No showers, running water, or toilets BUT loads of memories, new friends, moments of peace, and a newfound appreciation for modern day conveniences.

Some of my besties offered to take my wife and me on a 7-day hike along the Appalachian Trail through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We would traverse 70+ miles of up and down gorgeousness. Here’s our route:

My wife and I enjoy hiking but are not avid climbers, nor do we have… what’s the word? Gear. We have nothing. No tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, etc. or a knowledge of how to survive in the wild. My forefathers would have been wildly disappointed. Hopefully, that’s changed a bit. Our friends, Jacob and Mel, came through like trail wizards with their gear and hiking wisom. We survived. And at moments, I like to think we thrived.

I purchased a Peak Design Capture Pro clip which proved to drastically improve my camera carrying experience. I forgot the camera was even on me until I needed it most. Highly recommend it if you’re going to hike for a long time and want a camera ready at a moment’s notice.

Anywho, on to the images. Here’s a dirty secret about the AT: a lot of it is very similar and when you hike there’s a lot of looking at your feet so you don’t trip. Perhaps these are excuses, but I didn’t end up shooting a ton of images. I also wanted this trip to be focused more on the experience and less on the photo taking. So… Here’s what I got:

One final thought: can we please preserve all the beautiful countryside we have left? Let’s enjoy it responsibly.