The Appalachian Trail: Connecticut Miles 38.0 - 39.8

Read about previous Connecticut miles here

Mothers Day 2025 was enjoyed doing what we love- getting outside. This was our first hike with our kiddo involving elevation gain. We completed miles 38 - 39.8 (to Prospect Mtn) of the AT in an out and back hike, total mileage was around 4.01 miles with 1,087 ft elevation gain.

Leah: Mom of the year

There’s a parking lot with plenty of spots right next to the dam and falls. After your hike its a great place to cool down and enjoy some snacks before hitting the road.

From the parking lot you’ll cross the road and see the white blaze to begin your hike. Immediately, you’re submerged back into the woods. A short incline brings you to the trail winding through the forest where you can see a large boulder and shortly after you’ll cross a few streams before popping out into a field. You’ll also hit the 1500 miles from GA sign!

After crossing the field you walk back into the woods and then your climb begins. There’s some areas where you get some reprieve from the elevation gain at stream crossings. At the end of your climb at Prospect Mtn you’re rewarded with a grassy area you can hang out in and take in the views.

The Appalachian Trail

Section hiking the Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail is the one of the oldest footpaths in America. The Trail starts in Georgia and ends in Maine for a total mileage of 2,180 miles. The majority of Thru hikers start in Georgia at the Southern Terminus and head Northbound (NoBo) with an average completion time of 5-6 months.

via FarOut

When I first heard about hiking the AT I was in elementary school and we were learning about the trail in a history lesson. Shortly after I proudly announced to my girl-scout troop that for our final outing we should do a hike on the AT. We ended up doing a short day hike on a boardwalk with zero elevation gain. Fast forward to college, specifically the summer of ‘16, Leah and I set out to section hike Connecticut. We had intentions of finishing all 52 miles but didn’t make it by the time we had to head back to college.

The goal now is to section hike as much of the trail as we can, when we can, creating memories and fulfilling a dream. We’re starting with Connecticut and re-hiking the miles we completed in 2016 starting from the CT/NY border.

We started this journey with short backpacking trips in between work stretches with our Blue Heeler mix Lucy in 2021. A lot has happened along the way! Leah and I moved twice, got married, and added to the hiking crew. Now our AT miles these days are day hikes, sometimes with Lucy, sometimes without (she’s now an old gal who loves couch naps), and carrying our newborn with a pack full of diapers.

The adventure crew is only growing and we can’t wait to show our kiddo one of our favorite trails.

Check out the miles completed and read all about how we’re tackling section hiking.

See you out there!




Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Park

Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park have been on my bucket list for a long time. Growing up all I heard about were the geysers and wildlife. As I grew older and discovered more outdoor recreation I learned about the incredible backpacking and hiking you can do in the parks.

We had an invitation to crash my dad’s RV trip which meant free lodging, score! My dad was driving his Airstream west for a three-month road trip. All we had to do was book flights, a car, and meet them in the mountains.

We flew into SLC, left the Wasatch Mountain range behind and drove north heading through Idaho and into Wyoming. The scenery in Idaho is unbelievable. We had the windows down pointing out various wildlife and taking pictures the entire drive. Finally at dusk we arrived to the RV site, The Headwaters Campground at Flagg Ranch. The campground is situated in a middle ground. South of the entrance to Yellowstone and North of the entrance to Grand Teton, about at 15 minute drive to both and was the perfect basecamp. During our week trip we flip/flopped between both parks getting to do and see everything, with tons of wildlife along the way.

Day 1: Grand Teton National Park
Jenny lake & Mormon Row

We left camp early and headed south toward Jenny Lake. The plan was to do an out and back hike starting around Jenny Lake, stopping at Hidden Falls, Inspiration Point, and continuing on into Cascade Canyon. After our Hike we headed to Mormon Row to see the park from a different perspective.

We left camp so early that when we started driving toward Jenny Lake it felt like we had the park to ourselves and we definitely took advantage of the empty roads.

To read all about our day in the park click the links below

Jenny Lake
Mormon Row

Day 2: Grand Teton National Park &
Yellowstone National Park

Day two we hit the ground running. Well, driving.

We woke up bright and early and headed to Signal Mountain to watch the sunrise over the valley. On your trip this is a must see/do.

After watching the Sunrise we stayed on top of Signal Mountain taking advantage of the cell service to download pictures and catch up with friends back home. We used our jet-boil to make some oatmeal and coffee. With a fueled-up team we headed out to start our day. Today was our first day exploring Yellowstone and we packed it full.

Signal Mountain
Yellowstone Day 1

Day 3: Grand Teton national park
Hiking taggart Lake and sunset on the snake river

The day started with hiking out to an Alpine Lake: Taggart Lake

After the hike we dropped our stuff at the car and crossed the street to watch some moose enjoying the river. On three separate occasions we saw moose here! Make sure you stop on your way through the park.

We took a break from the park and headed to Jackson Hole for lunch and an afternoon hangout. On our way back we stopped at Snake River to watch the sunset.

Taggart Lake
Snake River

day 4: Exploring Yellowstone: The grand canyon of the yellowstone, Old faithful, geyser basin

Day four exploring Yellowstone: We went to The Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone which was absolutely breathtaking. After exploring and hiking around there we went over to Old Faithful a can’t miss on your trip to Yellowstone.

Read all about day 4 here

day 5: Final day in yellowstone, exploring grand prismatic and hiking to fairy falls

Grand prismatic and fairy falls

Day 6: Grand Teton- exploring colter bay and rafting the snake river

Colter Bay is on Jackson Lake in the heart of the Grand Tetons. There’s hike called Lakeshore Trail that takes you around a peninsula offering views of the lake along with bringing you through dense forest.

The hike is 2.6 miles long, mostly flat, and only takes about an hour to complete.

After exploring Colter Bay we headed to a local outfitter where we were going to take a rafting trip down the Snake River. The Snake river winds its way throughout the park so its a great way to see the mountains from a different perspective. Be mindful of what time of year you do this rafting trip! Beginning of season brings high water levels and swift currents and end of the season is a slow relaxed float.

The rafting trip was the last activity we did in the park and marked the end of our trip. After we headed back to the campsite, enjoyed dinner, and some campfire beers. The next morning we had to leave before sunrise to drive back to Salt Lake to catch our flight home.