Wilderness Backpacking

Our wilderness backpacking adventures

Appalachian Trail and Our Stay in Monson, Maine

Dirt in fingernails, sweat rolling down the face, legs shaking, feet blistered, dehydrated meals, dehydration in the body, and a goal in mind because giving up isn’t an option.  That’s what the Appalachian Trail experience is about for a lot of people. An estimated 3 million people visit the Appalachian Trail every year according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Of those, over 4,000 people attempt to thru-hike the 2,200-mile trail but less than 25% actually …

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2019 Boundary Waters Newbies

The process of prepping for a trip into the Boundary Waters is one that we’ve mastered more and more each year. Although this was only our third trip into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), the planning felt so much easier than the first time. Like anything in life, the more experience, the more natural it will feel. We were extra excited about planning our recent trip because two couples who had never been …

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Long Days on Vermont’s Long Trail

If you are planning a trip out to Vermont we highly recommend hiking the Long Trail. The 272-mile trail runs the length of Vermont and can be completed in roughly 3-4 weeks. This is the oldest long-distance trail in the country built between 1910 and 1930.  We spent 2 nights, 3 days backpacking on the Long Trail as part of our road trip last summer. The difficulty of this trail is more than we were …

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Boundary Waters Reflection: Our 2018 Trip

Are you planning a Boundary Waters trip this summer? Or at least thinking about it? An experience in the Boundary Waters is like none other. We are so blessed with the beauty of the wilderness and all it has to offer. I hope that by reading this trip report you will be inspired to plan your own trip! We document our journey in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWACW) during the summer of 2018. …

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Andy’s Upcoming SHT Thru-Hike

Thru-hiking has always been on Andy’s mind ever since his first backpacking experience back in 2014. Andy hiked a small section of the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) back then with a group of friends. He found backpacking to be a very humbling and rewarding experience that resets oneself to the present and connects one back to the meaningful. His love for backpacking has never ceased. Fast forward 5 years and Andy is now planning to …

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Struggle and Surprise at St. Croix State Park

After many conversations with Sarah’s aunt Kathy expressing an interest in trying out backpacking, we made it into a reality. On a weekend in the middle of June, we had the pleasure of guiding Sarah’s aunt on her first-ever backpacking experience. It was powerful, brought us closer, and pushed us to challenges and experiences people don’t share anywhere else but the wilderness. It was the perfect introduction to backpacking and we are so grateful to …

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An Interior and Exterior Experience in the Porkies

Many people have family traditions over the 4th of July.  Some people enjoy crowds of people at a fireworks show preceded by a day of grilling, beer drinking, a parade, and a bonfire surrounded by family/friends. While this is enjoyable and we love a good beer around a campfire with loved company, we started developing a little tradition of our own that takes us to what we love: an adventure outdoors. We spent 5 days …

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Breathtaking Bean and Bear Lake Beauty

Fall in Minnesota is one of the most beautiful times to go hiking, but it is also quick to come and go. For this reason, it seems fall brings the most hiking traffic to the trails. Or perhaps this is just the case when you hike the beautiful Bean and Bear Lake section of the Superior Hiking Trail in Silver Bay, MN. It’s inspiring to get out there and see all of the people making …

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Birthday Camping with a SURPRISE!

As an outdoors person, what better way to celebrate your birthday than to be one with nature? That is Andy’s ideal way to celebrate his birthday for the rest of his life… in the woods. This was Andy’s 3rd consecutive year celebrating in the woods, and it won’t be his last!  Andy hopes to make it an annual tradition to camp on his birthday weekend. We trekked along a section of the Superior Hiking Trail which …

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Fall Hiking

Sitting in traffic on our ride home Sunday evening, Andy said to me, “I need to be back at our campsite chopping wood.”  Backpacking is a break away from the regular grinds of life. That’s why we like to Hike Thru Life sharing our stories and hoping to inspire you to go out on the trails. Our most recent hike took us for 3 days on The Superior Hiking Trail in early October. We’ve been …

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