Carly McCalla

Hi y'all! I'm Carly (trail name TBD), and I've survived the past six years teaching teenagers science by getting outside and exploring all the beauty that the US has to offer. I'm taking a sabbatical with a sole goal of putting one foot in front of the other as a 2024 AT thru hiker. You can follow along with my "trails" and tribulations on here, my Instagram, or my Facebook. See ya out there!

Posts

The Logistics and Cultural Whiplash of Getting Off and Back On the Appalachian Trail

The Logistics and Cultural Whiplash of Getting Off and Back On the Appalachian Trail

I was in the car with my parents on the way back to Newfound Gap in the Smoky Mountains, where they had picked me up to get off the Appalachian Trail

May 1, 2024 : Carly McCalla
Georgia Took My Toenail but Not My Spirit: Lessons Learned from My First 100 Miles on the AT

Georgia Took My Toenail but Not My Spirit: Lessons Learned from My First 100 Miles on the AT

I smell like a mix of body odor and the damp earth of the forest. My knee feels like it’s twisting and my Achilles tendons are throbbing and pulling

Apr 14, 2024 : Carly McCalla
How I Finally Convinced Myself to Say “Yes” to Hiking the Appalachian Trail

How I Finally Convinced Myself to Say “Yes” to Hiking the Appalachian Trail

It’s here. The time has come. I’ve waited over ten years to finally say it: I’m hiking the Appalachian trail.  It sounds strange to say it out

Mar 14, 2024 : Carly McCalla