Skip to content

Trekking Sketches

Search for:

instagram
email

Trekking Sketches

The Journey Continues

Home
Blog
About
Appalachian Trail
Sketches
Shop
Destinations
- New Hampshire 48
- New England 67
- International
- National Parks
- State by State
  - Arizona
  - California
  - Colorado
  - Maine
  - Massachusetts
  - New Hampshire
  - New York
  - Vermont
  - Virginia

SKETCHES

A compilation of select drawings, paintings, poetry, and musings from our travels. These sketches were captured from life, from photos, or from how places made us feel. Enjoy!

Oil Poppies

Lupines, ferns, Canadian bunchberry, bluebead lily

Trekking Sketches_Grand Canyon - Bright Angel Campground

Watercolor of View from Observation Point

Trekking Sketches_Spring Daffodils

Snow-Covered Wood Poem

Gertrude's Nose Painting

Waterfall and Pines Painting Glacier National Park

Cannon Mountain Watercolor

Watercolor of View from North Kinsman

Pine Trees Sketch

Andean Alpine Meadow Painting

Snowy Sentinels Poem

Franconia Ridge Oil Painting

trekkingsketches

Virginia sunsets and sunrises 🌄 ✨ 📍photos

Virginia sunsets and sunrises 🌄 ✨

📍photos taken on Shawandasse Tula, Manahoac, and Monacan Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes #sunsethike #sunrisehike #shenandoahnationalpark #hikevirginia #virginiahiking #virginiaisforlovers #hikeva #virginiasunset #virginiasunrise

Scenes from Virginia, part 2. We finished hiking t

Scenes from Virginia, part 2. We finished hiking through the Shenandoahs and had perfect weather the whole way through.

📍Shawandasse Tula and Manahoac Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes #hikevirginia #hikeva #shenandoahnationalpark #shenandoah #virginiaisforlovers #coupleswhohike #hikingcouples

Scenes from Virginia, part 1 (days 91-99, 9/16-9/2

Scenes from Virginia, part 1 (days 91-99, 9/16-9/24)

We made it to our home state! We both grew up and met in Virginia, so it feels extra special to hike through it. After a double zero with family, we returned to trail to finish hiking the “roller coaster” with Stretch’s sister and brother-in-law. It meant a lot to share this experience with family. Then, we passed the 1,000 mile-marker and entered Shenandoah National Park. Our five days in the park were filled with 20+ mile days, gentle climbs, wooded trails, sunrise and sunset views, birthday celebrations, and a lot of long, relaxing breaks at waysides. The crisp and cool fall weather is setting in, the daylight hours are getting shorter, and we can’t believe we only have about 860 miles left. Still all smiles over here!

📍 Shawandasse Tula and Manahoac Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes #shenandoahnationalpark #hikeva #hikevirginia #virginiahiking #virginiahikes #virginiaisforlovers

Dirty. Muddy. Wild. Growing. 🪷 For the first

Dirty. Muddy. Wild. Growing. 🪷

For the first time, I feel like I own and embody my trail name: Lotus. And today is my birthday! Lotus flowers grow in the mud and the muck. Specifically in Vietnamese culture, they are symbols of optimism and resilience—beautiful flowers that emerge from darkness. I’ve worn a lotus necklace around my neck for years, reminding me of a mantra and book by the late Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, “No Mud, No Lotus.” For a while, I was insecure about donning a trail name that Stretch and I came up with together. But why? My trail name should feel like mine. And, as I progress on this thru-hike, the more and more I feel like a Lotus, rising each morning, transforming challenge into happiness, and opening myself to whatever is next, on and off the trail. Here’s to 34. 🪷

#trekkingsketches #trailname #trailnames #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes #bipochikers #outdoorasian #wehiketoheal

Days 88-90 (9/13-9/15): Maryland and West Virginia

Days 88-90 (9/13-9/15): Maryland and West Virginia. Together, these two states make up just ~45 miles of the AT, so we only hiked through them for a few days. However, crossing the Mason Dixon Line and getting to Harpers Ferry, the “psychological halfway point,” were huge milestones. We are having so much fun and really feel like we can make it to Georgia. It’s all downhill from here, right? 😆

Some reflections from this section:
1. Celebrating accomplishments, small and large, is critical when facing such a massive undertaking like thru-hiking a long trail. Celebration for us means taking joyful usies or eating a lot of food (hello 🍨). We are intentionally acknowledging when we get to certain milestones (like Harpers Ferry), when we meet “smaller” goals (like walking a full marathon distance in MD!), and when we simply handle difficult situations well. Doing these things has made the daunting task of hiking 2,200 miles in 5 months feel possible on a daily basis.
2. Towns have felt overwhelming at times. During this SOBO leg, there have been many less hikers, making social interactions less frequent. Navigating through crowds in town presents a stark contrast to trail life. We are getting glimpses of the types of challenges we might face post-AT. Until then, we are soaking in the solitude and quiet that the trail has offered us.

📍Massawomeck and Shawandasse Tula Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes
#harpersferry #westvirginiahiking #marylandhiking #hikemd #hikewv #coupleswhohike #hikingadventures #hikingcouples

Days 76-87 (9/1-9/12): Pennsylvania! Although ther

Days 76-87 (9/1-9/12): Pennsylvania! Although there were some wonderful moments, we will be honest, PA was not our favorite state.

The good:
⁃ We started hiking bigger mileage days. 20+ mile days felt really doable. Yes, there were a ton of rocks, but not much elevation so we didn’t find it that bad. Might be an unpopular opinion 🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤷
⁃ We received incredible trail magic (@2fish1whale’s hospitality and food galore!)
⁃ We made it to the official halfway mark

The bad:
⁃ Stretch first got stung by a hornet then yellow jackets 7 times in three days. Is that a record? 😫
⁃ There was a lot of noise from guns and cars, not to mention some terrible road crossings.
⁃ Rain, rain, and more rain.

📍 Susquehannock and Lenni-Lenape Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes #coupleswhohike #coupleswhoadventure #atsobo2022

#78 and #79! Made it to Harpers Ferry! We have 4 s

#78 and #79! Made it to Harpers Ferry! We have 4 states and less than halfway to go. Pumped to get to Virginia tomorrow!

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #atsobo #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes
#coupleswhohike #atc #hikingcouples #harpersferry

Officially halfway to Georgia! 📍 Susquehannoc

Officially halfway to Georgia!

📍 Susquehannock Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes #atsobo #atsobo2022 #halfwaythere #appalachiantrailhalfwaypoint

Morning light on the Appalachian Trail 🤩 📍

Morning light on the Appalachian Trail 🤩

📍 Susquehannock Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes #morninglight #sunrays☀️ #morninghike #coupleswhohike #hikingcouples

1000 miles! It feels unreal that we have walked

1000 miles!

It feels unreal that we have walked this far. In the last two days, we’ve experienced so many peaks and valleys. Our stove stopped working when we were making dinner (hello cold mashed potatoes), Stretch got a bad bee or wasp sting that resulted in a lot of swelling, and it rained. Then following, Boss Lady gave us Chinese food after a 23 mile hiking day, we slept in a dry shelter as it poured, and we made it to a huge milestone: 1,000 miles.

A big part of thru-hiking the AT has been acknowledging, appreciating, and dealing with a series of highs and lows in rapid succession. Onwards!

📍 Susquehannock and Lenni-Lenape Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes #hikepa #pennsylvaniahiking #1000miles #coupleswhohike #hikingcouple #hikingcouples #adventuretogether #exploretogether #celebratemilestones

Days 71-74 (8/28-8/31) on the AT: We finished hiki

Days 71-74 (8/28-8/31) on the AT: We finished hiking through our 7th state, New Jersey! Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by NJ. Highlights include Jake the donkey, enthusiastic day hikers, a wildlife refuge, wildflowers, and ridgeline walks.

After the flip, we were a little worried that our enthusiasm for thru-hiking was waning. NJ was pretty, but parts of trail felt somewhat monotonous. We needed to readjust our expectations. Instead of focusing on rewards associated with big climbs or expansive vistas (which were so abundant in the Northeast), how could we appreciate other aspects of the thru-hike and notice beauty in more subtle ways?

We loved getting into a state of flow on flatter terrain, spending more time reflecting internally in solitude, walking on more gentle trails both on ridges and in fields, noticing the flora and fauna, and listening to more books.

Pennsylvania is up next!

📍 Munsee Lenape and Lenni-Lenape Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes

Days 64-70 of our Appalachian Trail thru-hike: Sta

Days 64-70 of our Appalachian Trail thru-hike: Starting the SOBO leg of our flip flop back in NY!

After a shuttle and a bus to Bangor, we picked up a rental car and drove three other thru-hikers who had summited Katahdin the same day we did to NYC. After being pampered with delicious food and drinks by our incredible friends, we took the Metro North back up to where we started near Pawling, NY.

It has been great to be back in NY! We both lived here for a number of years and were excited to cross Bear Mountain Bridge on foot and re-hike trails in Harriman State Park. Stopping at the creamery and camping at the drive-in movie theater were highlights that lived up to expectations!

We had also hoped that mid-Atlantic terrain would be a little gentler to allow us to increase our daily mileage. To our delight and relief, they have been. We’ve been hiking 18-20 miles and feeling physically really good. The sad news is that we’ve been able to see the negative impact of the drought everywhere: brown leaves, parched earth, and dry streams. Hopefully rain will come soon.

Onward to New Jersey!

📍 Munsee Lenape, Schaghticoke, and Wappinger Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes #harrimanstatepark #bearmountain #nyhiking #nyhikes #hikeny #newyorkhiking #coupleswhohike #hikingcouples

Our home ⛺️ Our tent, which we affectionately

Our home ⛺️

Our tent, which we affectionately named Lightning Bug (LB for short), comes everywhere with us and is always there to shelter us when needed. One of our favorite trail routines is setting up home for the night wherever we have chosen to stop walking. Zipping up our doors and reclining on our pads at the end of each long day is one of the best comforts on trail.

We have already spent about 2 months living in LB as we hiked the Appalachian Trail NOBO from NY to Katahdin. Now that we’ve flipped, we are looking forward to 3 more months cozying up in LB as we hike SOBO to finish at Springer Mountain in GA!

📍 Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), Abenaki, and Penobscot Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes #livelifeoutdoors #bigagnes #tentlife #tentcamping

750 miles into our Appalachian Trail thru-hike and

750 miles into our Appalachian Trail thru-hike and we made it to Katahdin! For many, including those we have been hiking alongside for the last 2 months, getting to the northern terminus marked the end of their thru. We were so happy to celebrate with them! Simultaneously, reaching this point for us as flip floppers held a very different meaning. We completed the NOBO leg of our journey, but we are not done with our hike. And we are so grateful that we get to keep hiking. We are also so proud of ourselves for achieving this huge milestone. It feels like the mental halfway point for us.

The summit was socked-in, but our minds are clear: Springer here we come.

📍 Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), Abenaki, and Penobscot Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #maine #hikemaine #hikeme #mainehiking #mainehikes #whiteblazes #hikemoreworryless #coupleswhohike #coupleswhoadventure #coupleswhothruhike #adventureeveryday #katahdin

Thanks to the loons with their loud calls for waki

Thanks to the loons with their loud calls for waking us up to see this moon scene before dawn.

📍 Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), Abenaki, and Penobscot Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #thruhike #thruhiking #thruhikers #appalachaintrail #appalachaintrail2022 #at2022 #at #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #atthruhiker #atthruhike2022 #atclassof2022 #moonscape #moonlight #reflection #hikerlife #hikersofinstagram #backpacking #maine #hikeme #hikemaine #100milewilderness #naturelovers #morningreflections #moon #camping #campview #mainescenery #mainescenes

Sometimes a little extra effort all pays off. It’s tough to add even 0.3 mi off the AT to camp, but this sunset made the steep descent to a pondside campsite absolutely worth it!

📍 Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), Abenaki, and Penobscot Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #thruhike #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #maine #hikemaine #hikeme #mainehiking #mainehikes #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes

Scenes from Maine part 2: 4,000 footers, lakeside

Scenes from Maine part 2:

4,000 footers, lakeside campsites, river fording, cozy cabins, misty wet days, roots, and all the food we can get into our mouths.

📍 Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), Abenaki, and Nanrantsouak Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #thruhike #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #maine #hikemaine #hikeme #mainehiking #mainehikes #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes

Scenes from Maine Part 1: Maine has been our favo

Scenes from Maine Part 1:

Maine has been our favorite state so far. After the trials of New Hampshire, entering a new state felt like the tabula rasa we needed.

It has been filled with challenging climbs, rough descents, ponds for swimming, wildlife, above treeline mountain walks, wild blueberry snacking, and really kind hikers.

📍 Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), Abenaki, and Arosaguntacook Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #thruhike #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #maine #hikemaine #hikeme #mainehiking #mainehikes #outdooradventure #livingoutdoors #whiteblazes

Finishing the Mahoosuc Range included navigating t

Finishing the Mahoosuc Range included navigating through Mahoosuc Notch and climbing Old Speck. Mahoosuc Notch is a mile-long stretch known as one of the toughest sections of the AT. It took us a little over an hour. We crawled, scrambled, climbed, and had a ton of fun maneuvering under, over, and around rock boulders!

📍 Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), Abenaki, and Arosaguntacook Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #at2022 #appalachiantrail2022 #atclassof2022 #atclass2022 #appalachiantrail #whiteblazes #mahoosucnotch #mahoosucrange #hikeme #hikemaine #mainehiking #mainehiking #thruhike #thruhiking #thruhikers #rockscramble #rockytrail #coupleswhohike #hikingcouple #hikingcouples #oldspeckmountain #adventurecouple #couplesadventure #exploremoreoutdoors

Hello, Maine! We are so happy to be here. It alrea

Hello, Maine! We are so happy to be here. It already feels more wild and remote. The Mahoosuc Range welcomed us with windy summits, lily covered ponds, rock boulders, alpine bog bridges, steep ladders, and views all the way back to where we came from and towards where we are going.

📍 Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), Abenaki, and Arosaguntacook Native Lands

#trekkingsketches #appalachiantrail #appalachiantrail2022 #at2022 #atflipflop #atflipflop2022 #appalachiantrailclassof2022 #hikerlife #hikertrash #thruhike #thruhiking #atcspotlight #whiteblaze #whiteblaze #onestepatatime #atflipflop #appalachiantrailflipflop #thruhike #backpacking #backpackers #backpackerlife #hikemaine #optoutside #maine #takelessdomore #everythinglessmatters #coupleswhohike #coupleswhoadventure #exploremore

Load More Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

Days 76-87 on the Appalachian Trail: Pennsylvania
September 17, 2022
Days 64-75 on the Appalachian Trail: New York and New Jersey
September 13, 2022
Days 56-63 on the Appalachian Trail: Maine Part 2
August 29, 2022
Days 43-55 on the Appalachian Trail: Maine Part 1
August 22, 2022
Days 27-42 on the Appalachian Trail: New Hampshire
July 31, 2022

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Trekking Sketches

instagram
email

Trekking

The activity of walking long distances on foot for pleasure

Subscribe to Our Newsletter!

We'll send you updates when new content becomes available

First Name

Email

By subscribing, I accept the Privacy Policy

Sketches

A tentative draft, brief description, or outline; often made as a preliminary study

Copyright Trekking Sketches 2020