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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
  • 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 7, 2024

    Day 5 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #15

    Hike #5 – Katahdin Stream to Abol Bridge – 10.2 miles – 443 ascent – 936 decent A bit of,...
    Baxter State Park, Abol Bridge
    • Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Pennsylvania
    • June 30, 2024

    Hike #10 – Adventure and Shadows: A Hike Through Duncannon’s Dark Past

    Our hike on June 29th, 2024, 10.3 Miles from Millers Gap Road to Duncannon, Pennsylvania. First, we must celebrate! I,...
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  • Cows on Appalachian Trail near Damascus, Virginia
    • Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Virginia
    • September 4, 2024

    Day 3 – Slackpacking Virginia – Beauty in the Struggle – AT Hike #18

  • Bridge toward Damascus on Virginia Creeper Trail

    Day 5 – Slackpacking Virginia – Grandma Gatewood & Zero Day – AT Hike #20

    • September 8, 2024
Kim Ford, SIOR, LEED AP

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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
  • 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
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Maine

Appalachian Trail Hiking Maine

Day 6 – Slackpacking Maine – Summit Katahdin

Kim FordAugust 11, 2024804
AGC Maine Slackpacking 2024

The climb intensified, the gradient so steep that my trekking poles became redundant, replaced by the necessity of hands and knees grappling with the rugged terrain. Donning knee pads, I embraced the grueling ascent, 'embracing the suck' as I…

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Appalachian Trail Hiking Maine

Day 5 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #15

Kim FordAugust 7, 2024652
Baxter State Park, Abol Bridge

Today, I stepped off the world's stage and wandered where the wild things are. The summit's call, a distant echo, as work and worries dissolved like morning mist. Baxter's trails beckoned, a tapestry of pine, rock, and river's song,…

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Appalachian Trail Hiking Maine

Day 4 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #14

Kim FordAugust 7, 2024678
Kim and Christine in the 100 Mile Wilderness

Today, was full of decisions. Some sections were quite difficult to navigate, with not one clear, easy path. They demanded swift, yet thoughtful choices, mirroring life's complex dance of risk and reward

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Appalachian Trail Hiking Maine

Day 3 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #13

Kim FordAugust 5, 2024756
AT Maine

The trailhead welcomed us with open arms, Karen and Danya leading the way, with the serene Nahmakanta Lake gracing our journey. A slight drop in humidity and the sporadic lake breeze were nature's small mercies. Amidst the chatter, I…

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Appalachian Trail Hiking Maine

Day 2 – Slackpacking Maine – AT Hike #12

Kim FordAugust 5, 2024610
Appalachian Trail Maine bog boards

We all face different challenges, some known and some that catch us by surprise. Today, I encountered both. My apprehension towards water crossings was unfounded, as they were mostly dry, making them an easy feat. However, the real test…

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MUST READ
    • Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Pennsylvania
    • December 4, 2023

    Hike #2 | 8.71 miles | Pennsylvania | Bernheisel Bridge Road to Boiling Springs

    I didn’t dare ask my husband if he would hike the Appalachian Trail with me again, at least for a couple of days. When I saw the weather forecast for the weekend, I could no longer resist. “Why honey, the weather looks really good this weekend. It’s going to be 60 degrees in the Carlisle area,” I said. Trying to not make the same mistake as the last hike. I figured out how to create a custom route on the Far Out app, in the correct direction, and found a section with a lot fewer squiggly lines. I screenshot the route and sent it to him. He showed up with a bag of supplies the next day. Boom!!! Without saying yes, he said yes! This time, we thought it would be wise to buy some cool headlamps and to start our next hike with additional daylight. My husband tested the headlamp out around the neighborhood when he walked the dog. I’m sure our neighbors think we are complete dorks now (if they didn’t already). We checked in at The Carlise House, a beautifully restored 1826 Civil War House in Carlisle, PA then walked to dinner at 1794 Whiskey Rebellion. I’ve,...
    Carl Hiking north of Boiling Springs PA
    • Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Vermont
    • September 24, 2025

    Hike #31 Forget the Views, I Found My Quartz

    Hike #31 | Day 4 Vermont | September 24, 2025 | Hiking with AGC | 12.32 miles, 2,136 ft ascent (3,458 ft including road walk) | Mad Tom Notch Southbound to Prospect Rock We didn’t need the Weather Queen today, the rain announced itself before we even loaded the van. It kept us company all day, soft and steady, a misty soundtrack for our return to Mad Tom Notch, this time heading south. Our first stop was Bromley Peak, part of the Bromley Ski Resort. On a clear day, hikers are rewarded with a full 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains. Today? Fog, rain, and more fog. No postcard views, just a reminder that sometimes beauty hides and you have to look closer. And closer I did. That’s when I noticed the quartz (quartzite), big, white rocks scattered among the colorful fall leaves. Some were so large I could sit on them, like nature’s benches. They shimmered in the rain, strong and timeless, and instantly made me think of my rock… my husband, Carl. As the water dripped from the brim of my hat, I thought about all the ways he has been steady and unshakable in my life. Every,...
    • Appalachian Trail, Beginning, Hiking, Massachusetts
    • June 9, 2024

    Day 0 – Slackpacking Massachusetts

    Today was arrival day, the day I got to meet the 11 strangers I would be spending the next 6 days with. I met Barb and her sister Linda in the driveway and instantly knew this group wouldn’t be strangers for long. Barb, whom I call water woman, is brilliant, and loves tech. Yep, loved her instantly. It was great to meet the other ladies throughout the evening as well as our 3 guides. I was impressed to learn how experienced each of the guides were with the Appalachian Trail and that they are all Woofers (see below) and one is an EMT. I certainly hope I don’t need to be carried off the trail. The home is quintessential New England, but happened to be built by the DuVal’s (a Pittsburgh family), in the early 1900’s. Pittsburgh always seems to find its routes in every small group anywhere I go in the country. After a delicious dinner, we sat down for our daily debriefing about the next day. I’m not going to lie, I felt a bit defeated as the guides talked about these hikes being a Level 5, the most challenging, Adventures in Company offers. I immediately started questioning,...
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  • Kim Ford Vermont Appalachian Trail Quartz Rock 1

    Hike #31 Forget the Views, I Found My Quartz

    • September 24, 2025
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    Hike #30 The Weather Queen Said Rain… We Said Game On

    • September 23, 2025
  • Kim Ford Vermont Suspension Bridge on Appalachian Trail 3

    Hike #29 Suspended Between Struggle and Gratitude

    • September 22, 2025
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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