STUMBLE - Northbound On The Appalachian Trail 

This is easily a top 5 AT video. A mix of truth, humor and pain. Nice job Sir.

I am almost finished now. The hiker who talked about his emergency surgery to remove the tumor in his brain really struck me personally. His words along the lines of "I felt like if I just stayed there/laid there it was going to get me. I was going to die." I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease last year that was also sudden vision loss and at first thought to be a tumor. What I have is so rare there are no cures or true treatments so they give us what they can. Medicines used for cancer patients and such. They have to weaken your body to stop it from self harm. I am attempting my through hike 2025. My attacks have been monthly for all of 2023 but this year we are hoping for a reprieve, and I am training my weak body all year to get as close to physically prepared as I can be. Anyway, I have really enjoyed this journey through your eyes and the people you cross paths with along the way.

Wow, nice job Slim Pickenz...That was fun to see..I did the trail in 1994--2004--2014--And I start this year in April, every ten years, and I highly recommend that schedule..It's a different experience every time, in a different phase of life...Great vlog...

The upbeat vibe of the video, the guitar playing, the flutes, the views, all of the little cool places no one shows, man what a documentary. By far my favorite. I'll be watching this to amp me up for my 2025 NOBO. Nicely done.

This is definitely one of the best trail docs on RU-vid. Great job!

One of the best AT docs ive seen! Loved your music and humor, thanks for taking us along on the adventure!

I can totally see your transformation over the journey. Super incredible and thank you for sharing!!!

Great job! Thank you for sharing the laughs, the struggles and the realness. What an amazing accomplishment. I think the struggle and stumble is part of the journey and definitely life changing.

Incredible job! Such a unique perspective and approach to documenting your journey. Thank you for sharing. 2023 thru hikers are amazing and faced so many challenges: smoke from wildfires and torrential downpours in New England. Well done. May the experiences and wisdom of the trail carry you a lifetime.

Thanks for this! Great work, and good humor. I section hiked Georgia in March of 2023. Was awesome seeing some familiar places in the beginning. Can’t wait to get back out there.

Great journey! Thanks for sharing! You kept it real and love your personality and keep singing!

This was hilarious and heart warming and lovely to watch!! This brought back so many great memories! It was great meeting you on trail! Keep making beautiful videos, dude! 😊

Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. It was great!

Absolutely my favorite AT ThruHike video. Superb. Fun, amazing music, humor and honesty. Thank You.

Wow this was an amazing adventure! Thankful you shared it with us!

Great video! I really enjoyed every minute of it! Thank you for sharing your journey. ❤️

One of the best documentaries I’ve seen. I liked that you were so authentic. Whatever you end up doing next in life, I hope it includes your skills in documentaries and music. You have real talent with both. God Bless

Thanks for shearing Jake. This is absolutly in my top 5 favorit hiking videos! Just awesome

I thru-hiked in 2016 and this brought back sooo many memories... you really captured the essence of the trail. Made me cry. Amazing video.

Great documentary! Brought back so many memories and I enjoyed seeing many of the folks I met along the trail.

Great job and thanks for sharing! Hope to have my own story to tell in a few more years!

Thanks for sharing your adventures. Congratulations and good luck going forward. The hike is over, your journey continues. Food for thought… the Camino Frances.

Amazing documentary! I really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing ❤

Great job. Of all the videos I’ve seen of the through trail, this was shown in its truest form and brutally honest. Highly inspirational.

Thankyou for creating this beautiful documentary! It was such a true depiction of all the beautful misery and joy we went through!! #atclassof2023

Wow, that was one the very best videos that I have seen. Thank you

Love your personality, thru the good and bad. You kept it real. Congratulations slim Pickens. Hope to see more from you in the future.

Absolutely loved this.

Thank you for sharing your journey.

👏 awesome ! Thank you for sharing your journey and feelings. Congratulations 🍾🎈🎉🎊 great job!

Wow! Don’t know what to say….. You’re bad ass! What an adventure! 😊 Happy Trails Bud….. 🍻

So glad I stumbled across this video, thank you for capturing it what an awesome accomplishment.

Awesome! I have to get out there. Thank you for sharing, it meant a lot to me.

Amazing video and love how you carried your acoustic guitar along the way and played Dueling Banjos for the cows. I live in NC and what an epic journey!

Great Documentary! Thanks for sharing your AT experience.

What an amazing journey!!

Thanks for bringing me back!

That was awesome! My favorite bit was the segue of the stream crossing and the rain drops on the water. I fed quite a few of the hikers from your video, but somehow missed you in PA at my weekly trail magic. Can't catch them all. :D

Great video! I've followed many, many thru-hikers and this is by far, one of the best ones I've seen! Looking forward to following you on your journey!

Stuck inside on a cold winter day in Wyoming and watched this. Freaking awesome! Thanks for sharing your journey and keeping it raw and real! Need more of that in this world of glitter glam, sponsored influencer hikers. I enjoyed every minute of this film.

Oh man what a great video! WOW you’re a great singer too… kinda blew me away honestly! Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦

Congratulations on a superb accomplishment. I was glued to my tablet for the entire hike. Well done.

Fantastic video. By turn it's heartwarming, funny, engaging, really interesting - great mix of lovely scenery, inspiring committment, insight into the "mechanics" of your epic hike. Thanks for sharing this.

Great video! I hung out with Campfire Pete around Neels Gap and Danny Boy in the Mollie Ridge shelter area and off and on other places along the miles I made which was only into Pearisburg. Heading back to Springer in 11 days to try again. - Movin’ On

Good for you man what an adventure you inspire me !

What a fantastic documentary man, you’re super awesome thanks for the video mate.

That was an awesome video mate. Congratulations xx

Love the videos One of my favorite AT documentaries that’s for sure

Loved your video. That guy you met early on and gave you tips for begging for food, he's a known resident, as in he lives along that section of trail (I'm sure you know that now, LOL) But, you must have missed the spring at Whitetop Mnt in VA. We camped by that spring and it is a 2" diameter pipe that looks like an open fire hydrant, it blew water downhill for about 15' at it's peak. All night long, I kept wanting to go out there and cut if off. Me(61) and my friend (81) and our female hiking partner (58) will complete the trail next year as section hikers (8years in the making). At this point we are in NH and will finish that and a good part of Maine this year. We are shooting for a June '24 summit of Katahdin. Cheers, and I hope you have recovered, mentally and physically

Amazing video man! So happy to have been apart of eachothers journey

Watching this masterpiece again

Great video. Thanks for a dose of reality. A brand new unused day awaits all the Strange and interesting people you shared with us.

Great video, awesome adventure. Thanks for sharing. 😎

excellent thanks for sharing your adventure with us

Thanks for sharing! Congratulations!!!!

Nice documentary. I love watching people's adventures on the A.T., as I will never be able to do this myself. 🌄

Enjoyed going along! I admire your courage. I’m curious as to start date and finish. Be well

Awesome video! Really enjoyed your commentary as well. The AT is such a specializing that takes on many forms for each of us. Glad you were able to connect to it! I also messaged you on IG about a fellow hiker, Citrus, and a story there! Sidenote, also checked out your music a bit, awesome man!

Loved your video! I hiked with StrangeBird a lot of the trail, and just thought the world of him. Glad you included him. 💙🐦

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing and for the hard work of production.

Great video. Great sense of humor. Prayers for everyone.

Great documentary! I particularly enjoyed your guitar playing and vocals. Bravo!

Great video! Got a sense of the trail, the scenery and the difficulty, and the culture. I'm in NY not too far from the trail. Really loved following along. Congratulations!

Much love brother great video brings back amazing memories :D

One of the best AT videos I’ve seen! Great job!!

Great video! Looking forward to hitting the trail in March

Beautiful journey!

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Brought back a lot of great memories of my thru hike in ‘05 and long section (GA-PA) in ‘00. Especially that little part where you talked about Baltimore Jack (RIP). I hiked a bunch with him in 2000, absolute legend.

Great editing job of a damn long walk. Although I started to worry for your liver, lol. Congrats on completing the journey.

Loved the video. I was not far behind you when you did the work for stay in NH. Had 6 or 7 section hikers ask if I knew you the next day when I passed them. They all loved your talk. - Veggie

Hey...I was watching your vid on RU-vid this morning and when you found trail magic in NJ I was floored when I saw my (and my son's) friend flipping burgers. He sent me this pic.

About to watch this fully on a tv instead of my phone. Can’t wait to see your work.

Love it my dude! It was a pleasure to cross paths with you during this incredible adventure. -Mountain Crusher

Great video! I hope to do it one day. We have a produce stand in our city called “Fresh Pickins.” My grandfather always called it “slim pickins” and laugh when he said it.

I have seen a few docs of the AT, but yours is definitely up there as one of the best!!! A great and honest story about your experience on the trail!! Hope to do this in a few years Time!!!!

Hey Slim Pickens, Awesome job on the doc. We crossed paths just outside off Pearisburg at some Trail Magic for a few minutes before my shuttle picked me up. - Machéte

It was great hiking with you man. I remember that moment and trying to get that photo. You stay easy

Nope here. I was Nobo and a few days ahead of you. I hike a lot with Danny Boy and Lucky Colleague. I had met full milk early on as well. I was even given trail magic by bagel and her family at their home. Great watching and reminiscing you film. What a trail. It'll forever be a part of us

1:39:39 THE MOUSE PEED ALL OVER MY TENT, TOO!!! Love ya slim! Happy we got to share to misery together.

wow! this was fantastic! you capture the trail in such a real way. I'm sorry for all your foot pain. You had to have passed me at some point as I was hiker number 767 in the beginning haha. Met Seaweed down at Standing Bear! Also met Hydrator! and I appreciated your bear box joke :)

Wow this is really good. Brought back many great memories. Wombie '21

You have an incredible singing voice...and thank you for sharing your journey.

Pretty cool video Slim. Great job! It’s crazy how we were all so close (distance wise) on trail but have total different experiences and stories. -Blue

Jaaaake! Fortune Cookie here! So awesome to see this video - hope you are well. I think I last saw you in Franklin and then you turned on the speed. I summited on September 23. I often wondered if the guitar made it all the way.

OUTSTANDING!

This trail doc is the best one by far! You actually seemed to enjoy yourself.

Excellent Video! It was a pleasure hiking with you up Wildcat. Best of Luck - Boosted and Trash Panda

Watching from Florence S.C. Great job. I really admire you and great job on the trail.

Congratulations! 😊

Great documentary! And thanks for including my music!

Excellent video! One of the best I’ve seen. I thru hiked in 2005 and this brought back so many memories. My favorite part was the PA “rock fuck!” Thank you for sharing!

Man! What a great inspiration your videos was. There's a popular Utuber just started the Trail he goes by Billy Blue or Cheap Charlie. I'm sure he can use you imput during his venture... wish you luck! In your future endevours.

Hey man ! Great documentary!! I feel this is the most realist view from a hiker . You didn’t make it look east . You showed us the “ suck “ , you cussed, no filter , the good and not so good parts of what it’s like to be solo hiking . The best part was sprinkling in comic relief when you got down . Question for a noob . Could you do a real life cost breakdown video ? How much you spend on food , logging, entry fees, passes , gear and all that ? Would be nice to know and great content. Thank you for sharing and inspiring me !

Thanks for sharing. We could use more people with your attitude and outlook on life in the world.

What a great story of your journey!! Congrats!

I’m only 30 minutes in and I feel like I’m on that trail with you. When you are elated, I feel your happiness. I’m breathing heavy when you’re on a steep or skinny trail almost as if I’m afraid for your safety. However, I just met you yesterday and I know you made it through. So far, this is an exciting documentation of your experience! Your music really compliments the atmosphere, I loved the one song in the cave early on. Okay, back to watching…

Congratulations on your thru hike!! I think I met you in Pennsylvania. I’m the one that left the trail magic beers at 1:06:51 😂 Excellent video, I’m glad I watched the whole thing! Brought back wonderful memories from my thru hike. Congrats again! Mongo AT class of 2021

Whip-poor-will. Thank-you very much for sharing your DOC. I loved it. I was wondering if the bird call at the end was the cry of the owl that sounded like children that you heard the first night you camped... it was an amazing journey for you. I wish you well. I subscribed to your channel for more of these adventures. Have a great day. :-)

My wife and I loved your AT Thru Hike video..

Btw ive watched a bunch of AT thru hike videos and vlogs. Im sort of obsessed. I enjoyed yours so much. I liked all of it. I section hike and completely relate to flipping off a section or in your case a state. I like your language too you didbt hold back. The raw and realness of this was refreshing. I can see by rhe comments many didnt like thw language but um glad you didnt bleep it out or sensor it. Your video is def in my top three favorites of a documented thru hike