Deb Taylor & Danny Mooney

My husband (Danny Mooney) and I started hiking the trail in 2011, by doing the Maryland section where we live. We fell in love immediately with the trail but only made time for 1 weekend hike a year, as we were avid long distance triathletes and runners, which occupied all our non-work hours.

In 2020, when the pandemic shut down races, we headed to the trail constantly. We bought new gear, watched videos of thru hikers, and started actively planning and hiking longer sections. We realized after 12 years of racing that we did not miss the races, and we preferred to be on the trail.

Now the AT is our passion, with the goal of completing the trail as section hikers over the next few years. We are about halfway, completing Amicalola to Hot Springs, about 60% of VA, Harpers thru NJ, Massachusetts, and the Whites. This year's planned sections are Hot Springs to the Roans in the spring, and then likely the state of Vermont in September. Along the way, we have met and made great friends on the trail - the community is one of our favorite things. Even for section hikers, you can become part of the AT community.

On the trail, we are known as Sundial & Fiik.