HOBOS GOING SOBO THEN NOBO IN THEIR OBOZ: Our In-tents Journey on the AT

OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! ~ Dr. Seuss

FAITH: After watching our previous video, you know that the Appalachian Trail was one of those places I never thought I’d go to! It’s funny how GOD takes us on many different paths in life; I never would have imagined one of my paths would be a dirt path, at least not one that was almost 2200 miles long. I have no regrets in doing it and have never looked back – well, other than looking back to make sure I’m not holding anyone up behind me that needs to pass us on the trail!

I look forward with great anticipation to starting this last section with GOD and my best friend by my side. I couldn’t do this journey without either one, it’s just too difficult. I am so incredibly thankful that two years ago, GOD heard my distress and knew we needed more help while on the trail …

Let me re-introduce to you to our PUDO (picker upper/dropper offer) Team that joined us last year: A former high school classmate, Denise (aka Charity, which is her trail name) who answered my plea for help by becoming our personal trail angel in driving us to trailheads and picking us up miles ahead at another trailhead, finding a place for us to stay nightly, restaurants and ice cream stands to eat at, and basically anything we needed done, she would voluntarily do for us. Joining along in the adventure was her guide dog in training, Hope, and her college friend, Kathy (aka Joy, which is her trail name) who joined us when her schedule allowed.

Denise was a Godsend and surprisingly volunteered to do it AGAIN this year – FOR MOST OF THE THREE MONTHS!! This year, she has added Zayda, another guide dog puppy in training to the team. Welcome Zayda!

OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO AND THE PEOPLE (AND DOGS!) YOU’LL BRING ALONG WITH YOU TO THOSE PLACES!

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FROG: WOW! I can’t believe it!! New Hampshire and Maine, 450 miles left of the Appalachian Trail.

We start our finish of the AT on June 13 where we left off in 2025, on the Ledyard Bridge at the border of Vermont/New Hampshire over the Connecticut River. We have all of the equipment and supplies that we need. The first 8 days will be slack pack days (only carrying a daypack and being picked up nightly to return to a comfy bed instead of staying in the tent). That should give us time to get back into the routine and build more strength in our legs.

There are some very rugged parts to the AT in this last section. We both have some anxiety with some of the streams that we must ford. What are they going to be like? Will we have a lot of rain that will feed those streams? We will probably have our full packs on then; can we easily cross with them on our backs?

Then there is the long 1-mile uphill climb of Mahoosuc Notch – the hardest mile on the trail that we’ve been warned could take up to 6 hours to climb. What will that be like? Will it take us that long or longer to climb?

Where do you actually need to catch a canoe ride across the Kennebec River? The canoe only runs at certain times of the day. Will we make it there on time? It will be interesting to see how that works and how we can catch it.

The 100-mile wilderness in Maine. How will we navigate that? How many miles a day will we be able to hike? Will we be able to find places to set our tent up for the night? The first part of the 100-mile wilderness is elevated and difficult.

The hike up Mt. Katahdin is going to be surreal! The first mile or so is flat but then it is a climb to the top. What is it going to feel like at the top of Mt. Katahdin? What is it going to feel like when the 2197.9 miles are finished? Will it be celebration or will it feel numb?

So many questions, but I’m so ready to get the answers!

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FROM OUR PUDO (PICKER UPPER/DROPPER OFFER) TEAM: Hello, AT Adventure 2026 friends!! It’s Hope the guide dog puppy mama here, and I’m writing to update you on our upcoming travel plans! Mom is busy making lists and said I could do the honors! This year we are also bringing along Zayda, an almost 7-month-old guide dog puppy in training. Mom and I will be working on her training until next May, when she goes back to Freedom Guide Dogs for her formal guide dog training. Faith and FROG get to help, too, when they are off the trail! We are ready for daily adventures with our mom in NH and ME while Faith and FROG are hiking each day. Guide dogs have to be comfortable working in all kinds of situations, so Zayda will get lots of practice, and I’ll go along to help—I’ve got this stuff down! If things go according to plan (!), I might be having guide dog puppies at some point during the summer, so I’ll be back at Freedom Guide Dogs during that time.

Mom is excited this year because the humans learned at the very end of our VT 2025 AT Adventure how to “drop a pin” on Google Maps so they can find their way back to trailheads on dirt roads in the middle of nowhere without singing “I’ve been here before, I’ve been here…” There was a lot of laughing when they sang that song, but I’m sure there will be other things to laugh about this year! Mom and Faith said last year, who would ever have thought in high school all those years ago (yes, it has been a while!!!) that Faith would be hiking the AT and Mom would be driving the Adventure Van for her and FROG? They love to see where the Lord leads us in life! Two hikers, two guide dogs, a driver, and the Adventure Van!! Mom says our theme song for the summer is “I don’t know how you’ll make a way, Lord, but I know you will!” and we’re sticking to that!! Stay turned for the stories!

COMING SOON TO A FACEBOOK PAGE NEAR YOU!! The adventures of FROG & Faith will start in 3 weeks … have your dehydrated food, granola bars and filtered water ready for the blog adventure will soon start. COMING JUNE 2026

THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING — AND WE MUST GO!

One month from today, we’ll take our first steps toward Mt. Katahdin in Maine, beginning at the Vermont–New Hampshire border and heading north through the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the rugged wilderness of Maine.

Those who have followed our journey so far know it hasn’t been easy. We’ve faced many rock fields, scrambles and ledges, steep climbs and descents, rain, wind, cold temperatures, bugs, and mud — and all of that may pale in comparison to what still lies ahead.

BUT … WE ARE FROG & FAITH, AND WITH GOD, WE’VE GOT THIS!!

One step at a time. One foot in front of the other. One day at a time. This is not a race; we will hike at our own pace and take in all that God has placed before us. This may be our hardest stretch yet, but the stunning views waiting for us on those mountain peaks will be breathtaking and worth every struggle.

WE CAN’T WAIT TO TAKE THIS JOURNEY AND SHARE IT WITH YOU!

THE PACKING AND COUNTDOWN BEGINS ... Stay Tuned!

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” – Yoko Ono

As many know, it was never my dream to backpack the Appalachian Trail (AT). I always told Brad he’d have to find someone else crazy enough to hike it with him. I was not at all interested in sleeping on the cold ground in a tent, going without makeup or a shower daily, eating dehydrated food, hiking in cold and damp weather, and I especially wasn’t interested in having to use the great outdoors as my latrine. Nope, not me, never ever! He didn’t want to hike it with anyone else and held on to that dream for 37 years, hoping and praying I would change my mind. Call it a mid-life crisis or what have you, but five years ago I was ready to give this backpacking thing a try. I was so glad I did; it was an adventure like no other. I was hooked; I had caught the backpacking bug! It has been one of the hardest things I have ever done, but also one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

On June 12 of this year, God willing, we will once again strap on our boots, throw on our backpacks and grab our hiking poles and live as Hobos on the AT for what we hope will be our very last time -- 450 miles through New Hampshire and Maine. After finishing these miles we will have completed 2197.9 miles, the full length of the AT, from Georgia to Maine. To commemorate this special memorable accomplishment, we went ahead and had special tee shirts made that we will proudly put on and display once we have reached the summit of Mt. Katahdin, the finish of the Appalachian Trail.

Brad’s dream has become my dream, a reality, that we feel so blessed to be sharing together.

The MYTH will continue in 2026 …

We are FROG and Faith, Multi Year Thru Hikers (MYTH) and God willing we will strap on our boots once again for what will hopefully be our last and final leg of the Appalachian Trail. We have 444 miles left and plan to devote up to 3 months to complete our journey through New Hampshire and Maine.

We have heard so many horror stories on what’s yet to come that the easy way out would be to just walk away and call it quits. I mean, after all, we’ve hiked through 12 states and have gone 1756 miles, that is a HUGE accomplishment and one we’re so very proud of. What a monumental achievement; why do we need to continue?

BECAUSE…

We can’t seem to stop short of completing a dream just because Fear decided to come knocking at our door. We opened that door and invited Fear in and came up with so many reasons why we should stop: our age, physically not strong enough, steep mountain climbs, rock walls and scrambles, unpredictable high winds and cold weather, multiple days out on trail with no breaks, black flies and mosquitoes, having to ford rivers and streams, you name it, we said it and believed we couldn’t.

“The mountain will tell you
That you can't make it over
It will try to convince you
That it's way too high
Though you feel defeated
Know that God keeps His promise
So you tell the mountain
Just how big your God is”

Realization has hit: our God is bigger than any obstacle we will face and if He is with us, He will equip us to complete it, one hard step at a time. We got up, opened the door, and kicked Fear right on out! It is no longer an invited guest in our home!

I tell you this in hopes that you keep us accountable and not allow us to reopen that door and invite Fear in again. We know that it will be one of the hardest challenges we’ll ever face but we are prepared to take that leap of Faith and FROG - Fully Rely On God to equip us to complete it.

We are so very thankful and grateful for our PUDO (Picker Upper/ Dropper Offer) Team: Denise, Kathy, Hope and Ann & Hugh.
who will be helping us out again next summer. Their support in assisting us means the world to us and words don’t adequately express our deep gratitude for all they’ve already done and what they will continue to do for us.
KUDO to our PUDO Team!!

A very special thank you to another former high school classmate, Janet Tiffany, who made us the cutest FROG/Faith magnets and key chain, all that we will proudly display on our next hike!!