Appalachian Trail

“From Springer Mountain in Georgia to Katahdin in Maine, my 51 days spent on the Appalachian Trail were like a hyperlapse of rising and falling suns, moons, stars, storms, calm, mountains, valleys... it wasn’t so much a daily endeavor, but more like a singular continuous stretch, moving ever forward. I felt so confident and prepared going into it, but I don’t think anything could have prepared me for what I was about to endure, other than doing “the thing” itself. I thought I knew, but I had no idea. I learned and grew in a way I never have. The trail taught me so much about myself and the good of other people. It taught me that while it’s impossible to control your circumstances, you can choose how you respond. Every early morning I would think, “I don’t know how I can possibly do this”, and every late evening I would think, “I can’t believe I just did that.” The trail brought out my strengths, my flaws, my little experience and vast inexperience. I don’t know if I truly ever let myself believe I would make it to Katahdin until I was literally climbing the final ascent. I think the only way I could wrap my head around what I was doing was staying in the moment and putting one foot in front of the other.

On August 27th, 2020, I completed the 2,193 mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in 51 days, 16 hours, and 30 minutes, the Fastest Known Time for a woman in the northbound direction, supported by Warren Doyle (trail name Jupiter).

Fun facts:

  • This was my first-ever thru-hike of any style (I was solely a road runner until 2019)

  • It was the second-fastest traverse of the Appalachian Trail by a woman ever, behind Jennifer Pharr Davis

  • To my knowledge, I am the 11th fastest person to hike the AT ever!

  • I averaged 42 miles per day, ranging from 12.8 miles to 69.2 miles in a day

  • I often spent 18-20 hours on my feet each day

  • A typical day would start around 4am and end around midnight

  • A typical night of sleep was usually around 4 hours

  • I often hiked alone in the woods at night

  • I often kept myself company by making up little tunes in my head, and after the hike I composed a suite of piano music inspired by my time on the Appalachian Trail

  • I saw tons of bears, including one harrowing encounter, getting bluff-charged by a mama bear!

  • I hiked through a tropical storm in New Jersey!

  • I got to experience the love and support of my family, friends, and the hiking and trail running communities up and down the trail while doing one of the most incredibly difficult things ever in my life!

Press/Interviews

Outside “Inside an FKT Attempt on the Appalachian Trail” by Martin Fritz Huber

Women’s Running Magazine Parting Shot “Perseverance Personified”

Trail Log

Below is a summary of my time on trail in numbers (link to PDF) compiled by Jupiter (Warren Doyle):

And below are Jupiter's daily reports from the transit of "Mercury on the AT", along with a smattering of entries from me. I am actively working on a memoir detailing the journey.

Day 0 - The Approach (written by Mercury)

Day 1 - 7/7 Dicks Creek Gap 69.2 miles midnight-9:14pm 21:14

Day 1 - A Bold Move (written by Mercury)

Day 2 - 7/8 Burningtown Gap 54.8 miles 2:28am-8:35pm 18:07

Day 3 - 7/9 GSNP Boundary 43.1 miles 2:22am-6:30pm 16:08

Day 4 - 7/10 Newfound Gap 39.6 miles 4:04am-8:35pm 16:30

Day 5 - 7/11 Davenport Gap 30.8 miles 2:20am-5:30pm 15:10

Day 6 - 7/12 Log Cabin Drive 52.0 miles 2:55am-11:15pm 20:50

Day 7 - 7/13 Erwin, TN 53.2 miles 4am-midnight 20:00

Day 8 - 7/14 Rt. 19E 50.9 miles 4am-11:53pm 19:53

Day 9 - 7/15 Wilbur Dam Rd. 37.7 miles 4:05am-6:48pm 14:43

Day 10 - 7/16 VA 601 56.0 miles 4:14am-10:20pm 18:06

Day 11 - 7/17 VA 615 53.8 miles 4:05am-10:50pm 18:45

Day 12 - 7/18 VA 612 49.7 miles 4am-10:30pm 18:30

Day 13 - 7/19 VA 641 48.8 miles 4am-9:15pm 17:15

Day 14 - 7/20 VA 621 47.2 miles 4:05am-10pm 17:55

Day 15 - 7/21 Black Horse Gap 54.8 miles 4am-12:10am 20:10

Day 16 - 7/22 Punchbowl Crossing 54.1 miles 5:05am-midnight 18:55

Day 17 - 7/23 Reids Gap 47.4 miles 4:35am-11:30pm 18:55

Day 18 - 7/24 Loft Mt. CG 47.2 miles 3:57am-11:20pm 19:23

Day 19 - 7/25 Hawksbill Gap 39.2 miles 4:40am-8:30pm 15:50

Day 20 - 7/26 Thornton Gap 12.8 miles 4am-11:15am 7:15

Day 21 - 7/27 VA 602 26.3 miles 4:15am-4:35pm

Day 21 - 7/27 Hello from Mercury (written by Mercury)

Day 22 - 7/28 Keys Gap 49.1 miles 4:15am-12:15am

Day 23 - 7/29 Warner Gap Rd. 40.5 miles 4:28am-7:45pm 15:17

Day 24 - 7/30 Pine Grove Furnace SP 44.2 miles 3:55am-7:50pm 15:15

Day 25 - 7/31 Susquehanna River 47.0 miles 4am-9:15pm 17:15

Day 26 - 8/1 PA 501 44.6 miles 4:30am-9:15pm 16:45

Day 27 - 8/2 PA 309 50.4 miles 4am-10:45pm 18:45

Day 28 - 8/3 PA 191 42.5 5am-midnight 19:00

Day 29 - 8/4 US 206 35.4 miles 4:30am-7:35pm 15:05

Day 30 - 8/5 Brady Rd. 41.8 miles 4am-9pm 17:00

Day 31 - 8/6 Greymoor Friary 46.4 miles 4am-10:35pm 18:35

Day 32 - 8/7 Hoyt Rd. 45.6 miles 4am-10:20pm 18:20

Day 33 - 8/8 Falls Village, CT 36.7 miles 5:50am-9:15pm 15:25

Day 34 - 8/9 Tyringham Main Rd. 48.6 miles 3:20am-11:35pm 20:15

Day 35 - 8/10 Notch Rd. 48.0 miles 4am-11:30pm 19:30

Day 36 - 8/11 Stratton-Arlington Rd. 44.1 miles 4:02am-10:35pm 18:33

Day 37 - 8/12 VT 140 43.6 miles 4:02am-9:30pm 17:28

Day 38 - 8/13 VT 12 47.7 miles 4am-11:50pm 19:50

Day 39 - 8/14 Lyme-Dorchester Rd. 43.7 miles 5am-10:55pm 17:55

Day 40 - 8/15 Kinsman Notch 33.2 miles 3:59am-8:35pm 16:36

Day 41 - 8/16 Franconia Notch 16.3 miles 3am-11:35am 8:35

Day 42 - 8/17 Crawford Notch 27.7 miles 4:05am-4:27pm 12:22

Day 43 - 8/18 Pinkham Notch 26.0 miles 4:12am-6:27pm 14:15

Day 44 - 8/19 Hogan Rd. 21.9 miles 7:02am-4:59pm 9:57

Day 45 - 8/20 Grafton Notch 30.3 miles 3am-6:30pm 15:30

Day 46 - 8/21 ME Rt. 4 46.8 miles 3:30am-11:45pm 20:15

Day 47 - 8/22 Stratton Brook Pond Rd. 33.0 miles 4am-7:15pm 15:15

Day 48 - 8/23 Boise Rd. 41.5 miles 4:02am-10:15pm 18:13

Day 49 - 8/24 ME Rt. 15 31.4 miles 4:29am-5:32pm 13:03

Day 50 - 8/25 WB Ponds Rd. 44.7 miles 2am-11:50pm 21:50

Day 51 - 8/26 Pollywog Stream 37.3 miles 5am-7:45pm 14:45

Day 52 - 8/27 KATAHDIN! 32.5 miles 2am-4:30pm 16:30