2025 Trail Team
2025 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 who is excited to tackle the second leg of the journey. After completing her lofty childhood goal of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2021, she and her partner moved to Colorado to be closer to the mountains. Growing up in Ohio, hiking was not a large part of her childhood, but she strongly believes that we are meant to grow and find new passions. After her first attempt in 2024 to hike the Continental Divide Trail ended in injury, Wrong Way is ready to try again. Fingers crossed for a successful 2025 CDT journey! You can follow along with Wrong Way on her personal blog here.
RAY REYNOSO "GEARED UP"
US & ASIA (FKT’S)
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 January 2025, Ray will begin his next adventure hiking all over SE Asia and making his way back to the US for summer. Here he will bicycle Route 66 and end with a hike of the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O trails. During his hike, he will raising funds for Team RWB to help other veterans find peace and healing as they transition out of the Military.
STEVE HOEKWATER "STEVIE WONDER"
EASTERN CONTINENTAL TRAIL
Stevie is a 36-year old hiker and explorer of wild places. Prior to 2019, he lived his entire life in West Michigan. After going through a divorce and needing a change, Stevie stumbled on to the Pacific Crest Trail – and the rest is history!
Since then, he’s found his trail legs and has lived a nomadic life – altering his career path to include seasonal land stewardship jobs in Utah, Alaska, and Yosemite National Park! Stevie also completed the Continental Divide Trail in 2022. Triple Crown, here he comes 👑👑👑. Stevie is hiking in support of the Outdoors Empowered Network, and you can donate on his behalf here. You can also follow along with his blog on The Trek!
MIKE MCCLURE "JUST MIKE"
APPALACHIAN & ARIZONA TRAIL
Just Mike is one trail away from achieving 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 2022 and the CDT in 2024. He’s also hiked half of the AZT! Just Mike is an ambassador for us here at THRU-r and is a Board Member for ALDHA West 🥾
This year, Just Mike will be hiking the AT for his Triple Crown and possibly (bonus!) the rest of the AZT. When he’s not on trail, he calls Michigan home.
ANNA MCKINNEY SMITH "MAGIC"
PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
Anna is from western North Carolina and grew up romping through hollers and hills. Her love of the Appalachian mountains drew her onto the Appalachian Trail in 2021 where she became “Magic”. The AT was her first thru hike and the place where she would meet her future husband, Truffles. After completing the AT, the pair moved to east Tennessee to work as backpacking guides in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Between guiding gigs, Magic hiked the Arizona Trail in 2023 and the West Highland Way in 2024. When she isn’t in the woods, Magic enjoys writing, playing disc golf, and teaching yoga. Checking out her blog here: Magic in the Mountains.
CASEY HUFFMAN "VEGAS"
PACIFIC CREST TRAIL
Casey or “Vegas” used to work a “normal” job and own a condo, but once he caught the backpacking bug – he knew it was over. He quit his job, sold his house, set an SUV up with a bed and living arrangements, and hit the road!
Since leaving his prior life, Vegas has hiked the Appalachian Trail, Foothills Trail, Sheltowee Trace, Ozark Highlands Trail, and West Highland Way in Scotland. This year he’s taking on the Pacific Crest Trail, and plans to finish his triple crown in 2027 on the Continental Divide Trail. And that’s just the triple crown – there’s plenty more out there after that. The adventures have only just begun!
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 & 2024, Def Pos hiked large sections of the Pacific Crest Trail – and he’s also hiked the Timberline Trail in the past, and has summited South Sister in Oregon!
This summer, he’s continuing his journey by taking on a large section of the Pacific Crest Trail in the Sierra.
CATHERINE TURGY "STITCH"
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL
& TE ARAROA
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. She’ll be hiking the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) this year to finish her Triple Crown, and has already set foot on the Te Araroa in New Zealand to start things off!
🧶 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 set off on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) in 2024 😂. She’ll be continuing her CDT trek in 2025!
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.