Lyla “Sugar” Harrod – Triple Crown Hiker & Appalachian Trail Record Breaker
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Growing up near Boston, Sugar discovered hiking in her early twenties while exploring the White Mountains of New Hampshire. After getting sober at 30, she found herself with the clarity, time and capacity to pursue the life she truly wanted. What followed was a decision to live authentically, prioritise long-distance hiking, and become what she proudly calls a professional dirtbag.
In 2021, Sugar set out on the Appalachian Trail. While she knew she was a strong hiker, she also faced the uncertainty of what it would mean to walk the trail as a trans woman. Feeling the isolation of not seeing many stories like her own pushed her to begin writing, speaking openly, and becoming someone other queer and trans hikers could reach out to.
Since then, she has become the first known trans woman to complete the Triple Crown of long-distance hiking, founded TrailQTs – a free mentoring programme supporting first-time queer and trans thru-hikers – and in 2024 pioneered the Divide to Crest Route, a 3,000-mile backcountry journey from the Mexican border in New Mexico to the Canadian border in Washington.
In 2025, Sugar set a new women’s self-supported speed record on the Appalachian Trail southbound, breaking the previous record by more than a day and a half.
In this episode, we dive into sobriety, transition, representation, burnout, post-trail blues, building community, and what it really takes to push the body day after day. Sugar also shares practical advice on training, fuelling on a budget, protecting your feet, and why big dreams are built through small, steady steps.
This is a conversation about courage, visibility, and creating the path you wish had existed when you started.
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Show notes
Who is Lyla
Using she/her programs
From the North East of the USA
Living in New Hampshire
Working with kids and doing bar tending and other odd jobs
Growing up just north of Boston, on the North shore, about 3 hrs away from the Appalachian Trail
Playing team sports
Getting into hiking in her early 20s, with the help of a friend
Hiking in the White Mountains in New Hampshire
Getting sober at 30 years old and being sober for over 8 years now
How it changed her life, having more time and capacity to do more hiking
Spending time exploring the local trails in the area
Starting her gender transition
Knowing she was trans in her late 20s but not having the capacity to do anything about it
Getting sober and how it opened up lots of doors for herself
Living her authentic life
Deciding to leave her job, sell her car and go and hike the Appalachian Trail
Hiking the Appalachian Trail in late March 2021
Spending the past 5 years making long distance hiking her priority
Being a professional dirtbag
Channeling all of her energy and resources into hiking
Managing fears and concerns before taking on the Appalachian Trail
Knowing she was a strong hiker
Having concerns related to being a trans woman on trail and what unique challenges she would face
Trying to learn more about other trans experiences on the Appalachian Trail
Feeling a bit alone and not wanting others to feel the same way
Deciding to write for an outdoor website called the trek
Sharing more of her life online
The power of seeing trans people in the outdoors
Speaking publicly and telling her authentic story
Trying to be someone queer and trans folk can reach out to
Wanting to be accessible for other people
Documenting and sharing her story while hiking
Blog post - Trans competent on trail
Magical moments while being on the trail
Getting her trail name “Sugar”
Suffering with burnout and adventure blues?
Post trail depression and planning for it
Mental health and the importance of spending quality time in nature
Mental health habits and what’s worked for her
Having a rich community of people in her support network
Having people who understand where you’re coming from
Having good friends
Spending time along
Self supported FKT SOBO on the Appalachian Trail
Pushing yourself hard while on the trail
Day 1 of the project and why it was a year before starting on the trail
The first couple of weeks and the challenging terrain
Why it’s fun for her
The physical challenge for her body and thinking more about millage
Wanting to know how much she could push her body
The planning and preparation before the start of the hike
The Divide to Crest route
Trying to figure out how to make it financially viable
Looking for sponsorship from outdoor brands
Physically training and breaking it down into 3 separate chapters
Why your feet are everything
Using her home as basecamp
Dealing with a little tendonitis at the start
Getting hiker legs
Food and nutrition while on the trail
Taking a B vitamin supplement every day to help with energy
Taking electrolytes especially with the hot weather
Maple syrup and salt
Doing the trail on a budget - salt, fat, carbs….
Eating foods that she can stomach while on the trail
The importance of getting calories in
The idea behind the Divide to Crest Route
Getting into route creation
Finding out more info about the Divide to Crest Route
How to connect with Lyla on social media
Finals words of advice for women who want to take on a new challenge and step outside their comfort zone
Think about scaffolding
Why you don’t need to do everything at once.
Build your skillsets over time
What can you do this year to move you closer to your goal.
Social Media
Instagram @seltzerskelter
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