Lifeat2mph

Rily "Mumble" + Trey "Buffalo"

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Happy 50th birthday to our beloved Appalachian Trail! 🎉 It’s the anniversary of the National Trails System Act, and it is one of the best things to ever happen to this wild and wonderful country! It is a complete honor and a true gift to have been able to hike from Georgia to Maine on some of this country’s most beautiful and protected lands! 📍🏕✨ 💚 #findyourtrail #appalachiantrail #AT2017 #thruhikers #optoutside #traillifeisthebestlife #trailwithdrawalsforlife #whiteblazes (at Appalachian Mountains) https://www.instagram.com/p/BodBRXAlWdc/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=99nt2cvtzwm

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(2/2) 08.17.18 🌄 We’ve been to the Rockies briefly before in the wintertime, but this was our first time really getting to drive on all the crazy mountain roads, explore, and finally set foot on the beautiful CDT! Of course, Cheech is along for another ride of a lifetime! 😄 #lifeat2mph #rockymountainnationalpark #rockymountains #vanlife #traillife #continentaldivide #cdt #chaconation #fordtransit #campervan #travellife #adventurelifestyle #adventuringeverywhere #optoutside (at Rocky Mountain National Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn9cE4sHJ_9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rz6419o0o3w1

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A few weeks ago, we started our adventure with a few days in Asheville! Buffalo got his new bike, he and @avl_mtb put it together and did some riding, we all enjoyed plenty of good eats together, and had a hilarious day tubing on the French Broad! I finally drove the van up my first official “mountain road” at Blue Ridge Assembly, which was ironically the first mountain I’d ever really been on when I was fifteen. I rehiked the first mountain I ever climbed, and did a ton of reminiscing while I was there! It was a wonderful few days in Asheville, and a fantastic way to begin our journey out west! 🚐💚🚲 #asheville #mountainbiking #frenchbroadriver #rivertubing #bestfriends #traillife #vanlife #optoutside #travellife #naturephotography #blueridgeassembly #makingmemories #greattimeswithgreatpeople (at Asheville, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnRtf01FWVT/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=nudwtbuhbvhu

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A year ago today we were in mind-blowing Maine nearing the end of our northbound “flip,” daydreaming of the AYCE breakfast at Abol Bridge, and in complete awe at every little glimpse of Mama K that the 100 mile wilderness gave us. We had no idea what laid ahead for us on Katahdin, on our “flop,” or that we’d have just finished a cross country trip to Seattle in our Vanny (name forever undecided 🤷🏽‍♀️) a year later! Whether by van or by trail, life is a crazy awesome ride that we are lucky to live side by side, and to have a gajillion pictures to share for it! Stay tuned 🚐✌🏼💚 #lifeat2mph #vanlife #traillifemeetsvanlife #glaciernationalpark #fordtransit #campervan #thisisliving #blessedbeyondbelief #thruhikers #AT2017 #trailwithdrawals #alwaysandforever (at Glacier National Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnHM0FvlPuq/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=i3e0mu5fs5ir

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On this day last year, we were finally hiking across the infamous Franconia Range and celebrating the completion of 800 miles! Less than a year later and our entire AT thru-hike behind us, we were thrilled to be able to hike the incredible ridge for the second time on the most perfectly beautiful day! ⛰👫✨ #franconiaridge #mtlafayette #littlehaystack #mountlincoln #newhampshire #whitemountains #livefreeordie #AT2017 #appalachiantrail #thruhikers (at Franconia Range)

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This time last week, we were enjoying the heck out of some trail magic on the AT alongside a member of our tramily, Bruiser! Our little spot on Dennytown Road seemed appropriate for setting up the goodies, and waiting for hikers. Before Bruiser even arrived, her section hiker friend Magnot, stopped in the parking lot for her lunch break. They were supposed to meet up somewhere else on the trail later that day, but in a series of serendipitous events, Bruiser pulled into the parking lot to meet us, and was very surprised to see Magnot there as well! We had a blast hanging out along the trail meeting a whole bunch of hikers, including a damn near triple crowner named Fainting Goat, and Two Clicks, whose instagram stories we’ve been living vicariously through. Their incredible timing was a real treat for Magnot, because she got to slackpack nine miles thanks to Bruiser! Eventually we packed up the leftover trail magic, and met back up with Magnot to grab some dinner and return her pack. Afterward, we returned to Dennytown Road to set up camp for the night. The next day we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast with Bruiser, went for a perfect AT hike to Anthony’s Nose, visited the Perkins Memorial Tower, and topped it all off with ice cream before parting ways. It was a perfect reunion with Bruiser, and we can’t wait to see her and Blue one day again soon! Thank you for being part of our trail family 💚🌲🍀✨ #appalachiantrail #trailmagic #thruhikers #trailwithdrawalsforever #trailfamily #traillife #vanlife #traillifemeetsvanlife #bearmountain #bearmountainbridge #anthonysnose #latergram #memorymonday #happytrails (at Appalachian Trail Bear Mountain NY)

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It is incredibly hard to believe that it has already been an entire year since we took the first steps of our flip-flop thru hike on the Appalachian Trail. In that moment, we were excited as hell to be back on our trail, but also completely overwhelmed by what we were setting out to accomplish. We had no idea what the miles ahead had in store for us. But unsurprisingly, every single day and every last mile was beyond worth it, and we’d do it all again in a heartbeat! We miss the trail and our beloved tramily every single day, and we cannot say thank you enough to the individuals, families, and businesses who helped, loved, and supported us each step of the way. As always, wishing the happiest of trails to everyone out there following those beautiful white blazes. The Appalachian Trail is a magical place in this country, and in our hearts forever 💚 #trailversary #AT2017 #AppalachianTrail #flipflopthruhike #thruhikers #proudascanbe #trailwithdrawals #everydamnday #cheechmonkey #lifeat2mph #traillifemeetsvanlife

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05.10.18 • To the Basin and Beyond! 💙 Today was all about the waterfalls in the Whites! Last year, we spent most of our time at the tops of these massive mountains, so it is absolutely amazing to be able to drive around this forest exploring even more of its’ treasures. We ended up doing a bunch more hiking to and from several waterfalls including the mind-blowing Basin, Kinsman Falls, Baby Flume, the Rocky Gorge and Falls Pond, and Georgiana Falls. It is amazing how much you can see with a vehicle to get you around! Somewhere in the middle of the day, we saw a couple of hikers along the road to Lincoln and gave them a ride! The unexpected snow threw them for a loop too, and left them with a long road walk as their only option. So we were more than happy to assist, especially when so many kind souls did the same for us! While the sun was setting, we managed to snag a couple of views of the Presidential Range, and even caught a glimpse of the insane Mount Washington! Our last stop was our first time opening up the van doors, laying in our bed, and taking in as much of Nature and the magic of the Whites as possible before beginning our voyage to the Empire State. (at White Mountain National Forest)

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05.09.18 • Live Free or Die! 💚 After our last day working in the Garden State, we promptly began our adventure to the incredible, Live Free or Die state of New Hampshire! From our home in Florida, it would never be possible to visit New England with only two days off, so we feel beyond lucky to be a mere five or so hours from one of our favorite places: White Mountain National Forest! With Chacos strapped up and backpacks packed, we began the Old Bridal Trail in pursuit of Mt Lafayette and Franconia. We climbed roughly 3,000 feet and hiked 8 miles round trip, most of which was spent slipping and sliding on snow! These Floridians learned very quickly that it’s apparently still like winter in the Whites, and we honestly could’ve used some micro spikes, but we just had to keep on hiking out of tree line. One of the most exciting happenings was seeing the Greenleaf Hut, which was the only Hut we hadn’t visited because it was over a mile off of the AT when we were thru-hiking. We already knew my uncle did a work for stay there while he was on his long ass section hike, but we were finally able to find the last log book that he signed! Although the thick and slushy snow pack made our 8 mile hike feel more like 15 miles, it was incredible to find that log book, spend some time above treeline, and take a nap with a perfectly majestic view of the Franconia Ridge! Exhausted as could be, we spent no energy figuring out where to eat dinner and just headed straight for our beloved Woodstock Inn & Brewery. After dinner, we promptly checked in to the Holiday Inn Express in Lincoln for showers and laundry, and quickly passed tf out. (at White Mountain National Forest)

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Yesterday (Tuesday) was our last day at our NJ Meadowlands home: our van, the Big Top, the NY Giants "MetLife" stadium, and just to the right (our left) is the horse racing track! We got to see the races every weekend from the back windows of the dining room, and the sunset every night. Jersey is apparently the diner capital of the country, so naturally we tried a few of the local ones while we were there, including the #1 diner in the area, which did not disappoint! Buffalo has been learning like crazy while working his ass off in the Volta kitchen, and loving every minute of it! Now, after seven days straight of work, we have two days off before our next city. Anyone wanna guess where we’re headed? 😊🚐👫🎪💚 (at Meadowlands Sports Complex)

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No matter rain or shine, cold or hot, rocky or muddy, we love our big, beautiful earth every single day of the year 💚 04.16.18 🌤🌎 Although the weather was awful last Sunday, it started to clear up and the sun came out just as we finished breakfast and made the quick and easy decision to drive to the trail on our off day together! Our first POI was Lake Tiorati in New York, where we took some pretty crappy showers and took full advantage of the vending machines last year on our thru-hike. We never stopped at the Fingerboard Shelter last year, so we decided to head south towards it and the Lemon Squeezer. The trail was a moving stream, but we were so happy to be outside and hiking. We made it to Fingerboard when it started to rain again, so we took a short and chilly break before hiking back to the van. Next on the agenda was Bear Mountain State Park, where we hiked south on the trail up those countless stone steps to the viewpoint. This hike was quite hilarious considering when we hiked north last year we were coming down all of those stairs. At the time I was thankful we were going down them instead of up, and now here we are happily hiking up! 🤣 Anyway, we had a bit of a hard time figuring out where around the trail we could park the van for the night, but eventually made it to Dennytown Road where we peacefully slept along our beloved trail. Obviously one of the greatest perks of having this traveling job with Cirque is how dang close we are to the AT right now! 🍀 #appalachiantrail #thruhikers #thruhikercouple #ourdayoff #adventuringeverywhere #laketiorati #newyork #chasingwhiteblazes #whiteblazes #earthdayiseveryday #naturephotography #chaconation #optoutside #vanlife #traillife #thebestlife #lifeat2mph (at Bear Mountain State Park)

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It sounds pretty cliché at this point, but it’s true: home really is where we park it. So on Monday, home was on the AT 😊 More pictures from our wonderful off day on the trail coming soon! 🚐⛅️ #vanlife #fordtransitcamper #homeiswhereweparkit #appalachiantrail #lifeat2mph

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04.11.18 • NYC Part Two! 👫 In Central Park, we enjoyed all kinds of live music from a lovely saxophone player, to an a cappella group under the Bethesda Terrace that got “Stand by Me” stuck in our heads. Central Park is easily one of the best places in NYC, we adventured through it to get to the American Museum of Natural History. There, we saw countless mind blowing animal scenes, but also thoroughly enjoyed the extra exhibits the museum was featuring, especially Our Senses and The Dark Universe film! We eventually made our way back to Times Square for some dinner before returning to the Port Authority to catch our bus back home. It was a seriously wonderful day off in New York City! ☺️ #nyc #newyorkcity #americanmuseumofnaturalhistory #oursenses #centralpark #bethesdafountain #adventureblog #adventuringeverywhere #photographingeverything #optoutside #dayoffinnyc #lifeat2mph (at American Museum of Natural History)

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04.11.18 • NYC Part One! 👫 On our day off yesterday, we took a bus into the city for a good dose of culture shock mixed with adventure! The first stop was @serendipity3nyc for lunch and of course, #frrrozenhotchocolate ! Then, we ventured into Central Park to find some nature, naturally 🤣 (peep the hilarious old couple with the selfie stick!) #nyc #newyorkcity #centeroftheuniverse #serendipity3 #centralpark #adventuringeverywhere #natureiseverywhere #optoutside #adventureblog #lifeat2mph (at New York, New York)

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04.02.18! ✨ So after summiting Springer yesterday, what was the first thing we did today? Drive back to the trail of course. Well, after a quick pit stop at Ingles for some essentials. Our wonderful tramily member, Shiver, is on the trail finishing up her crazy flip flop thru-hike, so we’re meeting her at Max Patch in North Carolina! After driving up the crazy long dirt road that we barely remembered, we parked our van in the exact spot that we were dropped off for our section hike almost two years ago. On that southbound section hike to the NOC, we decided we wanted to thru-hike and started seriously planning it. It seemed fitting that this was where the trail placed Shiver, and where we would do our very first trail magic the day after summiting Springer! Unsurprisingly, we met so many incredible hikers today, and we were so thrilled to provide some of the little things that hikers crave on the trail. Where we were parked, the nobo’s had been climbing for miles and were super close to reaching the exposed summit of Max Patch, so they were grateful to take a nice break while powering up on some fruit, sugary beverages, and handfuls of chips! We were so happy to be among hikers, and seeing Shiver again was the icing on the hiker cake! It was all pretty trail magical for us too, sitting around talking about the AT and reminiscing on so many incredible moments. Eventually, Shiver had to hike on, so we followed her right up the trail to the breath-taking bald. Reaching this meaningful peak again after just finishing our thru-hike, then saying our goodbye’s and watching Shiver hike away was bittersweet to say the least. This trail has been our home for quite some time now, and leaving it is always hard, but we’re driving to our new adventure and couldn’t be more excited for what is to come! Happy trails Shiver, and to all other day, section, and thru-hikers out there! (at Max Patch)

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One crazy week ago today… 04.01.18 • Day 314! 💚🎉 It is finally the day we’re going to summit Springer Mountain. Last night, we had probably the worst campsite in our history of camping together, but it didn’t matter one bit because by the end of the day we’ll have traveled from end to end of the Appalachian Trail! Georgia has been a wild ride, and we have truly loved every minute of finishing it up in this beautiful weather. However, being able to say we were under 10 miles to Springer by lunch time was completely bittersweet. Like the last three days, we were making damn good time, so we decided to take the side trail to Hawk Mountain Shelter for lunch. There, we met Blueberry and her dog, Sadie, who are just beginning their thru-hike. They soon left, and Buffalo and I enjoyed our last lunch all to ourselves. I read and signed the shelter log, Buffalo relaxed a little while I hula hooped, we even played Ninja, and threw the hula hoop back and forth, and no other hikers showed up the entire time we were there. The trail gave us our last little afternoon at a shelter together, and it was just what we needed. The entire way to Springer (all the way from Maine really) was beautiful, and we even got to see one last waterfall along the way. We laughed at the insane difference between our last 5 miles on each end of the trail, but both have been built up for years and mean the entire world to us now. As soon as we reached the Big Stamp Gap parking lot, Sunshine, the very first member of our trail family, arrived ready to climb to the top with us! Our 14 mile day leading up to the southern terminus was undoubtedly a wide array of emotions, but so was the entire trail. There’s a million reasons why I instantaneously ugly cried the second we saw that plaque on Springer, but it is truly difficult to put the entire experience into words. In January of 2015 when Buffalo wasn’t even Buffalo yet, our friends wanted to go on an adventure and he unknowingly suggested the AT, changing our lives forever. Together, we tackled every rocky step, muddy step, and sketchy, bog board step along the 14 state, 2,189 mile Appalachian Trail, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. (at Springer Mountain)

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03.31.18 • Day 313! 🙈 With only 28 miles to Springer, we woke up at Slaughter Creek ready for some more amazing hiking. The weather is starting to get a bit warmer, and the tiny spring flowers are starting to make their debut along the trail. We left camp with our sights set on Woody Gap for a nice lunch break, instead of contemplating sleeping in the bathrooms like last December! The climb up Big Cedar Mountain was wonderful, and the windy view from Preaching Rock was a pleasure to see before starting our descent. We ate lunch on the hill at Woody Gap, and then Buffalo took a nap in the grass while I hooped. Watching so many nobo’s hiking into the 20 mile mark was mind blowing! We remember those beginning feels like it was yesterday. Months later, we were more than excited to finally be able to hike out of Woody Gap in hot pursuit of Springer Mountain! The view from Ramrock Mountain was so beautiful, and a local even pointed out that we could see the Atlanta skyline! Officially on the last page of our AWOL guide, we hiked up and over Gooch Mountain to the Justus Creek campsite. We set up camp as other hikers, most of which on probably the second or third day of the trail, made their way up the hill to follow suit. After dinner down by the creek, we enjoyed meeting Brick, a 2017 thru-hike attempter back at it to try again. As other thru-hikers made dinner and searched for a good place to hang their bear bag, we reminisced and laughed about the fact that we ordered a pizza to Dahlgreen Campground on the second night of our thru-hike! Now, we are just 14 miles away from the southern terminus, and can hardly believe we’ll be touching it tomorrow.