Anna Conard, hiker and writer

In 2023, I left my career as a professional baker to thru-hike the 2,200 mile-long Appalachian Trail. I had very little backpacking experience and, honestly, didn’t know what I was doing. But I knew the rhododendron groves, cool streams, and deep hollows of Southern Appalachia called to me in ways I couldn’t describe.

This landscape had been the backdrop of my first experiences with the outdoors. Growing up in Atlanta, I spent a week every summer at a camp in North Georgia, mere miles from Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail (though I didn’t know this at the time). Decades later, as I stood on top of Springer to begin my journey, I realized I was coming home.

While most of my thru-hiker peers posted video blogs or social media updates almost daily, I found myself spiraling inward. A snapshot and a brief caption couldn’t convey the deep fulfillment I was experiencing on the Appalachian Trail. In fact, the most meaningful moments were often the least picturesque. I gained the most from moments of challenge and struggle, or quiet, private reflection.

at those times, I felt connected to the core of who I was. I also felt a part of the greater ecosystem around me. I created this blog to share these moments

I created this blog to better share those moments of revelation. Thanks for coming along.