Well, Jake and I have come to find out that we are not thru hikers. We hiked 77.8 miles of the Appalachian Trail, through almost all of the Georgia section, and after 12 days on the trail we decided to make it a section hike instead of a thru hike. 

​We have always loved the outdoors, backpacking, hiking, camping, skiing, etc and when we decided to start off our new lifestyle of full-time travel with a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail, we figured we would have a blast. 

​Jake and I spent 11 days backpacking the Georgia portion of the Appalachian Trail in April with Sammy, our Red Heeler rescue dog. We intended to do a thru hike but found that thru hiking wasn’t our thing so we opted to get off trail and start traveling around the United States!

We thought we would share our experience of our 77.8 mile section hike!

​When out for an adventure, no matter the length, it is important to be prepared! Whether on a short day hike or a 2 week backcountry trip, the type of pack you bring and the gear you have with you can make or break your get-away! So be prepared for your next excursion and see what is recommended!

​​PACK
For a day hike, a pack that is about 18 – 25L normally works the best. It just depends on how much stuff you like to carry or if you are carrying gear for you and your hiking partner. I find the Osprey Hikelight 18L is just perfect for me because it has a frame which keeps the pack off my back and allows for better ventilation while on the trail. Also, there are a few areas to store gear. 

We will be bringing Sammy, our youngest dog, with us on our thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. He is a 38lb red heeler mix that we adopted last August. He is such a character and full of energy! We are getting him all geared up for the trip and even bought him special dog food. For those looking to do the same with their dog, here is what we have learned to prepare our little fur baby for the trip!

With this being our first thru hike we did quite a bit of research on the particulars of bringing a dog. ​

Well it’s official, starting in the early spring of 2019, Jake and I along with our 1 year old rescue dog, Sammy, will begin our 6 month journey on a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. We will go northbound (NOBO) from Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia and work our way through 14 states and end in Baxter State Park in Maine! The trail is 2,190 miles and we estimate it will take us 139 days to complete excluding setbacks due to injury, sickness or weather. We are ramping up this fall to quit our jobs next year and start traveling full time. 

My fiance and I are always up for an adventure and so we planned a backpacking trio over Memorial weekend to Theodore Roosevelt National Park with a couple of our friends. We thought it was going to be so great. We thought we would see some beautiful wildlife and scenery. We thought so many wonderful things...but we didn't think about the other possibilities. But we survived. And this is our story!

We were so looking forward to finally being able to backpack the Achenbach Trail at Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Medora, ND. The Achenbach Trail is in the North Unit which offers steep climbs and descents and two river crossings that lead deep into the heart of the Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness. Words can't begin to describe the beauty of this area. 

"Amazingly stunning" only begins to describe the grandeur and magnitude of Yosemite National Park! Part 3 of this journey begins when we arrive in Yosemite and have the most gorgeous views I have seen in my life to date!

I shall digress for a moment: Traveling in California is a different experience than I am normally used to because I am from the