“I am signing off as “Drop Sticks” and reentering the real world. Thank you for following my journey. My blog posts were long but they were the truth. The things I wanted to remember, the emotions I felt. Maybe you’ll see me in my white shirt doing trail magic in the VA/MD area. But first there’s cake.”
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“For many of my companions, they can’t wait for the trail to end. They are ready. They want to get back to their prior life, where there is comfort, showers, and stability. But for me and others…we don’t want it to end.”
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Patrice (and her inflatable unicorn) are flying through the Whites. Although she admits the climbs and descents are tough and slow, she’s making smart use of work-for-stay at the huts (and their snacks!).
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Patrice is loving New England trail life! In this update, she stays at the Yellow Deli hostel, encounters loads of trail magic and farms stands, and loves on Vermont and New Hampshire (so far).
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AT thru-hiker Patrice is now 3/4 of the way through her adventure. She’s entered Vermont, and while the weather is starting to cool off, she’s still loving trail life with her tramily.
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Patrice hikes through 3 states in this update. She’s dealing with bugs, bugs, and more bugs, plus heat and stomach issues, but she also experiences some glorious trail magic along the way.
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Jersey girl Patrice has hiked from Georgia to get home! While hiking through her home state was a little bittersweet, moving on to New York has renewed her love for the adventure of the trail.
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Most AT thru-hikers get to Pennsylvania and get frustrated. Not Patrice! Despite the bugs, the heat, and big mile days, she’s loving PA life.
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AT thru-hiker Patrice has completed half the trail! In this update, she contemplates the simplicity of trail life and the fears (rational or otherwise) of hiking alone, and shares what her experience of visiting home felt like.
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AT thru-hiker Patrice is zooming up the East Coast! In this update, she finishes not one but three states, passes the unofficial halfway point, and talks ticks and town days.
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Patrice has completed Shenandoah National Park! She visited as a young girl and always dreamed of being a thru-hiker through this section. Read all about her experiences!
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“What is life! This gets to be my daily chore! I get to do this every night. What a simple task. How cool is it that my nightly routine is getting water?! How could I be so lucky!” Patrice is loving AT trail life in VA.
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Patrice is 1/3 of the way through her AT thru-hike! Here she does a breakdown of her gear reviews so far, and some reflections on Tramily and challenges.
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Patrice is 700 miles in and loving Virginia. Here she shares great details about her hiking buddies, daily routine, the power of hiker hunger, and her nickname for day hikers.
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Patrice has left Damascus to continue hiking north. She’s contemplating trail life, enjoying the lack of mirrors in her life, and excited about what Virginia has to offer!
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AT thru-hiker Patrice hits Virginia – just in time for Trail Days in Damascus!
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“So this week there have been high highs and low lows. The mental aspect of hiking is kicking in.” AT thru-hiker Patrice is deep into Tennessee and has her sights set on Virginia!
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Patrice sends this update from Erwin, TN, where she enjoyed a hiker festival and margaritas for her 26th birthday. Read about what she’s up to and leave her a happy birthday comment!
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Pat-Rice is through the Smokies! Despite the need for “five minute pity parties”, she’s feeling better after some time off in Hot Springs, and looking forward to Virginia.
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“Whenever I get in a bad mood, I just remind myself of the privilege to be hiking the AT….I treasure every step I take towards my next goal. ” Patrice is making progress on her thru-hike!
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Pat-Rice Z started the AT on April 1st – find out how her first week went (including pizza and beer trail magic!)
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Pat-Rice is within 2 weeks of starting her thru-hike. She’s rethinking everything from start date to gear, but also feeling the love and support from all around her.
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2019 AT thru-hiker Pat-Rice’s cold-weather shakedown experiments went pretty terribly. With only a few weeks to go, she learned some valuable lessons about testing and re-testing gear before hitting the trail.
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To see more of Pat-Rice’s posts, click her name above! I realized early into preparing for...
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To see more of Pat-Rice’s posts, click her name above! Guilt. Do you feel it, leaving for 6...
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About the Author: Pat-Rice Z is a Jersey girl who has relocated to the DC area. She is a 2019...
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