In 2009, I set out to hike the Appalachian Trail. This page brings together my original trail journal, photos, and stories from that journey.
The journal entries below are the original posts from the trip, preserved as they were published. Use this page as an index to follow the journey from the beginning.
2009 Appalachian Trail Journal
March 2009
- Amicalola Falls: The Journey Begins
- Back Down the Mountain
- Waking Up at the Lodge
- More Time at the Visitor Center
- This Was the View I Had Last Night
- I Managed to Get in 8...
- Designed For...
- Beautiful Day Today
- Appalachian Trail: Day 3
- AT at Neels Gap
- Appalachian Trail: Day 4
- Appalachian Trail: Day 7 — A Long Day
- Appalachian Trail: General Information
- Appalachian Trail: Day 7 — First Night
- Hello From Hiawassee
- Mountain Crossings Outfitters
- Day 5 on the Appalachian Trail
- Some Appalachian Trail Firsts
- Appalachian Trail: Day 8
- Day 10 — Past the 100-Mile Mark
- Day 9 — Bittersweet
- Day 11 — Starting at Rock Gap
- March 15 Journal Entry
- March 16 — Another Wet Day
- March 19 Journal Entry
- March 20 — Appalachian Trail Update
- Shuckstack Fire Tower
- View From the Tower
- March 20 — Appalachian Trail Update
- March 21 — Appalachian Trail Update
- Gatlinburg
- Trail Update
- March 22 — Views From Clingmans Dome
- March 23 — Appalachian Trail Update
- March 24 — Appalachian Trail Update
- March 24 — Appalachian Trail Update, Continued
- March 25 — Appalachian Trail Update
- March 29 — Appalachian Trail Update
- March 29 — Appalachian Trail Update, Part 2
- March 31 — Appalachian Trail Update
April 2009
- View Leaving Hot Springs
- Rich Mountain Fire Tower
- Appalachian Trail Photo Entry
- April 2 — A Short Day
- Water Conditions on the Appalachian Trail
- April 3 — Appalachian Trail Update
- April 4 — Appalachian Trail Update
- Life Along the Trail
- April 5 — Appalachian Trail Update
- Hello From Erwin, Tennessee
- View Heading Into Erwin, Tennessee
- Wildflowers Along the Appalachian Trail
- Appalachian Trail Photo Entry
- More Pictures From the Appalachian Trail
- April 8 — Appalachian Trail Update
- Beauty Spot on the Appalachian Trail
- April 9 — Appalachian Trail Update
- A View From the Trail
- April 11 — Appalachian Trail Update
April 2009
- April 12 — Great to Be Back on the Trail
- April 13 — Appalachian Trail Update
- April 13 — Appalachian Trail Update, Part 2
- April 14 — Appalachian Trail Update
- Jones Falls
- My Worst Day on the Trail
- Back on the Trail and Heading to Watauga
- Watauga Lake
- Finally, a Night Where No One Got Sick
- Damascus, Virginia — Like Heaven to Us
- April 23 — Appalachian Trail Update
- April 24 — Appalachian Trail Update
- April 24 — Appalachian Trail Update, Part 2
- Slept Great Last Night and Finished...
- Hello Everyone
- View From Elk Garden
- A Great Day in Grayson Highlands
- View Heading to Atkins, Virginia
May 2009
- It's Still Raining
- Plants Along the Appalachian Trail
- The Next Tree to Identify
- Not Sure What This One Is
- This One I Do Know
- A Perfect Day for Hiking
- I Made It to Pearisburg, Virginia
- Woods Hole Hostel
- Courthouse in Pearisburg, Virginia
- A Sad Day — A Hiker Left the Trail
- Thunderstorms on the Trail
- Another View Leaving Pearisburg
- Wind Rock
- Appalachian Trail Photo Entry
- Appalachian Trail Photo Entry
- McAfee Knob
- Back to Daleville
- First Rattlesnake I Have Seen
- FAA Radar on Apple Orchard Mountain
- Appalachian Trail Photo Entry
- Appalachian Trail Photo Entry
- James River From Big Rocky Row
- Bald Knob
- Appalachian Trail: Virginia Update
- Notice Ziggy’s Hydration System
- Dragon’s Tooth
- A Better Picture of the Rattler
- A Copperhead Encounter
- Views From Blackrock
- On the Way to Big Meadows
June 2009
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Leaving Shenandoah National Park
- Appalachian Trail Update
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Bear’s Den Was Super
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Rabid Skunk
- Waiting Out a Thunderstorm in Harpers Ferry
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- The First Washington Monument
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Mason-Dixon Line
- Coach Picked Us Up This Morning
- This Is What Hikers Do at the Mall
- D.C. United
- Pine Grove Furnace State Park
- A Thru-Hiker Tradition
- Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania
- After 1,100 Miles in the Mountains
- The Doyle Hotel in Duncannon, Pennsylvania
- Crossing the Susquehanna River
- When You Get This Far Up North…
- Port Clinton, Pennsylvania
- Rocks, Poison Ivy, Ticks and Spider Bites
- Resting at One of the Overlooks
- Some People Call These Rocks…
- Day Hikers at Bakers Oven
- The Climb Out of Palmerton, Pennsylvania
- View Leaving Palmerton This Morning
- Delaware River: Pennsylvania and New Jersey
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
July 2009
- Catfish Fire Tower
- There Is Something a Bit Magical About NJ…
- We Arrived at Sunrise Pavilion…
- New Jersey Has Been a Great Surprise
- Early Start This Morning
- Waiting on MET to Open
- High Point Mountain: Highest Point in New Jersey
- Where’d Everybody Go?
- I Know I Have Not Posted Much…
- On Top of Bear Mountain
- Crossing the Hudson River
- Canopus Lake
- Kent, Connecticut
- Family Night in Kent, Connecticut
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Salisbury, Connecticut
- Lion’s Head
- Bear Mountain
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- The Mountains Off in the Distance…
- I Have Been Hiking With an MIT Grad…
- In Dalton, Massachusetts
- Mill in Dalton, Massachusetts
- Miserable Weather in the Mountains Today
- Welcome to Vermont
- Near Bennington on the Appalachian Trail
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Bromley Mountain
- Finally, a Good View Without Rain or Fog
- I Ran Across This on the Trail Today…
- It Has Been a Great Couple of Days
- A Hiker Drowned Here Years Ago…
- View From the Bridge
- The Mountain in the Distance Is Killington
- Well, I Am on Killington
- Made It to Rutland
- Just Some Random Pictures From the Trail
- Flood Warnings and Thunderstorms
August 2009
- Kent Pond
- Lunch on Kent Pond
- There Are Very Few Lookouts in This…
- This Was Just Prior to the Farm Store…
- Nice View This Afternoon…
- Mud Is Horrible Here
- Crossing Into New Hampshire
- Dartmouth College
- View From Moose Mountain
- Heading to the Firewarden’s Cabin Today
- View From the Ledges
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- My Hammock Is Attached to the Base of the Fire…
- Slight Change in Plans Today
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Moosilauke Mountain
- Moosilauke Mountain, Continued
- Sunrise From the Firetower
- We Are in Lincoln, New Hampshire
- Almost in Maine
- Welcome to Maine
- Hey Everyone
- Appalachian Trail
- Home Away From Home: Appalachian Trail
- Appalachian Trail: Georgia Shelters
- Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire
September 2009
- Appalachian Trail: West Virginia
- Signs Along the Appalachian Trail
- Descent on Mt. Moosilauke in New Hampshire
- Azalea Along the Appalachian Trail
- Harpers Ferry
- Pedestrian Bridge Over the James River
- Just Another One of My Hiking Partners
- Whitetail Deer on the Appalachian Trail
- Headed to Maine to Finish My Journey…
- Green Leaf in the Stream
- Abstract Photo: Appalachian Trail
- Magic of a Summer Shower
- Sunset Near Skyline Drive
October 2009
- Sunset in Great Smoky Mountains
- Sheer Determination
- Headed to Maine to Finish My Journey…
- Headed to Maine to Finish My Journey — Continued
- Headed to Maine to Finish My Journey — Continued
- Headed to Maine to Finish My Journey — Continued
- Headed to Maine to Finish My Journey — Continued
- Headed to Maine to Finish My Journey — Continued
- Appalachian Trail Photo/Journal Entry
- Appalachian Trail: Boreal Forest
- Eastern Chipmunks
- White Blazes
- Fall in North Carolina
- Appalachian Trail: Maine
- Appalachian Trail in Maine
- Fall Colors in Maine: Appalachian Trail
- Fall Colors in Maine on the Appalachian Trail
November 2009
- First Snow of the Season
- Completion of the Appalachian Trail: Mount Katahdin
- View From Katahdin on the Appalachian Trail
December 2009
- Grouse on the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire
Journey Complete: The 2009 Appalachian Trail journey culminated at Mount Katahdin in Maine. These posts preserve the original Time Outdoors journal, photographs, trail experiences, wildlife encounters, towns, shelters and people encountered along the way.
Start from the beginning: Scroll to the top of this page to follow the 2009 Appalachian Trail journal from Georgia to Maine.
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