Appalachian Trail: Day 0

After three decades of dreaming about it, I started my Appalachian Trail northbound (NOBO) thru hike on February 9, 2026. I was delayed a week from my intended start date of February 2 by an epic ice storm in the southeastern United States, quickly followed by a sizable snow event.

To make matters even more complicated, Larry’s return flight from Italy, where he had been skiing with fellow ski patrollers for the past ten days, was significantly delayed due to the snowstorm. So while I had always hoped to start my journey north on the anniversary of my mom’s death, in an effort to tether the date to a happier memory, it wasn’t meant to be. She wouldn’t have wanted me to start in treacherous conditions, so I was (unusually) at peace with the unexpected change in plans.

So why in the world would anyone even want to start an AT thru hike in the middle of winter, you might be asking. First and foremost, I’m a pretty extreme introvert. I love people. A lot. But I also love being by myself with my own thoughts. I knew starting any later than mid February would cause me more angst than excitement, knowing I’d have less “me” time and that I’d feel obligated to be more social.

I also have to come off trail in May for four different milestone events for family members: two weddings and two graduations. I’m not sure how I’ll navigate that sizable chunk of time since it’s probably too tight to come and go on the trail between these events, especially given how far north I’ll be by then (if everything goes to plan), but it will also make me to miss about 2-1/2 weeks of trail time.

And finally, I love winter hiking. I don’t necessarily enjoy bitterly cold hiking (especially at night), but those types of days are increasingly rare in the southeast, which is where I’ll spend the bulk of my winter trail time. And if it gets colder than I’d like, I live close enough to the trail that I can come home and wait it out (or stay in a hostel or hotel).

Rather than write about my first day on trail, I ended up making a short video in my tent at day’s end. To be honest, I didn’t expect that footage to ever see the world. Videos are hard. Writing is too, but words come quicker this way. Capturing the first day on film, however, felt like a fitting way to pay tribute to this long-awaited dream come true.

So without further ado, here’s a short video of my first day (which is actually day 0) of my Appalachian Trail NOBO thru hike attempt. Feels so good and right to type those words….”my Appalachian Trail NOBO thru hike attempt.” 🙂