My Story
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| MST near Beacon Heights |
A New Journey
The time has come for a new journey and this time I don't need to look very far to find one. I'm going to use this blog to share my journey as I backpack, bike and boat along the Mountains to Sea Trail of North Carolina. I'll give insight to my planning, likely some gear reviews and of course the trail experience.
Why the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST)?
There are many long trails out there to hike so why choose the MST? Well, it looks like a great trail! In addition, my location in relation to the trail is excellent! I'm just 25-45 mins away from a countless number of trailheads in the Mountains of NC and I have friends and family along every major section of the trail. This will make supporting myself much easier. The MST lends itself well to section hiking, which is another important factor. It's not feasible for me to take a two month thru-hike at this time as I'm a stay at home parent. None of our kids are school aged and with the current pandemic I'm not sure they'll even be able to attend their half day preschool program this fall.
I've mentioned different modes of travel, for those that don't know, the MST is a complete path but does have sections of road that many people bike and some water routes that can be paddled. I already have a suitable bike and a canoe sitting in the garage, so my plan is to section hike utilizing all three modes of travel: backpacking, biking and canoeing. I'll have more on this and the trail in future posts.
Maybe a twist?
I also enjoy climbing and there are several great climbing and bouldering options along the MST so don't be surprised if you see me take a break from the backpacking to scale a cliff.
About Me
I grew up in Southeastern NC and attended school at Appalachian State University in Boone. I earned a degree in Ecology and Environmental Biology which has allowed me to enjoy the outdoors at a deeper level. I've moved around a bit after college making stops in Nevada, Arizona, and Oregon before landing back in NC. I have a wonderful wife who has shared in many backpacking trips and is very supportive of my hiking idea and giving me some time off. Currently, I'm a stay at home Dad of three boys (4 year old twins and 1 year old), a much more challenging task than any other job I've held.
My Trail Story
This isn't my first long distance trail, below you can see some trails I've hiked and some of my favorite areas as I've hiked and backpacked an untold number of miles. My trail name is Snacktime and comes from my 2007 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. I enjoyed my snacks, the standouts being Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies, candy corn and the 500 calorie iced honey buns!
2007 Appalachian Trail (AT), Southbound (SOBO)
2009 John Muir Trail (JMT)
2011 Foothills Trail (South Carolina, NC and Georgia) ~70 miles. Great trail to get on if you are new to backpacking.
Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) Section hiked all but 50 miles prior to the JMT in '09
Wildwood Trail, Forest Park, Portland, OR 30+ mile day hike for my 30th Birthday.
Many hikes along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and a few along the Continental Divide Trail (CDT)
First backpacking trips were in Raven Rock State Park and the Uwharrie National Forest in Eastern NC.
I've been to the highest point in 20 States
Visited 28 National Parks
Visited all but 4 States (Missing LA, MS, RI and DE) Technically, I've been to the highest point in DE but didn't really stay and explore the state.
Some memorable parks experiences in no particular order:
- Backpacking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (in the winter)
- Half Dome sunrise on the JMT, Yosemite National Park
- Living and doing trail work with the SCA in Denali NP
- Cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde
- Backpacking Shenandoah NP during peak Fall colors
Hope you enjoy reading, I'll try to keep it updated as I hike but don't really have a solid plan on timing so if not set up when you read this I'll enable the feature where you can sign up to get emails when I post.
Cheers,
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