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Articles by Lisa Devine
Life at the Libby & Hello Mr. Presidents
Once again, The Libby Hostel had its own unique flair. We got settled into the bunk space quickly, got our showers (outdoors again), and made a trip to town to pick up a few more supplies we needed that we didn’t include in our box that we shipped. The hostel did our laundry for us. This was much better than doing it ourselves. Just a few “light” snacks until Lisa cooked up our WallyWorld pizza. The hostel used to be called “The Barn Hostel” and you can see why by the above picture.
Getting to Gorham & A Guy Named Greybeard
(Bloggers note: To clear up some confusion and correct a little chaos I may have unintentionally created, I am still way behind on our story. This blog will cover the approximate dates of July 3 through July 10) The first steps back onto the trail were a river crossing. The upside? The river was low enough that we could rock hop. The downside? Yeah, my hippo DNA resurfaced and I slipped off a rock and got wet. I smiled for this pic because it was the beginning of a new day. My feet were not smiling.
Welcome to the Om Dome & The Maximum Deep Chill Zone
Just. Nine. More. Miles. Well, technically it was only 8.6 miles that had to be humped to make it to our shuttle at South Arm Rd. For the record, my GPS track on this day showed 8.26 miles with an average pace of 1.37mph. And also for the record, we ascended 2005ft and descended 3281ft. 2200ft of descent was in the last 2.25 miles. It wasn’t necessarily a record day, but we had been out for almost a week and we were tired and sore.
Serendipitous Saddlebacks & Some Soul Searching On Our Way to the Om Dome
First off, it’s not easy. Every word I put on this page is a labor of love. I am enjoying every moment crafting this blog. I want to write stuff that I want to read. I want it to be great! So, it gets typed, read, edited, retyped, re-edited, re-read, pictures added, pictures deleted, edited once again, formatted, previewed, edited a final time (that’s Lisa’s job and boy is she good at it), and then I hit the publish button.
Butterflies, Birds, Bunnies, Bridges, Blazes & The Bigelows
22 hours ago Viral Bear Encounter May Lead to $25,000 Fine for Hiking Couple gearjunkie.com - Andrew McLemore • 22h The next time you’re about to upload a video from your hiking trip, take a moment to consider the following: Is it possible I’m doing something … travel news 15 hours ago I’ve Forecast Extreme Weather for 30 Years. These Are My Top Adventure Towns for Escaping the Heat.
Butterflies, Birds, Bunnies, Bridges, Blazes & The Bigelows
Off we went from our cozy little cabin in the woods with our bellies full. The wind had started to pick up. As usual, the breeze felt good. We were just walking along, minding our own business when we heard the squeaking noise of trees rubbing together. Then came a tremendously loud CRAAAACK!!! We looked to our left and about 25 to 50 yards away we watched a 100ft tall tree, one so large that I couldn’t have wrapped my arms around, split about 20 feet up from the ground.
This One’s For Zach, Jess, and TheTrek.co Team
I woke up today at my usual 4:50am and did not want to hike the 17 miles that was planned. However, I diligently got up, did my business in the privy, and then ate a Pop Tart for breakfast. I laced up my trusted Altra Lone Peak 9+ and slid my pack onto my back. We hiked up a mountain. When we got to the summit, this was the reward for all of our hard work. We hiked down a mountain, stepped on some rocks, stepped on some roots, and stepped on some more rocks and roots.
This One’s For Zach, Jess, and TheTrek.co Team
Shasta County 2 hours ago Evacuations ordered as Brook Fire burns in Shasta County sfchronicle.com - Lucy Hodgman • 2h A wildfire burning just north of Bella Vista prompted evacuation orders in parts of Shasta County Saturday afternoon, authorities said.
Rivers, Rain, & Revelations
After what felt like a halftime locker-room pep-talk from Poet, we once again climbed into the shuttle. The trail was beckoning, and this time we were ready for the second half. Cooper, another fantastic Shaw’s employee, was the wheelman this time. I knew Cooper was good stuff when he voted for me to keep my chair after Poet scoffed at the idea of carrying something so preposterous on a thru-hike. Lisa also voted to send it home.
Monson Mayhem & Poet’s School of Thru-hiking
Let’s jump right back in the van with Chester since this is where this chapter kicks off. Now mind you, we have no clue what we are doing. We’re in the middle of nowhere and have no idea what the middle of nowhere is even near. We call a place we’ve never been, and a van shows up.
Part 2 – The Harsh Reality of the 100 Mile Wilderness
(Blogger’s note: Be sure to read Part 1 to this two part series first.) Now that you’ve been introduced to the new me, AKA Humble Pie, let me share with you what developed over our 9 days in the 100 Mile Wilderness (100MW). The plan? Yeah, we got punched in the mouth pretty much daily, but we got our butts up every morning and went back to work walking our way through the beautiful chaos. The plan evolved and new pathways opened to us. Our first SOBO white blaze leaving Baxter.
Part 2 – The Harsh Reality of the 100 Mile Wilderness
Part 2 – The Harsh Reality of the 100 Mile Wilderness Part 2 - The truth behind our 100 Mile Wilderness wanderings. Weird, weary, and wonderful.The post Part 2 – The Harsh Reality of the 100 Mile …
Part 1 – Inspector Gadget Meets Humble Pie in the 100 Mile Wilderness
(Blogger’s note: Part 1 of a two part series. What follows is a slightly embellished trail fable from my heart, not the day to day details we experienced. The real 100 Mile Wilderness breakdown will immediately follow this.) A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, or for the more traditional among you, once upon a time… There was a proud backcountry hiker and camper. He was good at his craft. He sought out fun and exciting places to travel.
Part 1 – Inspector Gadget Meets Humble Pie in the 100 Mile Wilderness
Part 1 - What happens when a wounded man in the wilderness meets a stranger?The post Part 1 – Inspector Gadget Meets Humble Pie in the 100 Mile …
Before We Could SOBO, We Had to Go NOBO. Straight. Up.
Well, here we are. Officially on Day 1 of Operation Appalachian Trail 2026. I have to tell you in retrospect there is no “mastering” any mountain. We got blessed. We had a perfect day to summit, but I am getting ahead of myself, so let’s rewind and go back to the bottom where the day started. Another quick praise for Jen & John. They filled us up on flapjacks hot off the griddle to fill our energy stores to navigate this insane ascent. There it is.
Blessings From on High
Words will never be enough to express my and Lisa’s gratitude for this selfless couple that treated some “hiker trash” like “trail royalty.” So, I give them a heartfelt thank you for such an awesome introduction to the people of Maine and their amazing hosting while within Baxter State Park and the Katahdin Stream Campground.
Going Gaga Over Gear
A super duper short run down of our gear.The post Going Gaga Over Gear appeared first on The Trek.
Going Gaga Over Gear
What do you need (and maybe want) to live on a trail, in the wilderness, and then occasionally detour back into civilization? I will give you a quick rundown of what we packed to “keep us alive” for the next 5-6 months. If you’d like to “skip to a list,” please click our “gear list” tab on our main blog page. That will give you a detailed list of what we are carrying on trail. For those of you not familiar with the term “The Big 3,” I will quickly explain.
How to prepare and plan for 160+ half-marathons in a row.
The inspiration that hangs on our bedroom wall. “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” – Mike Tyson Some of you, especially other hikers, will think we’ve lost our minds in the depths of planning, preparation, and logistics (PPL) that took place in getting ready for this borderline crazy endeavor.
Rethinking Anxiety in Dentistry
Ployker / iStock / Getty Images Plus A significant percentage of dental and dental hygiene students already meet criteria for burnout before entering the workforce.1 This suggests that the potential problem lies in the way of thinking they have adopted before they entered professional training.
How did we get here? Still -58ish days from Day 1
Before we delve into this bloated first blog, let me give you the TL;DR: Lisa is awesome. Jeff tends to use too many words. As a couple, we rock. We’ve done some pretty cool things, and we are about to start an epic one. Feel free to vicariously join us by subscribing. You won’t regret it. Money-back guarantee. If you’d like to know more about us… Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. This is my story, and by proxy, my wife Lisa’s story as well.
How did we get here? Still -58ish days from Day 1
You Can Usually Tell Someone’s About To Reach Their Breaking Point At Work When They Start Doing These 4 Things, Says A Psychologist Part of the problem of being burned out at work is that it sneaks up on you. What we think is a normal stress level can often spin out of control …
Jeff and Lisa Devine
Howdy, and welcome to our Hobbit Hole on The Trek, also known as our trail blog home. I am Jeff "Inspector Gadget" Devine and I will be traversing the Appalachian Trail SOBO with my beloved bride of 32 years, Lisa. I am a retired Michigan State Trooper who traded in his badge and gun for paper and pencil to teach at our local high school. I am best at teaching my students life lessons. For 20+ years Lisa raised and homeschooled our 5, now grown, children.
The need for a comprehensive diabetes data system in Ireland
WHY IS A DIABETES DATA SYSTEM NEEDED IN IRELAND? The primary purpose of healthcare systems is to prevent and treat disease. The mainstay of this is direct patient clinical care, but the system needs to be supported by reliable and timely data to function in an evidence-based and responsive way1. Many health systems around the globe have a rich tradition of using data to inform and improve care processes2-4.
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