Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp Ringleader, Lightning, and I descended Springer Mountain one year ago; five months and two days later, Ringleader and I ascended Mt. Katahdin. So much time. Such an investment. For the adventure. For the accomplishment. For the documentary. Clear-cut goals. Utilizing every moment over those months to get closer to the [...]

Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp This feels good. My fingers have minds of their own. They remember what to do. It’s comforting. Today marks four months since completing the Appalachian Trail. I only cried twice today; I call it progress. Crying is an odd concept – I am not sad or angry but satisfied and [...]

Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp Saturday… 7 am: Wake up on a leather couch in a strangers house. My neck is cramped. Sam, my CouchSurfing host, has gotten up and is in the shower. My cell phone rings, my friend Alisa. Nope, I cannot hang out today. No, do not go to Carrabba’s tonight! I [...]

Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp Ugh. It’s 11:22 a.m. on September 12th. At 11:22 a.m. on August 12th, I was in the midst of an insane rock climb up Mt. Katahdin. I was hoisting, I was scraping, I was sweating, and I was emotionally confused. Ringleader and I summited on August 12th, but we were [...]

Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp A long, long time ago, I wrote about newfound freedom. It was great. It was glorious! I wanted it to last forever. Honestly, though, I was afraid that the freedom would end when returning to society. Society has conventions and your life has a routine – even though I left [...]

Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp There were many signs to indicate that our hike was coming to a close. First, Ringleader broke her toe but continued hiking since we were “almost done.” How she managed to hike the 250+ miles on a broken toe, while keeping up with Lightning, Snickers, and I, I cannot quite [...]

Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp Two months ago I had a theory that went a little like this: The last two weeks of the hike will be an emotional roller coaster because we can see the end. Every day will be a new experience and filled with excitement. Therefore, the last two weeks will fly [...]

Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp We are less than two weeks away from Katahdin, and our negative-NH mentality has been completely flipped upside down. We are happy, healthy, and looking forward to re-entering society. While hiking, I got to thinking about the best way to prepare myself for society. What do I do in society [...]

Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp   This entry is about my experience in the White Mountains.   When people ask which section of the AT has been my favorite, I say…the Grayson Highlands of Virginia. It is geographically small but has unique terrain for the east coast – sections of barren rock like that found [...]

Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp   I am like an old person. I go to sleep early and wake up even earlier. My joints hurt. Holding a conversation is tiring. I talk about food (a lot). I stumble over words during conversation. I have found myself drooling.   Six months and twenty days ago, I [...]