Post 2018 Appalachian Trail Thru Hike

Hi everyone! How has it already been 5 months since we summited Katahdin? I’m sorry it has taken me this long to do a post trail update. Time feels like it has been going at warp speed!

We spent our first month back with family taking it easy and letting our bodies recuperate. After that, it was time to head back to upstate SC! Jake jumped right back in to real estate, and I started back with Southern Savers. We then spent the holidays with family and enjoyed the food a little too much – it’s hard to shake the thru hiker appetite! After a few months living in Jake’s grandparent’s guest house, we found the perfect house to buy! We closed on our home in January and have really enjoyed being back in Greenville, SC.

Life has been good for us post trail, minus a few bumps here and there, but that’s life in this world. To be honest, neither of us have dealt with post trail depression. I think that has a lot to do with where we put our identity, in Christ and not the trail. Don’t get me wrong, the trail is a big part of our story now and we often miss waking up in the woods, but we understand it’s not the end all be all. And, having shared the experience with one another, we can talk about all the good and bad of trail life together whenever we want. We can relate to each other and that makes talking about our experience easier.

We are thankful for our time on trail, but we are also happy for new adventures, like buying our first home and building community in the wonderful city of Greenville! If you’re wondering if we’ll ever do another long trail, the hopeful answer is YES! We absolutely love backpacking and spending time together in new places. We would love to do the PCT and the el Camino, just to name two. Timing and finances will tell when those trips can be taken. We trust in the Lord’s perfect plan, so whether we do or don’t ever get to walk a long trail again, we know where our identity and hope lies. We are beyond thankful for the time He gave us to hike the Appalachian Trail and it will be forever an amazing memory that we both can hold dear in hearts.

Thank you to everyone who came along with us, whether it was through watching our videos, talking with us on the phone, meeting us in person or keeping us in prayer. Thank you for sharing the journey with us!

Until next time!

-Ninja Snail & Sandals

Appalachian Trail Thru Hike 2018: 3 Big Changes

paris mountain state park

This year we have 3 big changes for our Appalachian Trail 2018 Thru Hike.

We are changing up our nutrition! No more Honey Buns and Snickers… ok, ok, we’ll probably have a few of those, but they won’t make up our entire diet. This year we are focused on eating as many whole, nutritious and mainly plant based meals that we can. Plus, for the first month on trail we are sending ourselves mail drops so we don’t have worry about grocery shopping.

Next, we are going ultra-lightweight with our gear. In 2016, we both started with base weights around 20 lbs. For 2018, we have our base weights dialed in at sub 12 lbs! No, your gear doesn’t get you to Katahdin, but less weight means faster hiking and easier recovery.

Lastly, we are changing up our mentalities. In 2016, we mostly saw the trail as a big 6 month vacation. Towards the end, we were “vacationing” more and more in our mindset. We ultimately had to get off trail for other reasons, but we want this year to be more focused on getting to Katahdin by treating it as a) a job we applied for and got, so we gotta give it our best and b) by listening more to our bodies each day to make sure we are focused on what we need to do to be successful at reaching Katahdin. Crummy days are going to happen, but we’re keeping our eyes on the prize.

Appalachian Trail Day Hike & Trail Magic

This morning a year ago, Jake and I were taking pictures under the AT Approach Trail arch and saying our goodbyes to my parents. It’s crazy how fast this year has flown by!

I remember sitting in the restaurant at Amicalola Falls Lodge trying to force myself to eat something. I was so nervous, but beyond amazed that I was actually about to start something I had been dreaming about since I was twelve!

Jake and both had an amazing adventure hiking the Appalachian Trail and in honor of hitting the year mark, we set off this weekend to visit Springer one more time.

We hiked south .9 miles up Springer from the parking lot, and it was just as I remembered it! It truly brought me back to our first and second days on trail.

After making it to the summit, we signed the trail log and headed back down. Our day had just begun. Next stop – trail magic!

We made made a long leisurely drive around the Georgia mountains so we could drive through Hiawassee and Franklin. Once we hit Franklin, NC it was time to decided where we wanted to set up our trail magic.

I remembered how beautiful the views were on top of Wayah Bald and how long the climb was from Winding Stair Gap, so we headed up the windy back roads to the Way Bald Stone Tower parking lot.

We timed it perfectly! We were able to feed and talk with 20 hikers! I loved it and felt so rewarded that I was able to give back in a small way for all the kindness I received on  the Appalachian Trail.

Happy 1st Day Of Fall

fall

Today is the first day of fall and I could not be happier! Bring on the apple pie candles, puffy jackets, cool weather hiking and bonfires.

Jake and I have been hiking almost every weekend, and I have so many more hikes planned for the fall! Our latest adventure was a 19.4 mile hike from Table Rock State Park to Sassafras Mountain and back. We definitely pushed ourselves, but being outside ALL DAY was wonderful.

sassafras mountain

I’ve lately developed an interest in “highpointing” and “peak bagging, ” which is one of the reasons we hiked to Sassafras Mountain (it’s the highest point in SC). I’m thinking Mt. Mitchell may be next on our highpointing list.

If you’ve never heard of highpointing, it is when you climb to the highest points in all 50 states within your lifetime. Peak bagging on the other hand is when you summit a group of mountains based on certain characteristics, like geography. The one I’m interested in completing is the South Beyond 6,000. If you are a highpointer or peak bagger, I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful first day of fall, and didn’t contribute to Starbucks running out of Pumpkin Spice Lattes… Kidding! I had to end with a fall joke.

Happy Trails!

Appalachian Trail Days 89-92

Thank you to everyone who has watched our videos, we are truly blessed by our viewers and blog readers! This has been the hardest week for us, and sadly this is our last video.

We have enjoyed making our videos each week and we hope you enjoy this one. Stay tuned for more adventures from Hike and Tell!

Appalachian Trail Days 57-65

We enjoyed two zero days with my family last weekend in a lovely cabin near the Grayson Highlands.

 After leaving Grayson, a shoe snafu turned the week into a bit of a bumpy ride, but Sandals’ family came to the rescue!

Appalachian Trail Days 51-56

Bears, bears, bears… We have seen 7 so far! One moment with a momma bear was a little, shall we say, slightly nerve wracking! Thankfully, we are safe and sound.

We hope you enjoy video #10!