My hike has had a plot twist. Now I need your Appalachian Trail history & stories. See below on how to submit them to me!
I will be back out on the trail soon (mid-September 2025 thru October 20th). For those that missed it, my thru-hike has now been turned into a multi-year LASH. With that, I will be vlogging differently than most Appalachian Trail vloggers, and I need your help to gather stories and historical information.
Instead of just showing you the trail and some views, I will take you down the blue blazes and off the beaten path to share with you the history and stories of the Appalachian Trail, where there are forgotten plane wrecks in the woods, battles from past wars, murders, kidnappings, old folklore, old homesteads, cemeteries, and the odd and creepy.
So, if you are interested in learning more about the ground the trail traverses and seeing more than just your normal views and points of interest, follow me as we explore the Appalachian Trail and discover it together.
WHAT HAPPENED?
We ran into several “obstacles” that kept taking us off trail (deaths, our A/C system going out at the house in Texas in mid-July, Suspenders sustained a pretty bad injury that took him off trail permanently until he can get further testing, getting my lower half covered in poison ivy/oak/sumac, and more that I am sure I have blacked out of my mind). I seriously had a bad case of déjà vu from my 2020 attempt.
In light of this, I decided to roll with the punches and turn lemons into lemonade (even though I don’t like lemonade, lmao).
WHAT’S THE PLAN?
Jerry (Suspenders), who can no longer backpack due to a back injury, will now be shuttling me around. This means I get to slackpack most of the trail. =) We will set up a base camp along the trail at a campground (or, in rare cases, stay at a hotel or hostel) for a week at a time, while I hike that 80-100 mile section before moving on down the trail to the next site.
With this, I have decided to research the history of every single mile of the trail so I can share it with you.
Since I will no longer be in a rush, I will take the blue blazes to show you the views and the history along the trail. I have also been researching stories, even odd ones (think Bigfoot sightings, Mothman sightings, ghost stories, urban legends, etc.), and if you have one you would like to share, I would love to hear it!
If you have any historical information that occurred along the Appalachian Trail (or within 2 miles of it), such as battlefields, plane wrecks, missing persons, murders, or other historical facts, I would like to know them so they can get included.
Check out this plane wreck I found in the woods along the Appalachian Trail that I have never heard another hiker mention!
I will also explore the local towns, with each town getting their own video. If you have any suggestions for any that we should visit along the way (I’d like to keep it within 15 miles of the trail), please let us know!
TRAIL MAGIC PROVIDED
For those wondering, Suspenders has decided that while he waits on me to complete each day, he will sit at trailheads and provide trail magic. So, if you are on the trail when I am, you might just run into trail magic when you least expect it.
MEETING UP WITH US
I’ve had a couple of people ask about meeting at a trailhead, either to help Suspenders with trail magic or just to provide company; you can reach out by contacting me on Facebook through my Facebook page or using the contact form below.
SHARE YOUR APPALACHIAN TRAIL HISTORY TIDBIT OR STORIES
If you have any Appalachian Trail history tidbits or stories you’d like to share that I can include in my daily videos and blog post, please use the contact form below. Make sure to choose AT History/Story Submission for the Subject.
Even if I have already covered that area, please still send it, as I can add it to the corresponding blog post for the video.
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Just a reminder, I post videos of my adventures on my YouTube channel and some short clips on my TikTok (I sometimes even go live), so make sure you have subscribed!
TRAIL TRIP PLANS
The plan is to have the trail complete by the end of 2026. However, I have quickly learned how fast plans change. For now, this is our itinerary.
2025
Mid-September to October 20th—I will start at Delaware Water Gap at the PA/NJ border and head south. I hope to get Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia done. On paper, it looks like I would have plenty of time, but this area has a TON of history, and there will be a TON of Triple B’s (I coined this term, which means Triple Blue Blaze or Non-AT trail). We will then come home for the holidays and to celebrate the birth of our first granddaughter, which is expected to occur in mid-March, as well as attend multiple VA appointments for Suspenders (please say a prayer for him and that we receive good news).
2026
Early or Mid-April to Mid-June—The plan is to get the small sections I still have left to do in NC and TN (minus the Smokies) as well as the areas in Virginia I have not done. I have decided to go ahead and redo Shenandoah NP so I can share the history (there is A LOT). I also love that park. =) We will then regroup at my mom’s (who only lives a couple of hours from SNP) and offload the truck.
Early July – ???– If all goes well and Suspenders gets clearance from his doctor, my parents will drop us off at Delaware Water Gap at the PA/NJ border, and we will head north to finish. We will then go back to Smoky Mountain NP and do that section together. If his doctor advises against it, he will instead continue to slackpack me.
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