Trekking the Appalachian Trail

Some city dwellers jump into their cars to drive three blocks to the supermarket. Not Oregon resident Christina Stoltzfus. Two years ago, she spent half a year walking from Georgia to Maine. Here's a diary of her six-month, 2,000-mile trip.

Hike-way To Hell
How I caused a fire and got "trucker's ass"
By Christina Stoltzfus
"Last year at this time I was a thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail, or the A.T., for short. I was attempting to hike all 2,158 miles of it in the same year. The six and a half months I spent in the woods was one of those times in my life that I will always look back on with fond memories."

LIVE! NUDE! HIKERS!
Hitting the trails in the buff
By Christina Stoltzfus
"At this time last year I was almost finished hiking the Appalachian Trail, or the AT. The 2,158 miles that I hiked during the course of 6.5 months were life changing for me in many ways. An interesting aspect of spending so much time away from civilization was the way that I lost consciousness of time."

WE'RE HIKERS NOT HOMELESS, DAMMIT!
Trekking the trail leaves my pals and me stinky, hairy
By Christina Stoltzfus
"Few of the hikers I encountered carried razors, and I grew accustomed to the look of unshaven legs, armpits and, of course, faces. Previously, I'd always viewed facial hair with disgust. It seemed unkept-looking and I frankly wondered why any man would have a beard when every woman I'd ever known had an aversion to them. My views, interestingly, would turn completely around by the time I was finished with my 6 1/2 month hike of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,000-mile walk that stretched from Maine to Georgia. I now have a fondness for wildly bearded men, whether I know them or not."