This week on The Wild Idea, we’re literally taking you to the Appalachian Trail.
Anne Robinson joins us from Harpers Ferry, the symbolic halfway point of her 2,200-mile thru-hike, for a conversation about what happens when you step away from your desk and into the woods for months at a time. Anne recently left her job at Southern Environmental Law Center to take on the AT, and in this episode, she shares what she’s learning about land, history, community—and herself—along the way.
We talk about the complicated idea of “wilderness,” the deep human history along the Appalachian corridor, and how the myth of untouched nature gives way to something more nuanced and real. Anne also reflects on the unexpected social life of the trail: the generosity of strangers, the power of shared purpose, and why her trail name—Good News—keeps showing up in more ways than one.
Topics Covered:
-
What inspired Anne to take on the AT
-
Early thoughts on “wilderness” vs. working landscapes
-
How human stories—from enslaved communities to homesteaders to hikers—are layered into the trail
-
Trail culture: community, trail angels, and the kindness of strangers
-
Solitude vs. connection on the most social of long trails
-
Trail names, trail towns, and what she’s most looking forward to
-
How walking quiets the mind—and what she’s carrying forward from the first 1,000 miles
Books, resources, and other notes from today’s episode:
Connect with Today's Guest
Anne Robinson is a conservation advocate and former nonprofit development professional who left her desk job this spring to pursue a long-held dream: hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Her trail name is Good News, and she’s chronicling the journey on her blog, A Very Expected Journey.
Subscribe to The Wild Idea
Subscribe to our show on your favorite podcast player, and be sure to follow us on social media, too: we’re on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. We also send out a weekly newsletter with updates on our show: sign up for that list right here.