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Field Notes: Storytelling Expeditions

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What would make you walk 500 miles? I’m heading back on trail to create the second edition of Field Notes, a series of storytelling expeditions. This summer, I will hike approximately 500 miles on the Colorado Trail while developing my upcoming project, Field Notes: Across Natural Skyscrapers.

Field Notes: Across Natural Skyscrapers is a collection of stories from a 500-mile trek along the Colorado Trail. This project will document the trail as it is experienced: through a series of encounters and human connections in natural landscapes.

Sometimes called “mile for mile the most beautiful trail in America,” the beauty of the Colorado Trail is not only found in the scenic views and wildlife, but in the human connections, rich history, passionate volunteers, and one-of-a-kind trail experience.

Stay tuned for the full project coming soon. Follow along @storytellerfieldnotes and visit www.tessrowan.com/coloradotrail for updates.

Thank you to the Colorado Trail Foundation (coloradotrail.org), the Tisch Drama Community Engaged Summer Grant, and the NYU Changemaker Fellowship for making this storytelling expedition possible. Happy trails! #thruhike #coloradotrail #colorado #storytelling #backpacking taken in Colorado Trail by @storytellerfieldnotes

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2 months ago

NEW TRAILER! Listen to the sounds and stories of the Long Trail this EARTH DAY, APRIL 22ND, on all streaming platforms - link in bio.

A 20-year-old embarks on a 272-mile journey of the oldest long-distance hiking trail in America in this documentary radio play about adventure, community, nature, and discovery.

In June 2025, Tess “Storyteller” Rowan thru-hiked the Long Trail. Along the way, she interviewed fellow hikers and community members, and recorded the rhythms of trail life. Through immersive soundscapes, personal narration, and trail interviews, Field Notes: A Long Trail Odyssey captures the magic of the Green Mountains in audio form.

#Longtrail #thruhike #documentary #podcast #radioplay by @storytellerfieldnotes

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4 months ago

Sorry to my parents for giving them a heart attack 🫶😭 Started solo but can’t forget the friends I made along the way!!! #thruhike #longtrail #vermont #backpacking #solobackpacking #thruhike @thetrek.co taken in The Long Trail by @storytellerfieldnotes

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a year ago

Mile one on the Colorado Trail, with a backpack for hiking and a microphone for recording the journey!
#thruhiker #coloradotrail #colorado #backpacking #hiking taken in Waterton Canyon by @storytellerfieldnotes

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12 days ago

Over one hundred miles in on the Colorado Trail. Thousands of footsteps. Countless stories.
#coloradotrail #podcast #thruhike #documentary #backpacking by @storytellerfieldnotes

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13 days ago

Preparing for my upcoming thru-hike means…
- going on as many hikes as I can
- reading the guidebook and data book
- researching towns along the way
- applying for grants and fellowships
- storyboarding for my upcoming trail project
- planning gear for 500 miles
- listening to hiking audiobooks and podcasts
- telling all my friends I’m going to live in the woods
- praying my summer bug bites and blisters go away before I start the trail
- spending as much time with family as I can before going to home for over a month
- making hiking equipment spreadsheets
- exploring local trails at home
- packing and repacking my backpack
- working and budgeting for my hike
- reading updates on the weather and water sources
- watching my entire feed turn into hiking content
- feeling nerves and excitement mixed in one
- counting down the days until I start
…Colorado Trail here I come!

#thruhike #thruhiker #backpacking #coloradotrail taken in Rock Creek Park by @storytellerfieldnotes

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a month ago

Obligatory Colorado Trail thru hiker gear pic! Complete with my microphone, batteries, and SD cards to document the journey for Field Notes: Across Natural Skyscrapers. #thruhiker #gearlist #thruhike #coloradotrail by @storytellerfieldnotes

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a month ago

New blog post! Link in bio. I can’t wait to share updates from my Colorado Trail thru-hike on @thetrek.co #thruhike #blog #hiker #coloradotrail by @storytellerfieldnotes

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a month ago

One year ago today, I started the Long Trail. Right now, I’m sitting with two of my first friends on the trail, Birdseye and Cruise Control, having a “tramily” reunion and talking about last summer’s adventures. I keep thinking back to how I felt as I took my first steps on the Long Trail and all of the unknowns of what the trail had to offer. Looking back, I’m so grateful for this experience and am eager to start another thru-hike again! taken in Pine Cobble Trail by @storytellerfieldnotes

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2 months ago

Journey’s End! Following the footsteps of the many hikers who came before us, we reached the Northern Terminus and completed the Long Trail! I miss these last days on the trail and had such a wonderful time going back to edit this multi-week life-changing experience into a 45-minute documentary radio play. Listen to Field Notes: A Long Trail Odyssey at the link in bio! #longtrail #thruhike #podcast #vermont #backpacking taken in Long Trail, Vermont by @storytellerfieldnotes

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2 months ago

Days 18-21 on the Long Trail! Miles counted by the food and views along the way #longtrail #vermont #thruhike #backpacking #camping by @storytellerfieldnotes

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2 months ago

Days 12-17 on the Long Trail: beautiful views, climbing ladders, and hiking through caves. Check out Field Notes: A Long Trail Odyssey on all podcast platforms to listen to the full thru-hike experience. #thruhike #backpacker #hiking #camping #newengland taken in The Long Trail by @storytellerfieldnotes

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3 months ago