Holly Gossage

Mom, nurse

As a military kid, I got to see the world. From my first volksmarch in Germany to the New Mexican mesa that was my childhood playground, I have always loved exploring and being outside.

After college, I settled in south central PA with my husband. We live just 8 miles from the AT, so now that the kids are grown I’m on the AT on a regular basis and in all seasons. At first my hiking goal was just to hike the AT in PA, MD, and WV. I only have about 30 more miles of PA to finish to complete this goal. Along the way, I have discovered that there’s never a blue blaze side trail from the AT that I haven’t loved. And that’s how I’ve ended up on the Tuscarora Trail.

In the next few years, I would like to complete the Tuscalachian Loop (I’m about 1/3 done—150 miles of 425 total). And I also dream of quitting my stressful nursing job and somehow helping hikers, possibly by providing slack-packing services or even opening a hostel somewhere near the AT/TT in the PA Cumberland Valley.