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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

    🌜 Spence Field Shelter

    March 20, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 -3 °C

    Last night there was a cold front coming in- we had massive wind and rain was pretty heavy. My tent was pitched perfectly and there were no problems. Temps started this morning at a high of 36° and over the course of the day they went down to 28° (still dropping as I type) and there was eventually a sleet storm that developed… so it was not an easy day on trail. The rules in the Smokys require me to camp in specific locations, so I had to call the day early after hiking about 12 miles. -it just didn’t seem reasonable to do another 6 miles to the next shelter in these conditions. Call me a quitter/slacker 🤪. There are some folks here in their tents tonight but I’m bunking in the shelter.

    [AT Mile 184]    Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler
    1

    Endless Dawn

    March 21, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 -5 °C

    Imagine the thrill of waking up to a crystallized wonderland- hiking for a few moments to experience sunrise, then doing it again, and again- for over an hour! Enchanting! (And cold! 🥶 @20°F)

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    Kuwohi

    March 21, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    The highest point on the Appalachian Trail @6612ft of elevation. This lookout tower is something else,huh?😍

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    🌜Mt Collins Shelter

    Mar 21–22, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    Long and magical day hiking in the smoky mountains! I was on trail by daybreak and witnessed multiple sunrises as I traversed the undulating forests-glistening in a pristine veneer of ice and snow. I managed to keep my feet dry until about 3pm when many of the footpaths became waterfalls 😂

    I took a couple short breaks during the day, but for the most part I pushed onward- mossy pine forests, exciting heights, mile 200(!) and the Kuwohi monument (highest point in Appalachian Trail @6612ft )were highlights.

    I didn’t see very many people on trail- my shelter the night prior was sparsely occupied… imagine my surprise arriving in My Collings where there were easily 2 dozen people! The rules in this park say that tents are only permitted in the shelter areas AND only when the shelter is at capacity- plus the ground is all slushy from last night’s storm so we were all squeezed in tightly. Someone here felt strongly about maintaining a fire in the fireplace which - I usually don’t get involved in fires… they are a lot of work but the benefits were appreciated this time: cozy ambiance and gentle light to guide my nightly routine (much abbreviated due to the number of people here)

    Temps today started at 20°F🥶 and climbed into the 60’s there for a minute. It was a thrilling and long day. I covered 19.6 miles of trail.

    [AT mile 203.1]    Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    Wild Boar containment

    March 22, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    These funny little ramps over the fence apparently keep the wild boar out of sensitive areas. Those critters are pretty destructive ~ been seeing signs of their trampling / foraging.

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler
    1

    Gatlinburg TN

    March 22, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Just a side trip for supples and a nice Chinese lunch - I didn’t take too many photos of the town- it felt like a theme park overrun by troops of bride’s maids and family reunions. Totally a fun vibe just a lot of reality all at once- wow!Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    🎶Uphill Vibes🎵🕺🪩

    March 22, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    https://on.soundcloud.com/PMJNpFgu3Gtj2atA8

    This sweet disco house mix is a fun motivational set for the late-afternoon doldrums.

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    🌜 Icewater Springs Shelter

    March 22, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 4 °C

    “Short day” clocking in 7.8 miles. Conditions were slush and slow going . I also made town stop in Gatlinburg TN. I needed a couple things and that town is mayhem- there are 9 Rilpey’s believe or not attractions, an alpine slide ride, shops, restaurants- brides maid troops, family reunions, traffic. It was a lot of reality! I did get a nice Chinese lunch, a latté, and a few odds and ends at the grocery store. Quiet shelter group with nice folks. In the morning, caught the sunrise and had a slow breakfast. Planning to keep today short too- 8ish miles maybe?

    AT mile 211.1    Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    Charlie’s Bunion

    March 23, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    This one is a day hiker’s favorite, many people make the trip from Newfound Gap to check the view and have a lunch on the rocks. It was perfect weather today although the trail was still icy from the storm a couple days ago but I took it super slow.Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    🌜 Peck’s Corner Shelter

    March 23, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Light day- tricky terrain with icy conditions… and I’m paying close attention to my Achilles tendon which is a little swollen. So I just took it a little easy and went to the next shelter, 7.8 miles north. highlights today- super sunrise, icy trails (especially anywhere on Northern slopes where the sun didn’t hit), a rocky knob called Charlie’s Bunion, and early to bed 💤😴

    [AT mile 218.5]    Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    🌜Cosby Knob Shelter

    March 24, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 7 °C

    We had heavy rain overnight and a slow drizzle for the whole morning. I was comfortable in my gear but it was a slow and deliberate hike. In part due to the muddy conditions, but there were also several trees that had blown over and blocked the trail- HUGE TREES. It’s wild to imagine the wind being so powerful. I’m also trying to take it slow to give some recovery for my Achilles tendon- which had flared up. It seems to be doing better today. Swelling is down. 🤞🤞

    12.9 miles today landing at AT mile 231.4    Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler
    1

    Mt Cammerer lookout

    March 25, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Nice little side trip 1.2 mile total to the peak of Cammerer to check out the somewhat restored (but down on its luck again) fire lookout structure. Amazing 360° views from here!

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    Leaving the Smoky Mountains

    March 25, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Wow! I look so grumpy in this photo. So grumpy 😂 The Smokys were beautiful and challenging. It was hard to follow their strict rules with all the limitations on tents… but those forests are special and I understand the need for protection. The terrain was so challenging: steep, muddy,rainy, cold/damp, snowy, slippery, mossy… group shelters meant it was sometimes hard to sleep and although people are generally nice there is always a strong personality or two. So yes, I was happy to be leaving the park and move on to something new, and perhaps the camera captured that moment perfectly.Read more

  • Kev McGAT 2025 🥾🏕️Traveler

    🌮 It’s Taco Tuesday

    March 25, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    This week’s recipe is perhaps more of a serving suggestion, but it still qualifies. This Ginger Carrot slaw… on a tortilla, with Pringle’s. The slaw as a wrap is a great concept. The Pringle chips didn’t add much. I thought the salt and texture would be a nice addition but as it turns out the slaw is sufficiently seasoned and the crunchy texture just gave me “not fully rehydrated” vibes. This get a score of 4/5… especially decent if you eat the chips separately instead of mixing them in.
    🌮🌮🌮🌮    Read more

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