Hi! I’m Ginger Trine, also known in the hiking world as Grandma Moses. I’m 67 years old and have been section hiking the Appalachian Trail since 2021. I have done 460 miles of this amazing trail. This year, God willing, I plan to hike all of Virginia, from Roan Mountain to Harper’s Ferry.
How did I get such a crazy notion? Well pull up a chair! Here’s my story:
JUST WALK!
That’s what I heard in my prayer time, the day I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with my fat, out of shape self. I was tired of it. My husband had already hiked 600 miles of the AT a few years past, with our son, and was working a demanding physical job with long hours. All he wanted to do was rest and watch TV. The kids were all gone and moved away. I was a hospice nurse at the time. My exercise was getting in the car and driving. Then eating to stay awake when I got home to chart. So when I heard in my spirit to “ walk”, I believe it was answered prayer. The next day I had an annual check up. My cholesterol was up. My doctor told me the best way to reduce cholesterol levels was to “ walk”. This began my journey, one step at a time, with my dog, Molly.
That was February 2018. I lived near Spencer, IN and began exploring the near by state parks. I also joined Hoosier Hiker Backpackers Facebook page, as my interest grew to explore more of Indiana and possibly dust off my husbands old backpacking equipment. Molly was great to hike with, until the weather turned hot. Soon I was wanting to do more miles than she cared about. I began to pray what to do for more activity. When 2019 came around, the Lord encouraged me to go solo- do more hiking and start doing overnights. My big goal was by the end of the year, to hike what I considered at the time a major milestone- hike the entire Knobstone trail. The Knobstone was 46 miles long and nicknamed the mini AT. For Indiana, it was the most rugged and remote trail I knew. I set my goals and little by little, mile by mile, trail by trail, worked my way there. I encouraged myself in the Word of God, standing on scriptures like Joshua 1:8. BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS! Philippians 4:13. I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME, and many others. Hiking is challenging physically but one must be strong mentally and spiritually too, to be successful at it. I say, “hike from the inside out.”
Anyway, I grew my faith muscles- believing this was an assignment and I could do this. Through the hiking group, HHB, I learned about the Tecumseh trail. In April of 2019, I thru hiked all 42 miles. ( picture above). Molly and Kenneth, my husband, came to support me on a trip back home for a resupply. In September, I hiked the Knobstone trail solo. It was extremely hot, but rewarding. I used Kenneth’s old gear and carried about 35 pounds, but with God’s help, I did it!
NOW WHAT? Life is never dull, when you know Jesus. The last day on the trail, I knew I was done doing all this solo hiking. I was ready for the next step. That December, I asked Greg Ludlow, founder of HHB (Hoosier Hiker Backpackers) if I could start a women’s group under his Facebook group. He said yes! I formed the Women’s Hoosier Hiker Backpackers Facebook group. We had our first group hike at Turkey Run 2020. And you know how that year was- COVID! 🚫 People started flocking in droves outdoors for some fresh air!
I believe God drew the ladies together. They started coming from all over the state. We had a hike about every month. It has been a most amazing and fantastic journey. God knew we needed this group. It was His idea. Today, as of 2026, we have over 1000 fb members and come from different states so we can hike together. No words to describe the joy and the gratitude I have to the Lord for these ladies. 💜🥾🥾🙌
APPALACHIAN TRAIL- Coming up next!
