Appalachian Trail in Nothern Virginia-West Virginia

Ridgerunning season has come to a close. Over the course of the summer I...

-encountered ~2627 Appalachian Trail users (day hikers, backpackers, thru hikers)

-hiked ~540 miles

-lost 9 pounds

Below is a video showing a glimpse into my job as a ridgerunner.

Wanna know what I carried on the trail? check out my APPALACHIAN TRAIL RIDGERUNNER GEAR LIST

Articles I wrote for TheTrek.co about my Ridgerunner job:

Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner: Dream Job or Not?

Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner: Frequently Asked Questions

Quoted in Blue Ridge Outdoors:

A.T. Ridge Runners: Not Your Trash Collector

At our end of season ridge runner meeting we went around sharing our worst, best, entertaining experiences from the summer so I'll share those with you.

Worst

- dealing with the privies. We had to knock the "cone." The visual and smell sometimes was too much and I gagged several times. Another bad time was when I had to haul a 15lb. bag of trash for 10 miles (in addition to my ~23lb pack)!

Best

- when I saw a baby raccoon beside the trail. It is probably one of the cutest baby animals I've ever seen.

I also had great times connecting with hikers. Sometimes I wish I could have kept hiking with them.

Entertaining

- one night in particular sticks out in my mind. I was with 3 thru hikers at a shelter and we were joking around all night. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. In short, I was telling them I was a serial killer named Claudia, and they loved it.

Throughout the summer I found that I wasn't enjoying hiking. The weight of my pack and the climbs wore me out and I wasn't having a good time. However, I did like getting to shelters and camping. It probably didn't help that I was always hiking the same section and felt confined in that sense. On a happy note, since I hiked the same route over and over, I found certain spots everyday that became my favorite places and I would look forward to getting there. Now that the season is over I am headed to Vermont to hike the Long Trail and I'm hoping it will re-inspire my joy for hiking.

This summer I also spent more time alone, and I have come to realize that this is a good skill to acquire. I am comfortable in the woods by myself, not so much at night, but that's mostly due to being night blind. What I'm talking about is being alone without having to be entertained or plugged in. While on the trail, I would see weekenders come out and camp and when they were done with their dinner at 6 they didn't have anything "to do." They would wait around for hiker midnight (aka when it gets dark) to go to sleep. I don't think most people realize this is a factor when they're on the trail and some people do quit hiking because they can't handle being alone. In our daily lives out of the woods we're constantly bombarded with people, entertainment, access, etc. and without those elements it's difficult to sit still and be confronted with ourselves outside of being connected. It's also a test with how to make ourselves happy without relying on others. That is something I feel I am always battling in this lifestyle I have chosen for myself. I don't want to be dependent on someone/something/some people to make me happy. I feel the need to be able to find happiness within me.

Here's some pictures from the summer...