As I near the end of my time on the trail, I tell the tale of braving a winter storm while traversing the Smoky Mountains.

Nearing the end of of my journey, I have just begun the climb into the Smokies. Today I began my climb in great weather, but there is an impending winter storm. And I send this recording from my private bedroom for the night in the fire tower atop Mt Cammerer.

I take a rainy day zero at a shelter in the woods in southern Virginia, answer a question from Ryan Naimy, and accidentally dive into the political moment post-election.

I continue an ambitious pace through the heart of beautiful Virginia after restorative visits with the Fiedlers and my Aunt Jan.

A few rainy days and a few spectacular days in Shenandoah National Park leave me 140ish miles into Virginia. And tonight as I record, I sit on the summit of Blackrock after sundown watching the twinkling lights of the nearby towns and the stars in the sky.

An impromptu conversation on trail with Mike and Dennis, two trail maintainers in Maryland. And this week I passed the halfway point (1096.5 miles), got to meet Matt Miskie, caught up with friends Rowan Joseph and Shane Partlow in Chambersburg, PA, and finally leave the rocks of PA behind me.

I took a week off for a family vacation in Boone, NC, and what a much needed break it was for my body and spirit. And now I’m back and struggling through the rocks of PA.

I reflect on having really flown through Massachusetts and Connecticut while deli-blazing my way through NY state. Shout out to Matthew James for taking care of me in Mass, and friends join me tomorrow (9/23) to hike Bear Mountain, the closest I will come to NYC.

After a big week of 150 miles trudging through Vermont, I’m into Massachusetts!

My pace has picked up but my exhaustion level stays even at high as I enter Vermont!