There’s something both thrilling and a little frightening about stepping onto a trail alone. No distractions, no audience, just you, your pack, and the path ahead. For some, solo hiking is a form of adventure. For others, it sounds like a mental health risk. When you live with Bipolar 2, it can feel like both….
Author: Laura Caldwell
Backpacking Then and Now: How Hiking Gear Has Evolved from 1950s to Today
From canvas rucksacks and canned food to ultralight gear and GPS apps, backpacking has come a long way since the 1950s. This article traces the history of hiking culture, honoring pioneers like Grandma Gatewood and exploring how gear—and the mindset behind it—has evolved along the Appalachian Trail.
5 Tips for Staying Hydrated on the Trail
Staying hydrated is essential—especially when you’re logging miles under the sun or climbing steep switchbacks. Dehydration can sneak up fast and hit hard, affecting everything from your mood to your muscle performance. Whether you’re heading out for a short loop or a multi-day trek, these five hydration tips will help keep your energy up and…
Hiking as Therapy: How Nature Heals the Mind and Spirit
I’ve spoken honestly with therapists, tracked moods, adjusted meds, and journaled through shadowy days. All of it has helped. But nothing has healed me quite like the trail. When I walk through a forest, I begin to feel whole again. Not cured—but whole. Not perfect—but present. Something about the rhythm of footsteps, the openness of…
Why Trail Towns Are the Heart of the Appalachian Trail
Trail towns aren’t just pit stops—they’re the lifeblood of the Appalachian Trail experience. In this article, we spotlight seven legendary communities that have become deeply woven into the AT’s culture. Whether it’s the healing hot springs of North Carolina or the historic streets of Harpers Ferry, these towns offer more than comfort—they offer connection.
Flip-Flop Hikes & Mental Flexibility: Rethinking the Route to Recovery
When I first heard about “flip-flopping” on the Appalachian Trail, I thought it sounded like cheating. Start in the middle? Skip around? Circle back later? It seemed like abandoning the purity of a northbound or southbound hike. But as I’ve learned through both trail life and Bipolar 2 recovery, there’s no gold medal for doing…
Life After Bipolar 2: Finding Peace in the Diagnosis
Less than a joy I never planned to fail. Especially not in something I worked so hard to achieve. So, when I returned home in 2024 after a failed attempt at thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, something I had put my heart and soul into, it didn’t take very long for depression to sink in. This…
Hiking in the Heat: 9 Essential Tips for Staying Safe on Summer Trails
There’s something special about the summer trail—the hum of cicadas, sun filtering through green canopies, and long daylight hours that invite adventure. But with that beauty comes the reality of high heat, intense sun, and the kind of humidity that can sneak up on you. Hiking in summer is doable—and deeply rewarding—but it requires intention,…
Journaling in Nature: A Simple Way to Process Emotions Outdoors
There’s something that happens when you step off the pavement and into the woods. The air feels softer. The noise thins out. And your thoughts — the tangled, cluttered ones — start to breathe again. Pair that moment with a pen and a notebook, and you’ve got a quiet kind of therapy. Journaling in nature…
Echoes in the Stonework: Tracing the CCC’s Work on the AT
When you hike a section of the Appalachian Trail today—perhaps stepping onto a stone staircase nestled into a hillside, crossing a rustic log footbridge, or resting at a sturdy shelter tucked under the trees—you’re walking in the footprints of thousands. And many of those footprints belong to the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps…