2024 Trail Team
2024 Trail Team
Check out our trail team members on our Instagram profile and podcast – and click the links in each hiker’s profile to follow along via their personal channels!
MADELYN DUKART "WRONG WAY"
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL
Wrong Way is an aspiring triple crowner! After achieving her lofty childhood goal of completing the Appalachian Trail (AT) in 2021, she immediately knew there were other thru-hikes in her future. Despite her trail name, she has become much better at navigating both the trails and her life experiences. She and her fiancé moved to Colorado from their home in Ohio after they completed the AT together. Living in Colorado has given her the opportunity to pursue other activities like skiing, bagging 14ers, and car camping. She is trading in her teaching career for her trail legs in order to begin the Continental Divide Trail NOBO. You can follow along with Wrong Way on her personal blog here.
RAY REYNOSO "GEARED UP"
APPALACHIAN TRAIL
Ray is a United States Army veteran who deployed to Iraq in 2009. Upon returning home, he spent the next three years relearning to walk from wounds suffered during the war. He hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013 and has since completed several other long distance hikes and bike rides to inspire other disabled veterans to never give up. In April 2024, Ray will begin his next adventure along the 2,200 mile long Appalachian Trail. During his hike, he will raising funds for Warrior Expeditions to help other veterans find peace and healing in the outdoors.
ANNA CLARK "TRAFFIC CONE"
PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRAIL
Anna or “Traffic Cone” has been hiking and backpacking her whole life, and comes from a long line of outdoor adventurers! Anna is a registered nurse, dog and cat mama and has been married to her (very patient) wife for almost five years ❤️. In the summer of 2024, Anna will be attempting her first thru hike (solo!) on the 1,200-mile Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT). Along the way she will be listening to audiobooks while trying to hit a goal of 200 books this year! Wow 📚
MIKE MCCLURE "JUST MIKE"
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL
Just Mike is chasing his Triple Crown hiking dream. He started long distance hiking during COVID as a way to stay active outside. 2022 was a transition year when he retired after 30+ years in the technology industry to pursue hiking long trails. He completed the PCT in Sept 2022 and half of the CDT in 2023. Just Mike is also an ambassador for us here at THRU-r and is a Board Member for ALDHA West 🥾
This year, Just Mike will be hiking half the AZT and rest of the CDT – with plans to finish his Triple Crown on the AT in 2025/2026. When he is not on trail, he calls Michigan home.
DEDRA JANVIER
PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
Dedra is 29 years old and lives full time in her DIY Ford Transit van with her three dogs and partner Garron. She’s a marketing manager by day, and an aspiring content creator by night. Some of her other passions include dance, dogs, and the outdoors! She’s hiked the West Coast Trail and the North Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, and is taking on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) this April 🌿
Dedra’s ultimate goal with this thru hike is to inspire other women to push past their comfort zone and do things solo (even if they’re scared, anxious, or nervous of the unknown). She believes that – with a little resilience – we are capable of anything! She is excited to meet everyone on the trail and take on one of the most epic journeys of her life 🏔️
J.C. VAN ETTEN "CATMANDO"
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL
Catmando is from Florida and – since he retired – has been hiking as much as possible! Catmando thru hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2019, the Long Trail & Benton MacKaye in 2021, the Pacific Crest Trail in 2021/2022, and the Pinhoti and Foothills Trail in 2023. His hope is to achieve his Triple Crown on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) in 2024!
Go get it Catmando! We are so excited to follow along with your CDT adventure this year 🤩
DONAHUE HOLLAND "DEF POS"
PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
Def Pos (short for Definition Positive) is a DJ from Southern California and more recently, Oregon. When he’s not working on house projects and landscaping, he enjoys running, disc golf and tennis. In 2022, Def Pos hiked from Campo to Cajon Pass – and has hiked the Timberline Trail in the past, and has summited South Sister in Oregon!
This summer, he is taking on a 345 mile section on the Pacific Crest Trail from Siead Valley in California to Santiam Pass in Oregon.
CATHERINE TURGY "STITCH"
ARIZONA TRAIL
Stitch is from Canada, and she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in 2022 and the Appalachian Trail (AT) in 2023 as part of our Trail Team. We are so happy to have her back this year!
🧶 When she is not hiking, Stitch loves to share her knowledge about hiking and long-distance backpacking with others. She also loves to knit, crochet, do yoga, sketch tiny house plans, and do trail maintenance in her free time. She’s hiked in many spots in her home country and is also the first person to complete a continuous hike on the Quebec National Trail at 1535km
KRISTINE HARTLAUB "GG"
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL
Kristine grew up day-hiking, backcountry canoe-camping, and doing other various outdoor activities. In her undergrad days, she took a backpacking course and loved it! She married a military man and traveled the US and Europe with her family – and day-hiked all over the place 🥾
Backpacking took a backseat until 2021…when she read a book which reignited her desire to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (AT). In 2022, Kristine flip-flopped the AT and had many plans to combat post-hike depression. She didn’t have any desire to do another long hike… until she read another book 😂. And so – here she is preparing for her CDT trek!
ALICIA GRAFE & TUK-TUK
SOUTH AMERICA
Alicia is a Belgian lawyer and passionate vagabond. In the last couple of years, she’s been vanlifing, thru-hiking, bike touring, volunteering, and she recently moved to Guyana to work and explore. Tuk-Tuk follows her everywhere (…or is she following him?). They love immersing themselves in the environment, sleeping under the stars and eating wild plants.
Last year, they hiked the Sentiero Italia and are planning to do some long-distance hiking in South America in 2024. You can follow these two on Instagram and on their personal blog.
MELVIN GAVROY "MEL"
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL
Melvin – better known as “Mel” on trail – is a Belgian hiker who is turning 27 this year! Mel started backpacking a few years ago but fell in love with backpacking on the PCT in 2022. He was a part of our Trail Team last year when he hiked the AZT and is excited to be able to share his upcoming CDT adventure with everyone soon! When at home in Belgium, Mel dedicates himself to many other hobbies, but his heart is always somewhere in the mountains 🏔️
KATIE JACKSON "DOUBLE DIP"
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL
Katie grew up in St. Louis and now works in Colorado as a sustainability consultant and outdoor writer. She fell in love with the Continental Divide Trail through time spent in childhood in Granby with her grandparents. After thru-hiking the Colorado Trail and John Muir Trail in concurrent years, she heads north this year on the CDT, and hopes to discover the best trail town chai latte along the way ☕️
You can follow along with Double Dip on her Instagram – and she is also blogging for The Trek!
CAROL CHIRPICH "LATE BLOOM"
PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
At age 65, Carol embarked on her first ever backpacking trip at the Southern Terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Initially, she planned to hike a few small sections and decide if she and a newly acquired hiking companion (who answered Carol’s Facebook inquiry for someone to hike with) were compatible. That year, they completed 800 PCT miles with sections ranging from a weekend to a month-long trek through Oregon!
As of 2023, Carol has completed over 2,000 miles on the PCT. To finish the trail, Washington is the only state that stands between her and the Northern Terminus. Her plans for 2024 are to hike solo or be joined by a recently retired niece.
STEVIE TERAN
CORFU TRAIL & WALKER’S HAUTE ROUTE
Stevie grew up in the mountains of Northern Idaho, but didn’t discover backpacking and thru hiking until he became a Los Angeles urbanite. As an avid outdoor enthusiast, he has always loved to hike and camp – and became obsessed with the idea that a person could live on a hiking trail for months at a time. Stevie is a self proclaimed paradox; he is one part rhinestone covered entertainer who loves the city, one part scruffy mountain creature who can forgo modern day comforts and luxuries.
Stevie’s backpacker resume includes Telescope Peak in Death Valley and Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevadas of California. This year, he plans to hike the Corfu Trail and the Walker’s Haute Route to really put some miles under his belt before his Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike in 2025. He looks forward to getting a trail name!
SANCIA GIMBEL
NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA
Sancia was born and raised in Germany, and has a passion for adventure. She has already hiked numerous trails across Europe, such as the GR11 in the Spanish Pyrenees, the Fisherman’s Path along the Portuguese coast, traversing the magical Highlands of Scotland on the challenging Cape Wrath Trail, crossed a Greek island on the Corfu Trail, and braved the stormy coast of England on the South West Coast Path.
✈️ Now, it’s time to pack her bags and leave Europe for a while – starting with North and South America! This year, she begins her journey in the south, planning to backpack through many countries and hike several trails in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, and is especially excited about hiking the Patagonian mountains in Chile⛰️
ANNIKA ANANIAS
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL
Annika is a German adventurer, mountain lover, and world traveler! 🌎 She discovered her love for hiking during a semester abroad in New Zealand, a turning point that changed her life. To fulfill her strong desire for hiking and the mountains, she moved to the German Alps and has traveled all around the world to experience the beautiful diversity of the great outdoors.
On her thru-hikes on the Te Araroa in New Zealand and the Pacific Crest Trail in the USA, she found her calling for long-distance hiking. By now, she has covered 10,000 kilometers on trails around the world and visited all seven continents. The next big journey will be thru-hiking the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), starting in mid-June.
NEIL CRAWFORD
PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
Neil caught the PCT dream in 2011 while on a backpacking trip to South Sister in Oregon! He loves hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, mountaineering, skiing and most of all, snowshoeing.
While Neil has never hiked an entire long trail – he’s hiked parts of the PCT, AT, CDT, El Camino Real De Los Tejas, Santa Fe, Star Spangled Banner, Potomac Heritage, Washington-Rochambeau Trail, Lewis & Clark, Pacific Northwest, Juan Bautista De Anza, Old Spanish, Mormon Pioneer, Trail of Tears, NEE-ME-POO, and other National Trails. That’s a lot! 😮
2024 will be Neil’s year to take on his long-distance dream, and he’s currently trekking on the PCT.
SANDRA DICKSON "MACGYVER"
HEXATREK & TRANS CATALINA TRAIL
Sandra (they/them) discovered thru-hiking as a way to find distraction during COVID on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Never mind it being the perfect place to turn 60 and begin their 7th decade! Sandra has always been an outdoor enthusiast – hiking, climbing, running, lounging… while raising 3 kids and building a career as an entertainment rigger.
This year they’re attempting to complete the 3000 km new thru-hiking trail in France, the Hexatrek. While taking a break to prevent an injury in 2021 they came across a GoFundMe equivalent to create an app to support the dream of a French thru-hike. 2024 is its third year! Sandra can’t wait to get back out on a long trail, their three kids cheering them on 🎉
SAMANTHA ZABAWA "SQUIRREL"
COLORADO TRAIL
Squirrel didn’t come from an outdoorsy family, but she learned that time in nature – during day hikes – really helped with her mental health. After learning that people hike 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail, she set out in 2023 to hike it too! Squirrel decided that she needed a change, and wanted to prove to herself that she could do hard things!
After completing the Appalachian Trail, Squirrel has completed many more miles in the Smokies, has hiked the Benton MacKaye, Mountains to Sea, and the Foothills Trail. This summer, she is taking on the Colorado Trail. Since she has never hiked out West, she is super pumped for it! In the next five years, Squirrel also has her sights set on the Triple Crown.