AT Anniversary – The Walk

Today is my Trailaversary! It is the one year anniversary of the day I began my hike on the Appalachian Trail, 04/05/2025.

Hiking the AT was the best decision I have ever made! I am very proud to remember my trip.

Below you will find some of my trail memories.

Jersey Bears

New Jersey is known to have the most bear sightings on the AT. That turned out to be true for me. I saw 2 black bears my first night in New Jersey. It was already late, almost dusk. Ladybug and I were looking for a place to camp for the night when we saw two black bears. They were in an open area to our left that was obviously used as a camp. The bears were at the back edge where the trees began again. They seemed to have found some kind of food or something of particular interest. We two humans looked at the two bears in amazement, they looked back. For a split second I felt like we recognized and understood each other. A whimsical notion probably born from my desire to have a deeper connection with the natural world. Still, it was amazing to see bears in the wild, especially those who looked at us calmly and then went back to what they were doing, which they obviously found much more interesting than two girls gawking at them.

dinosaurs

Out of the corner of my eye, I swear I saw a velociraptor. For a brief moment my mind considered whether Jurassic Park was real. While he was on the trail and isolated from the news, had scientists found a way to bring dinosaurs back to life? And was it lost?

I got a better look at the terrifying creature and rational thinking kicked in. My mind categorized the being I saw as a large bird and then I realized it was a turkey. I turned a corner and saw a… whole herd? of them. I later discovered that a group of turkeys is called a rafter. Well, this rafter moved stealthily through the forest, all facing the same direction and looking like predators on the hunt. Birds descended from dinosaurs and I never believed it more than at that moment.

Marathon

On July 20th, Ladybug and I did a marathon. We walked 42 kilometers in one day. That ended up being my highest mileage day on the trail!

We started the day at mile 1,314.9 and ended the day at mile 1,341.3 on the AT. Hiking 26 miles in 24 hours, we somehow managed to find time to stop and have lunch off the trail. We went to Gyp’s Tavern, a short hike from mile 1325.9 on the AT, at Culvers Gap in Branchville, NJ. We sat on the back patio of the tavern and looked out over Lake Kittatinny while stuffing our faces with burgers, in my case it was a Beyone burger and fries.

At Gyp’s Tavern I met Specs, a hiker who was doing the ECT. He had begun his hike in the Florida Keys. It made me think of Iceman, the only other ECT hiker I met on the AT.

Our hearty lunch gave us the calories and energy we needed to walk 15.4 more miles. I clearly remember a part of the day when I was walking alone in the forest watching the sun set through the trees. I listened to the song Something in the Orange by Zach Bryan as the fading light lit up the sky.

Ultimate Stealth Camping

I ended up walking in the dark until 10pm. Ladybug and I had planned to camp at a shelter, but we stopped about a half mile early at the High Point Park Observation Tower. Since it was so late at night, we decided to be brave and tough. We camped at the top of the observation tower. It is a high wooden platform. We cowboys camped, sleeping under the open sky on the platform platform.

Ladybug and I lay on the deck marveling at the stars. They were bold and bright, filling the expanse of our field of vision. We try to distinguish constellations and wonder about other universes and alien species. It was the most unique camping experience I have ever had!

Worried about the repercussions of being caught sleeping on top of the observation deck, we got up before 5 a.m. to pack our bags. We watched the sunrise over the highest point in New Jersey, which was marked by a 220-foot-tall obelisk on a mountain in front of us. The AT itself doesn’t go up that mountain, but there is a path that connects to it, so it would make a good side quest. Maybe next time…

Daily location and mileage log

Day 106 – 07/19/25

Delaware Water Gap – Fairview Lake View ⛺️

Mile 1,297.4 – 1,314.9

17.5 miles

Day 107 – 07/20/25

Fairview Lake View – Observation Deck

Mile 1,314.9 – 1,341.3

1. 26.4 miles

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