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  • Appalachian Trail
    • Dreams Begin & The Appalachian Trail
  • Maine AT
    • Day 0 – Slackpacking Maine
    • Day 1 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #11
    • Day 2 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #12
    • Day 3 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #13
    • Day 4 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #14
    • Day 5 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #15
    • Day 6 – Slackpacking Maine – Summit Katahdin
  • Maryland AT
    • Hike #24 Purpose, Peaks, and Privy | Kicking off the State of Maryland on the AT
    • Hike #25 Best Laid Plans & Beauty of the Detour
    • Hike #26 The Blair Witch Project: Fear, Forests & the Fierce Path Forward
    • Hike #27 From Bike Tires to Hiking Boots: A Full-Circle Journey to Harpers Ferry
  • Massachusetts AT
    • Day 0 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 1 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 2 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 3 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 4 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 5 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 6 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
  • Pennsylvania AT
    • Hike #1 | 9.05 miles | Pennsylvania | Sheet Iron Roof Rd to Boiling Springs
    • Hike #2 | 8.71 miles | Pennsylvania | Bernheisel Bridge Road to Boiling Springs
    • Hike #9 From Doubt to Delight: A Newbie’s Unexpected Fondness of the AT
    • Hike #10 Adventure and Shadows: A Hike Through Duncannon’s Dark Past
    • Hike #21 Frozen On The Trail And In Life
    • Hike #22 – The Dragonfly & Lessons From the Trail
    • Hike #23 Mile by Mile: The Power of Small Goals on Big Journeys
    • #32 Trail Magic and Human Nature
    • #33 The People You Meet Between Here and There
    • #34 Every Step Matters
    • #35 Going Downhill
    • #36 The Detour I Never Planned
    • #37 🎵 Where Did She Come From, Where Did She Go, Where Did She Come From, Squarepie Joe 🎵
    • #38 Finding A Better Way
    • #39 Every Mile Has a Story. Today Had Three.
    • #40 Sometimes the Trail Becomes the Story
    • #41 Sometimes Being Lost Helps You Find What Matters Most
  • Vermont AT
    • Hike #28 The Cairn Field | A Path Marked by Intention
    • Hike #29 Suspended Between Struggle and Gratitude
    • Hike #30 The Weather Queen Said Rain… We Said Game On
    • Hike #31 Forget the Views, I Found My Quartz
  • Virginia AT
    • Day 1 – Slackpacking Virginia – AT Hike #16
    • Day 2 – Slackpacking Virginia – Time & Choices – AT Hike #17
    • Day 3 – Slackpacking Virginia – Beauty in the Struggle – AT Hike #18
    • Day 4 – Slackpacking Virginia – Why? – AT Hike #19
    • Day 5 – Slackpacking Virginia – Grandma Gatewood & Zero Day – AT Hike #20
  • About Me
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    • Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Maine
    • August 5, 2024

    Day 3 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #13

    Day 3 – Appalachian Trail – Nahmakanta Lake to Pollywog Stream – 8.6 miles with 1,522′ gain and 673′ loss,...
    AT Maine
    • Appalachian Trail, Goals, Hiking
    • November 19, 2023

    Dreams Begin & The Appalachian Trail

    Yesterday, I set out on a perilous and ambitious endeavor: to start hiking the Appalachian Trail.  My fifteen-year-old oldest daughter,...
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  • Kim Ford 2025 Appalachian Trail
    • Appalachian Trail, Pennsylvania
    • June 20, 2025

    Hike #21 Frozen On The Trail And In Life

  • Kim and Carl at the AT crossing at Sheet Iron Roof Road in Carlisle, PA

    Hike #1 | 9.05 miles | Pennsylvania | Sheet Iron Roof Rd to Boiling Springs

    • November 20, 2023
Kim Ford, SIOR, LEED AP

  • Appalachian Trail
    • Dreams Begin & The Appalachian Trail
  • Maine AT
    • Day 0 – Slackpacking Maine
    • Day 1 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #11
    • Day 2 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #12
    • Day 3 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #13
    • Day 4 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #14
    • Day 5 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #15
    • Day 6 – Slackpacking Maine – Summit Katahdin
  • Maryland AT
    • Hike #24 Purpose, Peaks, and Privy | Kicking off the State of Maryland on the AT
    • Hike #25 Best Laid Plans & Beauty of the Detour
    • Hike #26 The Blair Witch Project: Fear, Forests & the Fierce Path Forward
    • Hike #27 From Bike Tires to Hiking Boots: A Full-Circle Journey to Harpers Ferry
  • Massachusetts AT
    • Day 0 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 1 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 2 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 3 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 4 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 5 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 6 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
  • Pennsylvania AT
    • Hike #1 | 9.05 miles | Pennsylvania | Sheet Iron Roof Rd to Boiling Springs
    • Hike #2 | 8.71 miles | Pennsylvania | Bernheisel Bridge Road to Boiling Springs
    • Hike #9 From Doubt to Delight: A Newbie’s Unexpected Fondness of the AT
    • Hike #10 Adventure and Shadows: A Hike Through Duncannon’s Dark Past
    • Hike #21 Frozen On The Trail And In Life
    • Hike #22 – The Dragonfly & Lessons From the Trail
    • Hike #23 Mile by Mile: The Power of Small Goals on Big Journeys
    • #32 Trail Magic and Human Nature
    • #33 The People You Meet Between Here and There
    • #34 Every Step Matters
    • #35 Going Downhill
    • #36 The Detour I Never Planned
    • #37 🎵 Where Did She Come From, Where Did She Go, Where Did She Come From, Squarepie Joe 🎵
    • #38 Finding A Better Way
    • #39 Every Mile Has a Story. Today Had Three.
    • #40 Sometimes the Trail Becomes the Story
    • #41 Sometimes Being Lost Helps You Find What Matters Most
  • Vermont AT
    • Hike #28 The Cairn Field | A Path Marked by Intention
    • Hike #29 Suspended Between Struggle and Gratitude
    • Hike #30 The Weather Queen Said Rain… We Said Game On
    • Hike #31 Forget the Views, I Found My Quartz
  • Virginia AT
    • Day 1 – Slackpacking Virginia – AT Hike #16
    • Day 2 – Slackpacking Virginia – Time & Choices – AT Hike #17
    • Day 3 – Slackpacking Virginia – Beauty in the Struggle – AT Hike #18
    • Day 4 – Slackpacking Virginia – Why? – AT Hike #19
    • Day 5 – Slackpacking Virginia – Grandma Gatewood & Zero Day – AT Hike #20
  • About Me
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  • Appalachian Trail
    • Dreams Begin & The Appalachian Trail
  • Maine AT
    • Day 0 – Slackpacking Maine
    • Day 1 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #11
    • Day 2 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #12
    • Day 3 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #13
    • Day 4 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #14
    • Day 5 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #15
    • Day 6 – Slackpacking Maine – Summit Katahdin
  • Maryland AT
    • Hike #24 Purpose, Peaks, and Privy | Kicking off the State of Maryland on the AT
    • Hike #25 Best Laid Plans & Beauty of the Detour
    • Hike #26 The Blair Witch Project: Fear, Forests & the Fierce Path Forward
    • Hike #27 From Bike Tires to Hiking Boots: A Full-Circle Journey to Harpers Ferry
  • Massachusetts AT
    • Day 0 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 1 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 2 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 3 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 4 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 5 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
    • Day 6 – Slackpacking Massachusetts
  • Pennsylvania AT
    • Hike #1 | 9.05 miles | Pennsylvania | Sheet Iron Roof Rd to Boiling Springs
    • Hike #2 | 8.71 miles | Pennsylvania | Bernheisel Bridge Road to Boiling Springs
    • Hike #9 From Doubt to Delight: A Newbie’s Unexpected Fondness of the AT
    • Hike #10 Adventure and Shadows: A Hike Through Duncannon’s Dark Past
    • Hike #21 Frozen On The Trail And In Life
    • Hike #22 – The Dragonfly & Lessons From the Trail
    • Hike #23 Mile by Mile: The Power of Small Goals on Big Journeys
    • #32 Trail Magic and Human Nature
    • #33 The People You Meet Between Here and There
    • #34 Every Step Matters
    • #35 Going Downhill
    • #36 The Detour I Never Planned
    • #37 🎵 Where Did She Come From, Where Did She Go, Where Did She Come From, Squarepie Joe 🎵
    • #38 Finding A Better Way
    • #39 Every Mile Has a Story. Today Had Three.
    • #40 Sometimes the Trail Becomes the Story
    • #41 Sometimes Being Lost Helps You Find What Matters Most
  • Vermont AT
    • Hike #28 The Cairn Field | A Path Marked by Intention
    • Hike #29 Suspended Between Struggle and Gratitude
    • Hike #30 The Weather Queen Said Rain… We Said Game On
    • Hike #31 Forget the Views, I Found My Quartz
  • Virginia AT
    • Day 1 – Slackpacking Virginia – AT Hike #16
    • Day 2 – Slackpacking Virginia – Time & Choices – AT Hike #17
    • Day 3 – Slackpacking Virginia – Beauty in the Struggle – AT Hike #18
    • Day 4 – Slackpacking Virginia – Why? – AT Hike #19
    • Day 5 – Slackpacking Virginia – Grandma Gatewood & Zero Day – AT Hike #20
  • About Me
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Day 6 PA 2026 Gap Kim on Rocks
Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Pennsylvania
July 11, 2026

#41 Sometimes Being Lost Helps You Find What Matters Most

Appalachian Trail – Hawk Mountain Road to Reservoir RoadDistance: 10.2 milesElevation Gain: 1,455 feetElevation Loss: 1,452 feet Today marked the,...
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King of Zero's and Nebula
Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Pennsylvania
July 9, 2026

#40 Sometimes the Trail Becomes the Story

Reservoir Road to Port Clinton, PA (Southbound)6.73 Miles | 1,287′ Gain | 1,077′ Descent Every person you meet is carrying,...
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Kim and Katie Day 4 PA 2026
Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Pennsylvania
July 8, 2026

#39 Every Mile Has a Story. Today Had Three.

Appalachian Trail – PennsylvaniaPA 183 to Port Clinton15.58 Miles | 1,278′ Ascent | 2,122′ Descent Some days on the Appalachian,...
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Day 3 PA Hike 2026
Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Pennsylvania
July 7, 2026

#38 Finding A Better Way

Appalachian Trail – Sheet Iron Roof Road to Pine Grove Furnace State Park11.27 miles | 1,822 ft. ascent | 1,384,...
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Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Pennsylvania
July 6, 2026

#37 🎵 Where Did She Come From, Where Did She Go, Where Did She Come From, Squarepie Joe 🎵

Peters Mountain Road to Route 325 (Clarks Valley Road) 10.34 miles | 1,391 ft. elevation gain | 1,744 ft. descent,...
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  • About Me

    About Me

  • AT PENNSYLVANIA HIKING

    AT PENNSYLVANIA HIKING

  • AT Massachusetts Trip 2024

    AT Massachusetts Trip 2024

Day 6 PA 2026 Gap Kim on Rocks
Appalachian Trail Hiking Pennsylvania

#41 Sometimes Being Lost Helps You Find What Matters Most

Kim FordJuly 11, 2026266

Sometimes the trail teaches its greatest lessons when you lose your way. On our final hike of this Appalachian Trail section, we navigated rocky terrain, avoided rattlesnakes, reunited with a remarkable thru-hiker named White Owl, and discovered that getting…

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King of Zero's and Nebula
Appalachian Trail Hiking Pennsylvania

#40 Sometimes the Trail Becomes the Story

Kim FordJuly 9, 2026305

What began as a weather-driven change of plans became one of the most meaningful days of our Appalachian Trail journey. As storms threatened, we split our hike into two shorter sections and were rewarded with the unexpected gift of…

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Kim and Katie Day 4 PA 2026
Appalachian Trail Hiking Pennsylvania

#39 Every Mile Has a Story. Today Had Three.

Kim FordJuly 8, 2026295

Today's Appalachian Trail hike marked a milestone as we reached the northernmost point of Pennsylvania we've completed. Along the way we met inspiring trail maintainers, finished an unforgettable audiobook, and were reminded that the best days on the trail…

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Day 3 PA Hike 2026
Appalachian Trail Hiking Pennsylvania

#38 Finding A Better Way

Kim FordJuly 7, 2026326

After a devastating storm, the Appalachian Trail was littered with fallen trees, blocked crossings, and constant obstacles. Every few hundred yards, Katie and I had to stop, assess the situation, and find the safest way forward. The experience became…

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Appalachian Trail Hiking Pennsylvania

#37 🎵 Where Did She Come From, Where Did She Go, Where Did She Come From, Squarepie Joe 🎵

Kim FordJuly 6, 2026685

A chance encounter with a thru-hiker named Squarepie turned an ordinary day on the Appalachian Trail into a reminder that kindness doesn't always come with closure, but we always get to choose the role we play in someone else's…

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Must Read
  • Day 6 PA 2026 Gap Kim on Rocks 1

    #41 Sometimes Being Lost Helps You Find What Matters Most

    • July 11, 2026
  • King of Zero's and Nebula 2

    #40 Sometimes the Trail Becomes the Story

    • July 9, 2026
  • Kim and Katie Day 4 PA 2026 3

    #39 Every Mile Has a Story. Today Had Three.

    • July 8, 2026
Kim Ford

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People who say they never got the chance never took the chance. The scariest place to be is the same place as last year. Just do it.... take the first step.

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