In the Spring of 2024, Laura E. Partain took up her maternal grandmother’s nickname and a 35mm panoramic camera, and began walking to Maine from Springer Mountain Georgia on the Appalachian Trail. Her mission: Thru hike the AT, document it to the best of her abilities, and share what she and her camera collectively witness. Over the course of 7 months and 10 days, Partain hiked the entire trail, summiting Mt Katahdin the day before trails to the summit closed for the season. She shot over 250 rolls of film, made portraits of and interviewed roughly 80 individuals who too were thru hiking, and endeavored to document the trail and trail culture through her camera and perspective. With the support of Ilford Photo, HOKA, Zpacks, The Slick Lawson Foundation, and her Patreon, Partain managed to successfully thru hike the AT and create a body of work in the process.
Now comes the second leg of her long journey: to turn what she shot into a fine art photography book. Partain is currently in post production for this photo essay. You can follow her Patreon to keep updated on the progress of this body of work.