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AT 2025 🥾🏕️
  • Kev McG
  • Kev McG

AT 2025 🥾🏕️

Hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine! Please pop by often to follow along and say hello! Read more
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  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    A tad bit depressing and spooky

    March 13, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    I walked for almost a complete hour in a dead forest today. It was initially somewhat enchanting but ultimately the scale and circumstance (likely climate related) carried a heavy sense of loss and dread. It’s hard to describe. I know that forests are dynamic systems and there is a cycle of growth and decay but there was just a lot to contemplate here. This affected not just the shoulders of the trail but truly the entire mountainside in both directions. Just dry/dead branches covered in moss as far as I could see!Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    Albert Mountain Fire Tower

    March 13, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    This landmark was right on trail and what a doozy to approach it - essentially a 40+ story (irregular!) staircase carved into the mountain! The weather was iffy so I didn’t stay up there too long but briefly enjoyed amazing views in all directions!Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    Mile 100! (Also I’m in NC now!)

    March 13, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Even less ceremonious than the border crossing from GA to NC was the 100 mile marker on the trail. I was lucky to even notice it, to be honest. Maybe they feel like accomplishments in the moment but at the end of the day boarders are merely imaginary lines and numbers are concepts of multiplicity that help to us convey meaning to each other.Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    Old Man’s Beard… Tea?

    March 13, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    At the camp shelter this evening someone offered me a tea they made from a moss they found in the forest. Colloquially it’s known as “old man’s beard” which is funny after the post I made earlier (see second photo here for a re-post). Of course I politely declined and monitored this person who also admits not being certain about identifying the species of the plant. For the record he seems fine and the tea was reportedly terrible.Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    🌜Long Branch Shelter

    March 13, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Today I traveled 15 miles from the top of Standing Indian Mountain to the Long Branch shelter. Highlights included the fire-watch tower on Albert Mountain with a huge steep climb to summit. Also a dead-zone forest which seemed to be populated with high altitude trees that were all dry/dead and covered in spooky moss. I crossed mile marker 100 today! Staying tonight in a shelter built in a wooded hollow with sounds of a babbling stream nearby- a cozy retreat since there are thunderstorms lurking. Things did ultimately clear up and I could see the blood moon lunar eclipse quite clearly in the early AM!

    [AT mile 102.4]    Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    Water abundance

    March 14, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Water sources are abundant on trail with many nearby creeks, streams, and springs that intertwine with the mountainous terrain. I do have a process of filtering to make it safe to drink. I’ll share how that works another time. In the meantime please enjoy this tranquility 🥰Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    🌜Town Trip- Franklin NC

    Mar 14–16, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Hey hey! There is a big storm rolling in and the safe thing to do was plan a town stay to avoid the deluge (2 inches of rain? Tornado warnings? ) sooo, yeah. A right of passage in this region is to shop at this particular discount grocery store chain with a membership card. I’m in the club! Whoot! Franklin NC has a cute Main Street with antique malls, gift shops and restaurants. There is an outdoor outfitter store that will certainly be handy. I can explore more tomorrow I guess. I am disappointed to be essentially grounded here for two days but I’ll make the best of it and totally prefer to play it safe. On trail I hiked about 7 miles this morning and caught a shuttle into Franklin NC. This town is super welcoming to hikers, they even have a public transit system to shuttle hikers around town.

    [AT mile 109.6]    Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    🌜Camping near AT 142.8

    March 17, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    Beautiful day for hiking today, although it did start out pretty cold (22°F) There was some snow and ice overnight which made for some lovely scenery ! I totaled 17.4 miles and had time at the Nantahala Outdoor Center to relax a little bit. I had a great lunch at the restaurant there (VEGAN PIZZA!!) with some other hikers and took a few moments to soak my feet in the river- which felt so good! I did not really need any food or supplies so I bounced out quickly to get back on the trail. The first half of the day was almost exclusively downhill, so I was looking forward same climbing for a change. I was aiming for Sassafras Shelter but that was an ambitious goal at the end of the day… I probably could have barely made it just before dark but I’m not a fan of being a late arrival at a shelter- it’s a disturbance. As luck would have it I found a perfect campsite before dusk and I’m cozy in my tent writing this update- very ready for some rest.

    AT mile 142.8    Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    Road Construction

    March 18, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    They are widening the road here and turning this into essentially a 4 lane highway- I’m guessing they will ultimately have to build a pedestrian bridge for the trail access. The machinery in use here is amazingly powerful. I can feel the vibrations in the rock from miles away!!Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    Cold Soaking!

    March 18, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Cold Soaking is a. “Cooking” technique used by backpackers to save time and resources (fuel). Essentially you put your dehydrated food in a sealable vessel and add water- close it off tightly to prevent leaks- then 3 hours later you have a decent meal. You don’t have to eat it cold if you don’t want to- sometimes people do this just to shorten the cooking times and conserve fuel. This is a Zaterain’s beans and rice mix - super simple. You can get more Creative of Course!Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    🌜Hilltop Camping near AT mile 157

    March 18, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Beautiful day- temps got in the upper 60’s there for the afternoon . I covered a lot of ground ~15 miles. Lots of ups and downs (what else is new 😂). The shelters and “easy to access” campsites have been pretty crowded lately so I found myself pushing onward today in search of solitude… this spot at the top of a little hill seemed perfect and I watched the sunset through the trees from the comfort of my hammock- while enjoying some cold-soaked Zatarain’s beans and rice. Night -night!!

    AT mile 156.9    Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    Fontana Dam Shelter

    March 19, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Jokingly called the “hiker’s hilton” this shelter had hot showers! Yes please. I took a quick break to wash up and headed across the dam into the smoky mountains national forest. Feels so good to be clean again 😇 if only for a couple hours.Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler
    1

    Skuckstack Peak

    March 19, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    At the end of a long climb the AT heads downhill, avoiding the peak but I was super curious, I’m glad I took the time even though I was super tired. The wind was impressive and the views were the best yet. The watch tower itself was pretty sketchy- the floor boards looked rotten- I didn’t walk inside of it. I loved exploring the ruins of the old cabin too. Excellent mini side-trip!Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    🌜Birch Spring Gap Campground

    March 19, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Big day today in terms of milestones and sites! I started the day with a monumental downhill (930 ft) then I discovered the Fontana marina, lake… and ultimately the dam which was fun to explore. There is an amazing shelter at Fontana Dam they jokingly call the “hiker’s Hilton”- it has lakefront views, picnic areas, fully plumbed bathrooms and hot showers! I took a break and a shower- which felt amazing! it seemed too early in the day to call it a night so I kept moving along. As I crossed the dam to the other side I arrived at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park The rules are a little bit different here, permits are required and camping is only allowed in specific locations (meaning I will have to plan the next couple days out a little bit better- winging it will likely be problematic). I hiked a little bit out of the way to experience Shuckstack’s summit which had the ruins of a watchman’s cabin and an amazingly sketchy watch tower. The winds were tremendous up there but I was feeling brave. I don’t regret- the views were amazing. Tonight I’m tent camping in the first official offering in the Smokeys. Lots of people here but the sites are spread out in the valley so it feels quiet.

    About 16 miles of hiking, good weather- temps peaked at 80° but there was a nice breeze all day.

    [AT Mile 172.6]    Read more

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