Home from the Appalachian Trail

Hello dear ones. I have returned from hiking the Appalachian Trail. For the last six months I have been outside climbing mountains, fording rivers, drinking from streams, eating from one small pot, and sleeping on the ground. 

In Georgia, I watched so intimately as the bare brown of March's late winter delicately blossomed into spring. As the weeks passed, the terrain changed and the weather warmed, and I hiked ever northward into the heat of the summer. In August in Vermont, I noticed a dryness to the leaves, an ashen green with a hint of gold, and then watched as Autumn crept upon the Maine landscape.

Never have I given so wholly and sincerely of myself. I truly lived outside in the elements and wondered at the mystery of life all around. When I reached the magnificent summit of Mt. Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, I was overwhelmed with joy - I had achieved my dream.

Upon completing the trail, after brief travels on Martha's Vineyard and Boston, I returned to my family in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I have thoroughly enjoyed being home, relishing in the luxuries of dry cotton and fresh food. Being domestic has a whole new wonder. I love hand washing my mother's antique silver spoons, sweeping the wood floors, pruning the geraniums, and baking cookies from scratch.

Slowly, I am making the transition back to my design and letterpress business. There is an extra sun room in my parents' house that I have been fortunate enough to turn into a design studio - more on that later. For now, I wanted to say hello after six months of adventure and share some photos:

Georgia in March (photo by Luke Costlow)

Overlooking a winter vista in North Carolina, (photo by Luke Costlow)

Pink Lady Slippers - the coming of Spring! (photo by Luke Costlow)

McAfee Knob in Virginia 

Lush green summer trail - Virginia in May

Rhododendrons in bloom, Virginia

I loved the abundance of ferns, Virginia

Sunset on Cold Mountain, Virginia

Shenandoahs, Virginia

Halfway point - Harper's Ferry, West Virginia

My first campfire, Pennsylvania

Campsite overlook, Pennsylvania

Sunset in New Jersey

Rattlesnake in New York

Nap-time tree in New York

Campsite in Connecticut

Morning view of clouds, Connecticut

Overlook in Massachusetts 

Sunset over the river in Massachusetts 

Campsite by a river, Vermont

Late July in Vermont, view from Killington Peak

Franconia Ridge, New Hampshire

Presidential Range, New Hampshire

Presidential Range, New Hampshire 

Crossing the border into Maine

Hitchhiking in Maine

Fording rivers, Maine 

Sunlight through the trees, Maine

Bigelow Mountains, Maine

Autumn creeping into the landscape, Maine

Whitecap Mountain, view of Katahdin, Maine

Beach in Maine

View of Katahdin from Abol Bridge, Maine

Mt. Katadin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail

Flooded with joy