Lisa Laidlow came to the trail when she became an empty-nester. She had always been an outdoor girl–often along with her father–yet it was only fairly recently that she returned to hiking and discovered the idea of a thru-hike. As a black woman on the trail, she was embraced by hikers, though had a few uncomfortable encounters along the way. Despite these rare occasions, Lisa is a strong advocate of getting people of whatever color into the woods and on trails. You can follow Lisa on various social media platforms; on Facebook at Breathe:AdventuresoftheSoul | Baltimore MD , on Instagram at Lisa Laidlow (@breathe_adventuresofthesoul) , and on her YouTube channel at Breathe:Adventures of The Soul(HighViz) . Also this week, Bobby Campbell, or Sloggy, shared his knowledge of the International Appalachian Trail (IAT). Bobby has done the Maine section of this vast, transcontinental trail and share his experience both here and on his YouTube channel at