Dawanna Blue is a self-confessed high-maintenance hiker. She is a member of the Class of 2018 and her hike was five years in the making. Having arrived at the trail, she soon discovered that she preferred a hotel or a hostel to her tent or a shelter.

Despite this aversion to one of the main parts of a thru-hike, Dawanna shaped her walk to make it the best experience for her. She embraced slackpacking and found all the other elements of the hike to be a joy, with new friends to be found throughout her journey. The picture above shows her with previous Mighty Blue guest, Chrissy Funk.

Dawanna had many moments of doubt, often leaving the trail, always to return when the Appalachian Trail called her back. A flip-flopper, she shared the finish of Katahdin with others, aware that she still had about 900 miles to go. Feeling broken by the effort to get to Katahdin, she was revitalized when she returned to Shenandoah to head south, finishing her hike with her son at Springer.

You can see more pictures from her journey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/wyld_blue_wander/

Don't forget to help Steve prepare for his second Appalachian Trail thru-hike by suggesting gear that he may like. Email him at steve@mightyblueontheat.com or go to https://mightyblueontheat.com/contact/ to leave a voice message for him.