Welcome, please, introduce yourself
I am a retired contractor that attempted a thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail starting April 9th of 2016. I have a journal on the trailjournals site for that year.
I had had much backpacking experience prior but had never experienced long distance hiking.
Even with all of the work, discomfort and injury, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
After hiking almost all of the trail between the Mexican Border and High Bridge Ranger Station
(I had to skip the Lake Fire Closure from Cabazon to Onyx Summit so left 42 miles unfinished),
I was forced off trail by the mid-October snow storm. In late June of this year, a friend and I
hiked the fire closure section and I will be going up to complete the trail from High Bridge to Manning Park beginning on August 24th. I thought I would be more disappointed having gone so far and not finishing but at 69 years of age, I did very well and was lucky in a lot of ways. With the help of Leif and the trailjournals site, I was able to run a successful parallel charity event and have, to date, raised thousands of dollars for the HistioCure Foundation, a group that is dear to my heart due to a condition for which my eight year old granddaughter has been treated. Iām happy to say that she is now doing well and we are all hopeful about her future.
89 miles to go!
Thanks Leif. I really enjoyed your post about taking your little one on her first backpack.
I am planning to take my 7 year old grandson out later this year. Hope she has fun.
Hi! Everyone, my Trail Name is Gorp-Gobbler. Iām a retired Chef/Deli-Bakery Manager. I made my first summit of Katahdin back in 1973. I began section hiking the AT the following year and made my first attempted Thru-Hike in 2015. Iām giving the AT another try in 2019 and planning on doing some other trails in the meantime.
Cook from South Louisiana. Mostly retired. I work occasionally to buy stuff. Lightweight stuff. Hiked quite a bit many years ago. As I worked and led a life, I got away from hiking for many years. I am now obsessedā¦ possessed by the AT. It is my first thought in the morning. It is what I think about when I go to sleep, and it is with me for most of my day. Iāve walked all the AT in the Smokies, and a few short sections North. I never thought a thru was something I wanted to do. Until now. I donāt know why.
Iām the guy with two last names. You can call me Two, or if you are from the South and like to use middle names, you can call me Two Last. And if you are like my momma and Iām in trouble, you can call me in a stern voice Two Last Names!
My trail name is āBiscuitā with a āCā in front of the word āBiscuitā but the spell checker (I guess) keeps changing it to āBiscuitā - so is that a bug? I have been on trail journals since 2001 and have journals for several section hikes 2002 - 2005. I retired in January of 2017 and attempted a thru hike in 2017 - journal here for that as well. Sorry to say that I was injured in New Jersey after about 1,335 miles so I had to leave the trail. I am home recuperating and already have questions coming about whether I will go back in 2018 to finish - havenāt decided yet but I would like to - Iām 68 and thankful that Iām still in shape to hike.
I am from Birmingham, AL and have lived in the Minneapolis area, San Bernardino, CA, and Greensboro, NC. Was in the Marine Corps and did a tour in Vietnam - 1968-1969-1970, and then had a career in the IT business, retiring from that in 2006. After that I spent 10 years designing and selling kitchen cabinets. Married with 3 kids and 1 grandson.
HI, I am know as Rowdy Yates in the hiking/backpacking community. I am 78 years of age and have completed 652.4 miles of the A.T in sections since 1982. I am an Ordained Elser in the Free Methodist Church USA . My Trail Journal is www.trailjournals.com/rowdy06 Hope to meet some of you on The Trail. Thanks for this Forum.
I am a retiring (end of 2017) family physician planning a thru-hike of the AT starting 2/18/18.
Previously tried a thru-hike starting at Springer Mountain 3/1/14 and hiked 554 miles.
No work to return to this time and will let my mind and body dictate my schedule,
My trail name is Class Act and I have used Trail Journals - have a 2014 journal and started my 2018 journal.
125 days to retirement, 175 days to start my hike 
Bazinga! here. Completed my section hike August 21, 2017 (eclipse day). Started in February of 2013.
Thatās awesome youāre getting out there with your daughter-this inspires me & gives me hope that I too will hit the trail with my daughter one day!
Hammock Hanger - Journalist
An addicted long distance hiker. I try to get in a 500 mile walk every season either in the States or Abroad. As my name specifies when wilderness camping I sleep in a hammock. I have been doing so since the early 90ās.
Iāve been doing 100 - 300 mile backpacks in the Northeast every summer I can for 20 years. Depending on how long I can get away, this usually means The Long Trail, an AT section, The Cohos Trail or (once) the Northville-Placed Trail. Iām still hoping to get away for longer and more predictable periods so I can expand with longer trips and oneās further from home.
Hi - verrrryy novice hiker here. Most of my hiking came with a rucksack and M-16 in my Marine days! Also, and as such, no trail name. Thanks to Leif for the invite.
Iām trying to figure out a good hike in New England areaā¦
Thanks in advance!
Hello! Iām Ahavah, and I am a SAHM in SE Missouri. Iām originally from Asheville, North Carolina, where I hiked the Blue Ridge Parkway and sometimes parts of the AT. I havenāt really done much hiking since moving to MO, but Iām trying to get back into it. Iāve learned that I am very close to the Ozark Trail, so we have recently started exploring that. I hope to one day complete a thru-hike of both the OT (short-term goal) and the AT (long-term goal).
Iām also slowly building up my gear. I think Iām mostly interested in going ultra-lightweight. While I still need a tent and sleeping bags to go camping with my three kiddos, Iām actually more interested in trying out hammock camping for myself. I look forward to getting to know everyone, and to learning from all of you! Iāve been posting for a little while on TJ if anyone wants to check it out. My guestbook is very empty yet. 
Thanks for the great resources!
Completed AT thru hike in 2016, i.e., GA - ME March 9 - August 23 at age 61. Trail name was āHooshrā I kept a journal at www.trailjournals.com/hooshr.
Look forward to learning from and sharing experiences with fellow hikers
Welcome Aboard Hooshr ! I have read many of your entryās from 2016. I was pleased to see your pre hike training greatly assisted in your ability to finish without injury. Proper training and discipline make it happen.
Tipi Walter here from the NC/TN mountains! My journals are exhaustive but Iām just starting to explore these TJ Forumsāand a vast improvement from the old forums. Hello to all my fellow TJ ājournalistsā. Oh and hereās a link to my 2017 TJā
Hi, Iām Mark, Iām a day an overnight hiker. Iām going to thru-hike the AT in 2019. Lotās of reasons why but mainly to find my self again as after 27 years of working for the corporate machine has simply burnt me out. I have also been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis a few years ago which ended my obsession with long distance running. Getting sick has opened my eyes to a lot of things and hiking has been my escape to think about and to plan the next stages of my life. The AT is my kick start to the planā¦ Shameless plug if you donāt mind. Check out blog to find out more about meā¦ https://thepurposefulhiker.blogspot.com