Stories from the A.T. Thru-Hiking Class of 2025
Oct 16, 2025
Congratulations, A.T. Thru-Hikers!
Every year, thousands of people set out to hike the entire Appalachian Trail (A.T.), but not everyone who begins a hike will complete the entire 2,000+ mile journey. Thru-hiking and section hiking is physically, mentally, financially, and spiritually challenging, which is why the group of people who accomplish the incredible feat of hiking the entire length of the Trail come away with many great stories to tell.
As the year winds down, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy wishes to extend a huge congratulations to all 2025 thru-hikers! We’ve gathered some of the stories submitted by those who have sent in their applications to be officially recognized as 2,000-Milers so that you can get to know a few of the members of this year’s class of A.T. hikers.
Meet the Hikers
Northbound (NOBO) hiker Lisa “HighViz” Laidlow describes how the Trail provides.
As they say, “the Trail provides.” I was out of water in New Jersey headed up a steep hill. A former A.T. hiker going southbound stopped and asked me, “do you need water?” I hadn’t asked for anything, but it was like he knew. He gave me water, a Gatorade, some snacks, and time out of his day. We talked about his experience and he left me with the advice to, “take your time enjoy the journey. Don’t rush.” I experienced many days on the Trail with kindhearted people. The Trail always provides!
Section hiker, George “Curious George” Jones recounts the moments that stood out, capturing the beauty of the A.T. landscape.
There is endless, indescribable beauty hiking on the AT: Looking down on the clouds from a campsite near Mt. Rogers in the Roan Highlands (where there are wild ponies!); the majestic views in the Whites; a moose staring at me across a beaver pond in the morning; a moose on top of Saddleback; sunrise on Mt. Everett in Massachusetts; crystal-clear lakes; the views from the tops of fire towers; waterfalls; flowers; birds; sunbeams through the trees; the “wow” at the top of so many climbs.
Section hiker, Sean “Buckskin” Duffy, shares his best memories of wildlife encounters.
I saw 5 black bears in the day crossed into North Carolina from Georgia. Also, on the day that I entered Baxter State Park, I saw three moose — a momma and two calves. Dragons Tooth and McAfee Knob during the fall of 2022 were amazing. I covered over 200 miles of hiking during the early hours before sunrise. One time scaring up a dozen turkeys right next to the Trail, which provided quite a scare and thrill. Much like the time I heard a black bear jumping down a tree in Virginia before sunrise.
Climbing Mt. Washington with a 28-degree windchill and seeing ice break off the towers and fall all around me. Having 8-inch trout brush my hand at the Thompson Brook when I was filling up on water in the 100-Mile Wilderness. Hiking all day in the rain and almost going hypothermic. Following several deer southbound from Harpers Ferry before crossing a bridge on Route 340 — they were escorting me out of town and when we reached the bridge they left the Trail! Summiting Katahdin on the clearest day ever and being able to see into Canada.
NOBO hiker, Nathaniel “Leprechaun” Evans, shares the origins of his trail name and connections with hikers in his family tree.
I hiked the entire A.T. with a red felt hat that belonged to my grandfather. This is how I got the name “Leprechaun,” as I was told the hat made me look like a leprechaun. My grandfather hiked all 48 4,000-foot peaks in the Whites in this hat in the 60s and 70s. As a computer scientist, he kept detailed logs of all his hikes on note cards. I checked all of the registers in the AMC huts to find his name, and was able to find his signature from 1968, along with my grandmother, in the Madison Springs hut.
NOBO hiker, David “Ninja” Fowler, shares his experience of hiking with fellow veterans.
I was part of the Warrior Expedition group and loved hiking with my fellow vets…it was because of them I was able to complete the hike.
NOBO hiker, Kevin “Bellhop” Gibson, shares his gratitude for Ridgerunners and his diligence honoring the long-distance hiker pledge post-Helene.
I had no idea what I was getting into when I set out to hike the Appalachian Trail. I had never even gone backpacking before, but I knew that it was a dream of mine that I had since childhood, and I wasn’t going to give up as long as my body could still put one foot in front of the other. I’m very proud of myself for completing such a challenge, but I also have to recognize the effort of the many people it takes to make this trail possible, including the work of the ATC. Thank you for all that you do, and a special thanks to the awesome team of Ridgerunners that I met on the trail and who gave me great advice to help me along.
Hiking the A.T. in 2025 was a unique experience following the Hurricane Helene tragedy the previous year. While I was apprehensive about hiking this year, being able to support local businesses that rely on hikers coming through was very rewarding, and seeing the great efforts that go into maintaining the trail was very inspiring. It made me realize what a team effort it is to make the A.T. a possibility and gave me a personal sense of accountability for leaving the Trail better than I found it. I regularly packed out the trash left behind by others, encouraged other hikers to properly store their food at night, and did my best to conduct myself in a manner that reflected positively on A.T. thru-hikers as a whole. Going forward, I intend to volunteer with trail maintenance so that I can make sure others had the amazing experience that I did.
Section hiker, Leona “Little Foot” Harberg, shares her inspiration for hiking the A.T. and the meaningful completion of her hike.
For my 50th birthday, I hiked the Long Trail. I had wanted to hike the A.T. since I was a teenager, and I figured the Long Trail would be a good substitute because I was working full-time and could only take a short leave of absence. That hike only lit the fuse to keep backpacking. So I sectioned hiked the A.T., trying to cover at least 200 miles a year.
I was supposed to finish in May 2024 but I was in the middle of radiation for breast cancer. Then I planned to finish in October 2024. The miles I needed for completion were in the area hit hard by Hurricane Helene. So, I rescheduled again and finished in May 2025, ending my hike in Damascus at Trail Days. It was a wonderful celebration with members of my tramily who joined me for my finish. It’s hard to put into words how emotional those last couple days were. Now I hope to hike my favorite parts of the Trail again with my husband.
Share Your A.T. Stories
The ATC always accepts submissions of stories and photos from the Trail via our media submission form.
Share your experience for a chance to be featured!