WWOOFing This Past Month

In an attempt to have plenty of time to acclimatize for this thru-hike of the Colorado Trail, I decided to head out and WWOOF ("spend about half of each day helping out on a host farm, learn about organic farming and sustainable agriculture, and receive room and board") in Colorado for a month. I ended up in Canon City with an awesome family of four. I primarily took care of their two boys but did a bit of gardening and whatnot. They were in the process of building their off-grid home. The mom just opened her own apothecary and is a trained herbalist (check out her shop/services @sacredspacesco). The only bummer was that it was pretty hot and dry this last month with temps in the 90-100s each day and almost no rain.

These last couple of days have been great. I reconnected with my uncle and aunt who are living in Colorado Springs. Separated by hundreds of miles from all of my extended family my whole life, it's sometimes hard to always be in contact with them and really know who they are and what they do. So it was awesome to get to know just how rad they are. They’re avid hikers, have great taste in music, and just so many other things in common ideologically and philosophically. I've had so many great conversations with them in just these last couple days. Really great to rekindle this family tie!

Yesterday, we got up at 5am and visited Garden of the Gods in time for sunrise - so magical! And then we did all 2,700 steps of the Manitou Incline in 55 minutes! It’s 2,000+ ft of elevation gain in just under a mile, yikes! The "hardest mile" on the Appalachian Trail was just 1,000 ft in one mile and no stairs (they make it worse, trust me!) It was some good prep for the Colorado Trail (but thank goodness the grade is nowhere near that!)

Just a few days until I begin the trail! Stay updated with my journey on my instagram @briidbget and here (subscribe below for email updates)!

Here are some iPhone pics from the last month!

My Photo on a TNF Mural - Say whaaat!!!

Super stoked to have one of my photos as part of a mural by The North Face in Brooklyn! It will be live 6/18 - 7/15 at Kent Ave and Grand Ave. Make sure to take a look at it if you’re in the area and send me a pic. It’s really awesome that it’s featuring one of the girls from a Blue Sky Fund (an awesome non-profit getting inner city kids outdoors) trip I volunteered on a couple months ago!

Colorado Trail 2018

So stoked to be heading out to Colorado in a few days! I'll be WWOOFing for a month before I start the Colorado Trail July 18th. Follow all the craziness here and on my Instagram @briidbget

Illustration by Brandon Williams @brandwilliamsart

Seneca Spectacular

This past weekend I experienced the excitement of multi pitch trad climbing at Seneca Rocks in the "wild and wonderful" West Virginia. The south peak is the only "true peak" accessible by technical rock climbing on the east coast. Super stoked to have summited via Old Man (not super hard but hey! it was my first trad climb.) I was in awe most of the trip, staring at the vibrant fall foliage. While the weather was not always in our favor on Saturday, we worked around it and got some sport climbing in at Reed's Creek. Sunday was a gem of a day making it a perfect to summit. The crew was great too, six of the most rad people! So stoked to share these photos!

All the Gross Things and the Suffering You Wanted to Know About the Trail (Part I)

People always congratulate my brother and I when we tell them we completed the Appalachian Trail. They often ask us what was it like and what was our favorite part. To which I reply, "it was amazing BUT also lots of SUFFERING." And here I am to give you a little idea of that suffering...

Lets begin with the first week of the trail. It's early March and it's cold, real cold. Our third day we got hit by Winter Storm Stella. We hiked 16 miles over Blood Mountain (lovely name, right?!) hoping to get a room at the hostel in Neels Gap, of course we got Mary and Josephed... no room in the inn! Winter hiking is fun but starting a 2,190 mile journey in sub zero temps with the windchill really dampers your motivation. You should have seen us trying to put the tent up with crazy wind gusts and frozen fingers. Of course our rain fly zipper broke as we were setting it up (Big Agnes tents are notorious for their shitty zippers) and so we listened to the door rapidly flap around all night. Those first weeks we were just COLD. We liked hiking more then because it kept you warm, while sitting at camp we were just freezing our asses off. (This will later change when it gets warmer and hiking sucks and we'd rather be at camp.) Our water was constantly frozen, we had to carry more weight with all our layers, and I rarely socialized because I would immediately hop into my sleeping bag when I got to camp (let me stress I was SO COLD.)

RAIN. Honestly, I appreciate the ability to go inside while it's rainy so much more now. Oh the PLEASURE to look out the window and watch rain droplets hit that magical glass barrier. So let me say hiking in the rain is so much fun AS LONG AS it's not freezing, you have dry clothes, or better yet can go home and take a warm shower! Generally, all those things do NOT apply while long distance hiking. Once we made it into Virginia, we got hit with multiple days of constant rain and it was still chilly out (avg. 40 degrees). Add higher elevation (~5,000 ft Mt. Rogers) and no tree cover (thank you Grayson Highlands) and you are soaked through your rain layers and entering hypothermia. Yes, hiking in cold, wet weather is DANGEROUS. It didn't help that my brother and I were just overcoming a horrible stomach bug (with lots and lots of vomit) a couple days before all this. Well, eventually it got warmer and hiking in the rain was almost OK.

We only carried one extra pair of clothes (usually used for sleeping/emergencies.) When one pair gets wet from sweat (which was everyday) or rain we would attempt to dry them out but the humidity was so high that they rarely did. Oh the JOYS of putting wet/sweaty clothes on in the morning!

A lot of times it would only rain at night. Thank goodness for tents, you can just set them up and hop right in and enjoy a peaceful night of dryness and warmth in your sleeping bag as the rain puts you right to sleep... OH NO, not the first night in Vermont. There must have been at least 100 people at this campsite and everyone's tent was flooded, it rained so hard. All of our sleeping bags, pads etc. were soaked as well. One person in our group had to legit evacuate their tent in the middle of the night, the pool of water forming inside was kinda keeping them up. If that wasn't bad enough, the trails were also flooded. Some people call Vermont, "Vermud." I wonder why??!!?! After a while, you just can't avoid the endless puddle and we were just trudging straight through the streams (I mean trails, IDK, you couldn't tell the difference!) We ended up hiking 12 miles through the mess and hitching into town and washing/drying all our things.

But THE WORST thing about rain is getting your feet wet and hiking in wet socks and shoes for multiple days... trust me, it does really scary, bad things to your feet. We legit have had trench foot multiple times. There was one day in New York that I hiked 19 miles through a thunderstorm and my feet were so wet and in such bad shape, I wasn't sure if I could hike the last couple miles to the campsite because the pain was so excruciating.

Stay tuned for more AMAZING suffering stories from the trail.

Photo Cred: Bridget "Giggles" Williams, Cody "Feathers" Jackson, Owen "Big Style" Phillips

Returning to a Familiar Place

The last time I was at Spy Rock, a beautiful overlook just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, it was early May and I was 800+ miles into my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. It was so wonderful to return with my boyfriend, Thomas, and capture the sunset. I was a bit nostalgic remembering that early May day, it was still chilly and there were no leaves on the trees at the campsite. I remembered watching the sunset and a huge rainstorm heading toward us. Of course our tentpole broke that night and the pole correcter didn't work. The next day we hiked 20 or so miles to Reids Gap and I met up with Thomas. Definitely one of the more spectacular days on my AT journey and even greater to revisit and take photos with a proper camera this time!

Incredibly Delayed Update

For those that still follow this blog I am extremely sorry that there has been a very long gap between posts. Nearly 700 miles uncredited purely out of sheer neglect and being wrapped up in an experience that has had very many ups and downs. Bridge and I are currently exiting Connecticut, a real hilly section of the trail not unsimilar to Georgia with weather that has been equally as daunting as the snow storms. Thunderstorms, high humidity, bugs, constant heat fatigue, it's got everything folks. While being so close to the summit I find myself personally aware of an emotional distress. A mixture of mental unmotivation and pure physical fatigue, spurts of subconscious starvation only pushed by the motive of getting to Katadhin. If not for the Fellowship who we so happen to still be in kahoots with than I sincerely believe I would've quit a very very long time ago. The sufferfest continues until the descent from the fatal hills of southern Maine in the section known as the 100 mile wilderness. This I look forward to, that and the luxury of air conditioning. If anyone us interested in a photo of the full fellowship on Instagram a lightweight backpacking company called zpacks has posted a photo of us. To the good times ahead and the good times behind, may the Psych stay at it's Peak.

Updates updates

It's been awhile since we've updated the blog and we are terribly sorry. We're still trekking along, don't worry! Hit the 700 mile mark, that's 1/3 of the way... whoop! Man, since we've last posted we have been hit with a couple really bad rain and snow storms, a stomach virus but mostly just pure awesomeness. Some memorable moments so far have been my dad and boyfriend driving 6 hours and hiking 3 miles in to deliver a cake and pop tarts to our tent at 4am on my birthday. That day it proceeded to rain like crazy and I sat in my tent from noon on eating cake in my sleeping bag... that was a memorable birthday. One of my proudest moments so far has been eating an entire 18 oz. burger, fries, and cheesecake in Hot Springs, NC. Yada yada we made it to GREAT ol' Virginy! (That was about 470 miles in.) Unfortunately leaving Damascus, VA Brandon and I both got a stomach setting as back a bunch of miles from our group. We hit Mount Rogers and Grayson Highlands in the worst rain storm so far. It was super cold and it just kept raining day after day. Definitely experienced the beginning stages of hyperthermia one of those days. Hiking in wet boots for a couple days, let me tell you it really does some weird things to the skin on your feet... and we'll leave it at that. To catch up with our group, Brandon and I hiked our biggest day yet - 30 MILES - booyah! That was my second proudest moment of the trail so far. Our mom came and visited us after that week of sickness, rain, and mileage crushage and put a little life and love back into us. Bada bing bada boom we are crushing the miles and now 700+ in. A big part of the trail that's been awesome is our "tramily." A group of nine guys plus me and Brandon. They're so awesome - it's like having ten brothers who make fun of you all the time. We're just having so much fun and suffering a lot too haha. I could not have imagined this whole experience if I tried. Will update more often with more detail!

Fellowship

We sincerely apologize to our audience for the latest update in history. Our excuses follow: We have been having adventures that otherwise occupy us, hiking in a fellowship requires a certain social requirement, your mental state though overwhelmingly euphoric is constantly under a subtle anxietal pressure so writing a blog and keeping a journal just becomes that extra thing. However we are here to enlighten you to our adventures that followed the Smokies! Leaving the Smokies we had obtained spots in the distinguished Fellowship o' the PooWeed, a group entirely comprised of men, old and young, who found the value friendship and comraderie while the weather was grim and the moral low. A great group infact comprised of many members. Feathers, the modest ex-Apple employee who always has a way of brightening your day and is without question someone who has it in his heart and mind to make the trail his home and his goal. Big Style and Teabag, two kooky brits who are as good a duo as Abbot and Costello, whether it be their brother-like banter or just plain old random remarks made in the middle of a storm they're happy to help cheer you up. Wild-Thing, his name is as close to understanding him as you'll get, by far the most interesting and humorous person I've met to-date, he is a primary school teacher from England that hikes quick and gets his sugar rush from what he likes to call "Dirty Debbies". Tiger, he's an on and off again smoker but his humor is dark and his generosity unyielding. Last year he made an attempted southbound hike with out the slightest idea of what that entailed, being severely unprepared he managed to make it a few hundred miles down but finally realized that it was fruitless. He's going to finish without question with us this year, I won't let the bitch quit. BirdPerson, he's from Richmond and he went to VCU but his greatest accomplishment and redeeming talent is that he was a dude that caught and tagged birds so every bird we need identified it's done. He's witty on the retort and really knows how to put down his spirits and not be an incoherent pile of heaps afterward, in all honest he's unfazed by the ridiculous life we live and we love him for it. Scout, Florida babe that tried to do the trail last year making through most of the Shenandoahs before the month of fuckitty weather ate him and it was too much. Being the strong-willed man that he is he's back again this year starting fresh and finishing regardless like the rest of us. Like every fellowship needs he's the quiet, timid, one with any of the information one might need and is incredibly polite, a real sound dude yah hear. Odin, the man that we barely met, he was from my few nights with him a musician who was as liked as he was hated. He was cheerful and incredibly inspiring having walked an insane amount of miles to simply catch up with us out of the smokies. He did however tear his meniscus but he's gonna be back quite soon as I've heard it, we miss him. That's the lot of them. Currently after just hitting Damascus, Bridge and I are sitting in our tent having only hiked 3 miles today. We both got food poisoning and sleep is the only remedy we are aware of. Tomorrow however it's big miles, 26 our first marathon and then 19. We want to experience this trail though so from here on out we won't be doing very many zeros to update so they'll come when we are able to get them out. Love to you all, your prayers and wishes are much appreciated. And shout out to Eydie and Jim Triplett, you guys are amazing, thank you! As always the Psych is High!

-Waldo and Giggles your Neighborhood Nutcases

The Smokies Are Treating Us Well

It's been a long 6 days since our last post. We logged about 70 miles in 5 days and took a zero today in Gatlinburg, TN (aka the most bizarre tourist town ever!) Before entering the Smokies we stayed at the most rad shelter in Fontana, NC. Named the "Fontana Hilton," it sleeps 24 people, has a view of the lake, a solar charging station, a water spicket and best of a bathroom/shower. SAY WHAAAT. It was nice to have some "extravagance" before entering Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We were a little worried with the higher elevation and limited shelter/camping sites but alas it's been a blast. We've been with a great group since we entered the park - a rowdy group of guys, a few Brits and a badass lady (whose already hiked the PCT). Yesterday by far has been some of the best hiking we've done so far. It was a monumental day, hitting the 200 mile mark and summiting the highest peak on the A.T. at 6,643 feet. The hike up to and down from Clingmans Dome was magical with the firs/spruces, moss and streams. The view from Clingmans observation tower was overwhelming - a 360 degree view of mountains beyond mountains. Now if the day couldn't get better - our amazing father and pup met us at gap (which was quite impressive on his part for finding us since the reception in the park has been terrible). It was so so so awesome to see him and to recoup last night/today. Can't wait to get back on the trail and shred some miles though. I also got some new boots so my toes will no longer be suffering downhill hazzah! Anddd I have a book so I won't be bored as heck at campsites when I just want to lay down and chill. If you want to send us something (a letter, food etc.) easiest thing to do is drop off/send to our parents house (2009 Neptune Drive, North Chesterfield, Va 23235) and they can send it to re-supply spots. Keep sending the love!

- Bridge + Bran