final thoughts

The first time I climbed the AT I was 19 and just hoping to finish it.

This time, at 27 years old, I faced the adventure with more experience and with a different objective.

It’s strange to think how different those two versions of the same path and the same me felt. The distance didn’t change, but the way I moved through it did.

And in the end, that change made the difference.

Cover image: Photo via Livvy Weld. Graphic design by Mackenzie Fisher.