ivey’s trip reports
“The world shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage”
—Anais Nin
Search for the trip report you want to read; type things like: Arizona Trail, Colorado Trail, Vermont Long Trail, etc.
The Arizona Trail: Mazatzal Wilderness to Roosevelt Lake Marina
122 miles // +23,790ft // Days 15-19
Dry and exposed terrain, long days, my first encounter with the saguaro cactus, and some seriously breathtaking sunsets and sunrises
trip log
long trail miles backpacked: 7450
2024:
Te Araroa Thru-hike 12/10/23—03/22/24
1,900 mile, southbound thru-hike of New Zealand’s long path from Cape Reinga to Bluff; 104 days
I traversed the length of Te Araroa under my own power, without hitchhiking or skipping around sections of trail; I forded the Wilberforce and Rakaia Rivers (which are not part of the trail due to their hazard potential) in order to join sections of TA between Arthur’s Pass and the Rangitata River. Unfortunately the Rangitata River was in flood when I arrived, and, as this river is also not part of TA, I chose to join a shuttle around it, regaining TA on the opposite shore.
I canoed a 108 mile section of TA on the Whanganui River from Whakahoro to Whanganui (the town), and biked the 34 mile section of TA from Lake Tekapo to Twizel; beyond these two alternate modes of travel, I walked.
2023:
The Benton MacKaye Trail Unsupported FKT (6d18h0m54s) 10/05/23—10/12/23
290miles & 68,560ft of elevation gain in 6 days & 18 hours, taking 12hr off the current men’s unsupported record
the first woman to hike the BMT entirely unsupported
The Teton Crest Trail with Logan Greydanus 09/19/23—09/20/23
41 miles & 9,800ft elevation gain in under 48hrs; northbound Phillips Canyon TH to String Lake TH
The Collegiate Loop solo 08/31/23—09/04/23
164miles & 36,709ft elevation gain in 3d23h21m, from Cottonwood Pass clockwise
Fossil Ridge Wilderness Loop solo 07/30/23
28miles & 6,889ftft elevation gain in 8hr & 39min
the route involved several miles of off-trail travel, through dense brush, snags, and blowdowns
2022:
The Grand Teton via Owen-Spalding with Logan Greydanus, car to car 09/09/22
15 miles, 7,539ft elevation gain in 13hr 30 min
Little Bear Peak via the Hour Glass, with Logan Greydanus 08/20/22
15miles, 5,722ft elevation gain in 9hr 20 min
14er summit in less than ideal conditions, rain, snow, sleet
The Four Pass Loop solo 08/13/22
32 miles, 8,900ft elevation gain in 12hr
from West Maroon TH to Schofield Pass
West Elk Ramble with Lynn Froetscher 07/09/22
25.47 miles, 7,451ft elevation gain in 9hr and 30min
epic, 2/3 off-trail route that traverses the west elk wilderness
2021:
Arizona Trail Thru-hike 11/11/21-12/15/21
780 mile, southbound solo thru-hike, from UT/AZ border, to the Mexico border; 34.5 days
115,000ft elevation gain
Dark Canyon Trailhead to Snowmass Village, SW Colorado 09/04/21-09/06/21
53miles backpacked in less than 48hrs, with 13,145ft elevation gain
Includes Dark Canyon trail, N Anthracite trail, Marble pass, Meadow Mountain pass, Capitol pass, Haystack pass
4 Pass Loop (extended/alternate), SW Colorado 08/07/21—08/09/21
41 miles backpacked in less than 48hr, with 9,600ft elevation gain
Included Copper Lake trail, East Maroon pass, Buckskin pass, Trailrider pass, and Hasley pass
ACL Reconstruction (Tear & subsequent Surgery) 01/12/21-11/23/21
Backcountry Skiing accident occurred January 12, 2021 in Crested Butte, Colorado
Underwent surgery to repair fully ruptured R-ACL on March 23, 2021
8 month recovery period included strict P.T. regiment, counseling, yoga, biking and road running
2020:
Ruby Range Traverse 10/04/20
9 peaks, 15.7 miles & 6,000ft in 7hr 54min
Purple Mountain (12,958ft), Augusta Mountain (12,559ft), Richmond Mountain (12,501ft), Hancock Peak (12,410ft), Oh-Be-Joyful Peak (12,420ft), Afley Peak (12,646ft), Purple Peak (12,800ft), Mount Owen (13,070ft), and Ruby Peak (12,651ft)
Windom, Sunlight & Eolus from Purgatory 09/07/20
40.8 miles & 10,900ft in 16hr; summits of three 14ers: Windom (14,082ft), Sunlight (14,059ft), Eolus (14,083ft)
Colorado Trail Thru-hike (via Collegiate West) 08/02/20-08/28/20
505 mile, southbound solo thru-hike, from Waterton Canyon, in Denver, to the Durango Trailhead; 27 days
98,500ft elevation gain, including the summits of Mt. Massive (14,421ft), Mt. Huron (14,003ft), and San Luis Peak (14,014ft)
Vermont Long Trail Thru-hike 06/04/20-06/17/20
272 mile, northbound solo thru-hike, from the Massachusetts/Vermont border to the Canadian border, near Troy, VT ; 13.5 days
65,000ft elevation gain, summits of all five of Vermont’s +4,000 footers
NOLS Patagonia 10/18/19-03/15/20
38 day sea kayaking expedition, one resupply, 172km paddled through the Chonos Archipelago, from the town of Melinka, to Puerto Chacabuco
38 day mountaineering expedition, one resupply, 150km exploratory traverse of the Northern Ice Field, summit attempt made on Mt. San Valentin to a final elevation of 11,000ft
18 days rock climbing at Cerro Aguila, 9 day WFR certification course, leader of 9 day ISGE (independent student group expedition), 9 day work-stay on a remote chilean campo, LNT Master Educator Course
2019:
Appalachian Trail Four State Challenge 09/30/19
42.7 miles hiked from the southern border of Pennsylvania, through Maryland and West Virginia, to the northern border of Virginia in 11 hours and 34 minutes; women’s unsupported FKT (has since been bested)
Great Divide 08/05/19-09/02/19
300 miles backpacked solo in 27 days, along the border of BC and AB
Places explored include Mt. Robson Provincial Park, Jasper National Park, the Moose River Route, Resplendent Creek, Skyline Trail, Lake O’Hara Alpine Circuit, Banff National Park, Yoho National Park’s Iceline Trail, Kiwetinok Wilderness Area, and Kootenay’s Rockwall Trail
NOLS Yukon 06/08/19-08/04/19
30 day mountaineering expedition, 3 resupplies, 80 miles traversed in the Boundary Range of NW BC; successful summit of Mt. Potato (unnamed, remote peak)
25 day whitewater canoeing expedition, no resupply, 452km paddled on the Hess and Stewart Rivers after 3 days of upstream travel
Port Clinton to Harper’s Ferry on the Appalachian Trail 04/27/19-05/08/19
193 mile section, solo, southbound from Port Clinton, PA, to Harpers Ferry, WV; 11.5 days
2018:
Port Clinton to Mt. Katahdin on the Appalachian Trail 07/05/18-09/15/18
1,000 mile section, northbound from Port Clinton, PA, to Mt. Katahdin, ME; 2.5 months
2017:
Williamstown to Rutland on the Appalachian Trail 10/25/17-11/02/17
110 mile section, solo; northbound from Williamstown, Mass, to highway 4, in Vermont; 9 days
Appalachian Trail Thru-hike 03/06/17-08/06/17
2,200 mile, northbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, beginning from Amicalola Falls State Park, GA, to Mt. Katahdin, ME; 5 months
515,000ft elevation gain, across 14 states