iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Derin

Guy Shrubsole @guyshrubsole.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

We can easily spare a tenth of England for nature without affecting food production! 20% of our land produces just 3% of our food. Vast swathes of our uplands are owned by about 150 wealthy landowners who use it for shooting grouse, and set fire to our biggest carbon sink, our peat bogs...

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Day 34 - we wake early and grind out 16 miles as quickly as we can to reach Mountain Harbour hostel. We're constantly crossing the state line so while nearly finished with Tennessee there are disconcerting signs telling us we'd only just left North Carolina! 🥾16.3 miles

A lone tree in a misty field, Sarah hiking ahead on a muddy path

A sign reads "leaving NC" with a path ahead leading through the woods

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

The Christmas posting break is over

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Reposted by Derin

Ash Routen @ashrouten.com · 27/11/2024

Vol 2 here: go.bsky.app/Sn4VNy

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Our first encounter with unfamiliar American wildlife, the noble groundhog

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Reposted by Derin

Sarah Drumm @sarahdrumm.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

DAY 11 - Another day off. Looking back, it's interesting how easy we took it at the start compared to what it was like by the end. Hiking all day every day is an adjustment! Today we sent 2KG of kit home to the UK — including my tent! I thought I'd want alone time but so far I'd only set it up once.

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Day 16 - we hike over Fontana Dam and into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - the first and only permitted area on the Appalachian Trail. 🥾 13.4 miles

A view down from the top of Fontana Dam showing the dammed river below with forest on one side and dam infrastructure on the other.

The gentle author stands proudly in front of the entrance sign to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Day 15 - the storm has blown through, the sun is out and we had a great day of hiking to just outside the Fontana Dam. Wildflowers are starting to bloom. Second pic is a rue-anemone or "windflower" 🥾13.7 miles

A view towards the smoky mountains with rhododendron and a tree covered in Spanish moss in the foreground

A small white flower with nine petals and yellow pollen in the middle

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Reposted by Derin

The Detour Effect @thedetoureffect.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

I created two Starter Packs: Outdoor Activities - users who post about hiking, camping, etc (it's more about activities than landscape photography) bsky.app/starter-pack... Legit Travel Bloggers - bloggers I trust who have actual websites where they write long-form posts bsky.app/starter-pack...

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Day 14 - we left the NOC knowing we were walking into a storm. It was so cold and the wind was cutting straight through us. We stopped at a shelter to try and warm up with hot chocolate. In the end we bailed early at Stecoah Gap. 🥾 13.9 miles

The cabin where we drank hot chocolate trying to get warm

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

Day 12 - absolutely pissed it down for the first time. The first of many, many drenchings. Waterproofs held up and we made it to the NOC dry-ish. 🥾 11.5 miles

Rolling green hills with moss covered trees in the foreground. A slight cloud inversion in the far hills.

Soaking wet at the NOC next to a large Appalachian Trail sign.

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Day 12 - up and over Siler Bald which was very cold at the top with high winds. I think this was the highest point on the trail to date. 🥾 15.9 miles

A lichen and moss covered tree with a "white blaze" trail marker painted onto it

The trig point at the top of Siler Bald showing an elevation of 5,216ft

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 09/11/2024

Day 11 - Zero day in Franklin NC. Free pancake breakfast for AT hikers at the first Baptist church!

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 08/11/2024

Day 10 - we complete the first 100 miles and arrive in Franklin, NC. At this point we are averaging 10 miles a day which we will need to increase if we are going to finish in time, our visa only allows us 6 months in the US. 🥾 12.2 miles

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 05/11/2024

Day 10 - while hiking the AP you are advised to hang your food to keep the bears away. Here's our very first bear hang! We got better at it as the trail went on! 🥾 16.2 miles

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 02/11/2024

Day 9 - big moment as we leave Georgia into North Carolina! 🥾 11.8 miles

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 31/10/2024

Day 8 - a zero day, a day with zero miles hiked. We spent our first zero in Hiawassee, resting, drinking and restocking our food bag (Herb's hot sausage didn't make the cut) 🥾 0 miles 🍺 plenty

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 29/10/2024

Day 7 - short day hiking into Around the Bend hostel for our first zero day. Amazing hostel! One of the staff members dressed like John Lennon and copied his mannerisms, it was odd but quite endearing. 🥾 11.1 miles

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 28/10/2024

Day 6 - Our longest day hiking so far. We are getting tired and looking forward to our first zero day. At Unicoi Gap we get our first trail magic - cottage pie and peanut butter brownies! 🥾 15.6 miles

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 27/10/2024

Day 5 - we leave Mountain Crossings and say goodbye to the cat living underneath the store. Just a 10 mile hike to Low Gap Shelter - at this point we were trying to keep our mileage low to avoid injuries. Views are getting better every day. 🥾 10.3 miles

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 26/10/2024

Day 4 - over Blood Mountain to Mountain Crossings. The fear mongering over this mountain was crazy! It was an easy climb, the views were beautiful. The bunk room at Mountain Crossings was pretty grim but we met fun people including a crypto guy from florida and a vegan with a 30kg pack 😵‍💫 🥾 11.9m

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 24/10/2024

Realised that I screwed up the numbering trying to clever starting at day 0 which is why I jumped from 1 to 3

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 24/10/2024

Day 3 - A misty, moody morning. Later, the first proper views of the rolling north Georgia hills. 🥾 12.5 miles

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 24/10/2024

Day 1 - first full day hiking the AT. very cold. Waking up in the first campsite of over 100. At one point we cross paths with a very paranoid hiker who was convinced that I was making animal noises in the distance just to annoy him - we quickly get away from him. 🥾 8.1 miles

A cold stream running through tall straight pine trees

Our camping spot from the previous night.

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 22/10/2024

Day 0 - most of the first day is actually the "approach trail", up Amicalola Falls to Springer Mountain shelter, stopping to touch the aged copper plaque marking the start of the Appalachian Trail. From this point we had 2,198.4 miles to walk from Georgia to Maine! 🥾 8.7 miles

Hiker registration, weighting your pack and picking up a thru-hiker tag.

The starting point of the Appalachian Trail

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Derin @derinhiking.bsky.social · 21/10/2024

Last year I hiked the Appalachian Trail and I'm preparing to hike the Pacific Crest Trail next year. The AT took 147 days to complete, and there's around 147 days between now and my ideal PCT start date. So, I'll be posting a pic a day from last year's hike, to get ready for next year's hike :)

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