Hiking and Backpacking

As a Scout, I got to go snow caving, whitewater rafting, shooting, climbing, cycling, and more. My favorite adventures were the 50-Miler backpacking trips, which put your outdoors skills—especially packing light—to the test.

My first solo backpacking trip was a thru-hike of the Benton MacKaye Trail, which runs about 300 miles through Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, following the ridgeline (the original plan for the Appalachian Trail) from Springer Mountain to the northeastern end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Gavin McGimpsey at the northern terminus of the Benton MacKaye trail.

Having lived in the Phoenix, Arizona area, I was lucky to be able to explore the Superstition Wilderness—it’s an amazing place, and the hike to the top of Flatiron is my favorite day-hike ever.

Photo by Gavin McGimpsey of the Flatiron in the Superstition Wilderness, along with the Forest Service sign marking the entrance to the wilderness area.