FarOut Scouts

Hi! We’re 32 Feet Up – the world’s largest outdoor adventure family – a single Mom + 15 kids. We hiked the Appalachian Trail for 7.5 months in 2023, paddled the Mississippi River for 96 days from Minnesota to the Gulf in 2025 and are ready to take on new, epic, multi-month outdoor adventures.

During our AT adventure, at age four, Not Oatmeal received her Elite Athlete Permit from Baxter State Park, which allowed her to be the youngest officially recognized thru-hiker by the ATC to hike the entire AT on her own two feet and summit Katahdin. She published a children’s book about her adventure – ‘Not Oatmeal Hikes The Appalachian Trail’, which is available wherever your favorite books are sold.

Our family is driven by a shared love of exploration, resilience, and doing hard things together in wild places.

Watch our adventures on YouTube: youtube.com/@32feetup?sub_confirmation=1

32 Feet Up

a hiker sitting next to the Appalachian trail sign

Ang is a New York–born hiker who found the outdoors as an adult, slowly working her way from car camping to long trails after a perspective-shifting trip to Iceland. After a lifetime of living in and around the concrete jungle of NYC, she never understood complaints about the Appalachian Trail’s “green tunnel,” and probably never will.

A chronic over-thinker, Ang is especially drawn to hiking in the Northeast, where the terrain is just technical enough that you don’t have much choice but to stay present. She’s thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and completed the Long Trail, the Timberline Trail and the Trans-Catalina Trail, with plans to hike the West Highland Way in 2026. These days, she spends a lot of time on the Long Trail — either hiking it or helping the people who are.

Angela Ferrante

a hiker posing with a Mt Elert sign on top of the mountain

Hi, I’m Ashley or “Brokeback” on trail! Originally from Virginia, my first introduction to thru-hiking was teaching an Outdoor Living Skills course at my local summer camp along the Appalachian Trail in 2018, which ignited a passion within me for the outdoors. I went on my first thru-hike in 2023 along the Arizona Trail, and it changed my life. Since then, I am always seeking out the next adventure and am excited to share it with others. I like to consider myself a “jack of all trades, master of none,” and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Since starting this journey, I’ve completed a variety of trails, including the Wonderland and Colorado Trail, where I have learned more about myself than school ever could. In 2026, I plan on embarking on my biggest adventure yet on the Continental Divide Trail, and I can’t wait to bring you along with me!

Ashley Pullman

a hiker posing with arms up holding hiking poles

My name is Cindy Barbour, aka “Tigger”. I am a runner, hiker and health/wellness educator inspiring healthy living. I am bouncing down the Appalachian Trail in sections and plan to finish in 2026. I am excited to be a FarOut ambassador to help, inspire and motivate people to live their healthiest life through adventures. Mom to 4, Nana to 6, I am living my best life finding joy in every day life. All the degrees, certifications and schooling prepare you for your responsible life, but happiness in the small things prepare you for an exciting life.

Cindy Barbour

Heather Anderson is a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, three-time Triple Crown thru-hiker, and professional speaker whose mission is to inspire others to “Dream Big, Be Courageous.” She is also the author of three hiking memoirs Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home, Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail, and Farther: 8 Months on America’s Triple Crown Trails and a preparatory guide to long-distance hiking Adventure Ready. Find her on Instagram @WordsFromTheWild or her website wordsfromthewild.net.

Heather Anderson

a hiker smiling with a visor and backpack on

Joe “Mr. Overhill” Gonzalez first thru-hiked the PCT in 2016 and never looked back. Since then, he’s hiked the North American Triple Crown, the Arizona Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail (twice) and many other iconic treks. He’s a professional hiking storyteller with a background in adventure travel and nonprofit trails stewardship.

This year, you’ll find him section hiking and foraging wild mushrooms across the Pacific Northwest. Get up close and personal with his vlogged journeys at www.youtube.com/@FootstepsandForaging. You can follow him on Instagram at @Mr.Overhill or get trails resources at mroverhill.com

Joseph Gonzalez

Hey! I’m Lauren, also known as Plantasia on trail. I’ll be hiking the Pacific Crest Trail starting this April and completed the Appalachian Trail in 2024. I grew up in a trail town along the AT so the idea had been on my mind for years and I finally committed to it when life handed me the space to fully pursue it. I started with zero backpacking experience, but I adapted quickly to the thru-hiking lifestyle and ended up making it to Katahdin in just over 5 months. The friends and experiences I had during my time on the AT inspired me to hike more long-distance trails and share my journey along the way. I’m currently working as an engineer in New England so most weekends leading up to my thru hike will be spent in the White Mountains. I’m excited to step back into the unknown and see where the Pacific Crest Trail takes me.

Lauren Singer

Hey Mike here, or Marmalade as I’m known on trail. I am extremely proud to be an ambassador for my third year. I went on my very first backpacking trip on Jan 1, 2016 and have never looked back. I have hiked/backpacked almost 9,000 miles since then and am still going strong. Just a few of the trails I’ve completed are the PCT, Long Trail in Vermont, High Sierra Trail, TCT, & more. I truly love inspiring other older hikers to get out there through my YouTube channel “Marmalade Outdoors. My goals for 2026 are either the Colorado Trail or the JMT (SoBo) or both. It should be an amazing year of hiking!

Mike Lawrence

a hiker standing with her arms up next to a pct sign

Hi, I’m Peggy – AKA Paddle Girl. I graduated from the San Diego Sierra Club’s
Wilderness Basics Course (WBC) in 2014 and began volunteering a few years later.
Today, I’m both a staff member and an outing leader, teaching others how to stay safe and confident in the wilderness. This work was a natural progression after 13 years as a Girl Scout leader.

Since then, I’ve backpacked nearly 3,000 miles and have just 80 miles left to complete the Pacific Crest Trail. In 2026, I plan to hike the Trans-Catalina Trail for the third time in May, walk 160 miles of the Camino Portugués with my daughter in June, and finish the PCT in July.

When I’m not hiking – or planning my next hike – I’m dreaming about it. I recently turned 75 and hope to inspire others to do one simple thing: just keep moving.

Peggy Goddard

a hiker smiling with a tent in the background

Hiya! I’m Sarah, but when I’m on trail they call me Spicy! I was raised in Minnesota, and I moved to Oregon in 2021, where I fell in love with the outdoors and backpacking. After two nights of backpacking, I decided to take on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in 2024. I made it to Canada with new friendships, new experiences, and a new obsession. After finishing the PCT, I’ve spent all of my free time exploring Oregon and getting in as many human-powered miles as possible.

Sarah Jordahl

Hey hey! I’m Alison “Blissful Hiker” Young, TEDx speaker, award-winning podcast producer, and middle-aged menace to long trails everywhere. I’ve stomped my way roughly 14,000 miles across six continents on some iconic trails including Te Araroa, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Great Divide Trail, the Pyrenean Haute Route, the Colorado Trail, Torres del Paine, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Traverse, Wind River High Route, the Arizona Trail and the Great Himalayan Trail. As a titanium-reinforced cancer thriver with more trails on my hit list including Iceland’s Laugavegur plus long sections of the CDT, the AT, the Florida Trail and the Great Himalayan Trail this year, I plan to keep walking until someone physically takes my trekking poles away.

Alison Young

a hiker standing with the mountains and sunset behind her

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 she met her future husband, Truffles. After completing the trail, the pair moved to Tennessee and spent three seasons working as backpacking guides in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Between guiding gigs, Magic and Truffles hiked the Arizona Trail in 2023 and the West Highland Way in 2024. In 2025, they left their jobs to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. After completing the PCT, Magic and Truffles set a Fastest Known Time on the Tour de DeConte in GSMNP. In 2026, Magic plans to hike the Foothills Trail and Long Trail. When she isn’t in the woods, Magic enjoys writing, playing disc golf, and teaching yoga. She and Truffles live in East Tennessee. You can follow along with all of Magic’s adventures on her Instagram (@annamckinney22) or by checking out her blog, magicinthemountains.blog

Anna McKinney Smith

a hiker posing with his backpack and hiking poles

Hi there! My name is Chris Martinson or “Martay” on trail. I’m from Atlanta, Georgia and got started backpacking as a kid in Scouts. With the AT being relatively close, we would do backpacking trips there every summer. I’ve also thru-hiked the John Muir Trail, the Tahoe Rim Trail twice and section hiked the AT up to Virginia. This year I plan to continue a large section of the AT in Virginia as well as the Colorado Trail in July. After backpacking so much on the AT, I’ve changed my focus to the west and look forward to more hikes in the Rockies and Sierras.

Chris Martinson

a man sitting in a kayak on a lake with mountains in the background

Hello everyone, my name is Dave but I go by SunnyD on the trail. I am a recently retired elementary school teacher from Northern California. Most of my free time is spent outdoors pursuing my passion for bike riding, kayaking, and back packing. I’ve spent the last few years bike packing near Truckee, California as well as thru hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail, the Lost Coast Trail, and the John Muir Trail, and I have section hiked about 500 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail to include a summit of Mount Whitney. Last year I attempted a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail but left after mile 576 following an injury received on trail. This year my wife and I will be hiking the last 80 miles of the Camino Portuguese in late April. In mid May I will head back to the AT for an attempted flip flop hike starting in Harper’s Ferry. Feel free to follow me on my YouTube channel @SunnyDhikesAT.

David Barber

a hiker smiling next to the Appalachian Trail terminus rock

Hi! My name is Jen (aka: Stovetop!) & I am from the Midwest! I have been backpacking for 10 years and section hiking the Appalachian Trail for 9. I was a backpacking guide for 6 of those years and absolutely LOVED it; the human connections and personal experience I gained is priceless to me. For 2026, I plan to continue to chunk out some more miles in Virginia with my little AT trail family in hopes to (sooner than later!) wrap up the state with the most miles on the AT!

Getting away from the Midwest to do a week or 10 days on trail at a time is not the easiest, but I absolutely love planning the logistics and looking forward to coming back once or twice a year!

In addition to continuing my AT section hikes, I love to camp, road trip and hike local state parks. I also tend to casually challenge myself to complete “long trails” nearby. I’m currently walking the Katy Trail, a 240 mile bike/rail trail that goes across the state of Missouri, and finished backpacking the River To River Trail in southern Illinois in 2024; 160 miles through the Shawnee National Forest. Come find me on some socials! // @jennythetrailhead

Jennifer Potts

Patrick “Deceiver” and Katie “Pace” Hare. Early in our relationship, we had little (Katie) to no (Patrick) backpacking experience. One fateful day, Patrick crossed paths with the Appalachian Trail and, within 20 minutes, decided he was going to thru-hike it. Katie laughingly replied “Okay”. Since then, we’ve thru-hike the John Muir Trail and the Appalachian Trail, plus explored trails across Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand. Now, we’re taking on the Pacific Crest Trail and whatever side quests pop up along the way. We share our adventures hoping that it will enable others to quit their jobs and live in the woods. Find us on Instagram and YouTube @HappyCampHares.

Katie and Patrick Hare

a hiker smiling with mountains in the background

My name is Michelle. I’m a wife and mom to two college aged girls, 3 cats, and 2 dogs. I’m a retired Houston Assistant Fire Chief and now live in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. I’m pretty sure I was born with an adventurous spirit. I enjoy doing anything outdoors…hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, snowshoeing, skiing, fly-fishing. I’ve summited several of Colorado’s 14ers (Mt. Massive, Windom, Handies, Uncompahgre, and Sneffels) and previously completed sections 22-28 of the Colorado Trail. In 2025, I began my 1st long distance (LASH) solo hike NoBo on the CDT. In 2026, I am continuing my CDT journey NoBo from where I left off at Lake City, CO. Along the way, I’m hoping to add a few more 14ers to my list!

Michelle Bentley

a hiker standing next to a pacific crest trail sign

Hi there! My name is Bank, and I’m from Bangkok, Thailand. I went on my first hike back in 2015, and ever since then, the trail has become a big part of my life. Over the years, I’ve completed several long-distance hikes, including Everest Base Camp with the high passes in Nepal, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the Salkantay Trek in Peru, the Lost City Trek in Colombia, and the Pacific Crest Trail in 2022 with my sister, Loko.

In 2026, I’m currently hiking a 300 km route in Nepal through Langtang and the Annapurna Circuit, which I expect to finish in mid-February. After that, I’ll be heading back to the trail to thru-hike the Continental Divide Trail with my sister, starting this April.

Pitchapong “Bank” Sopitskulmas

a hiker smiling with a backpack and beanie on

Tory (@torytalkstrails) is a Pennsylvania based hiker who fell in love with backpacking in her 30s. Since then, she has completed the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, the Trans Catalina Trail, and the Cumbria Way. She’s still waiting for a trail name to stick.

In 2026, Tory is tackling the West Highland Way in Scotland, sections of the North Country Trail, and other short trips throughout Pennsylvania. She uses her platform @torytalkstrails to share beginner tips, cool hikes, and advocates for conservation of trails and public lands. She shares backpacking and travel itineraries, tips, and gear on her website mytrailsaremany.com. Her book, Scenic Natural Wonders of Pennsylvania, will be released in April 2026.

Meet our FarOut Scouts