07/03/2026
Our volunteers. š
Letās be honestā¦ without this crew, weād just be a bunch of sweaty hikers wandering around the woods looking for snacks.
š³ A standing ovation for our Chuckwagon Crew, who somehow managed to cook breakfast and dinner in weather that felt suspiciously close to the surface of the sun. They kept everyone fed, happy, and convinced that camp food can actually be amazing.
š Huge thanks to our registration crew, who somehow kept track of participants coming, going, asking questions, changing plans, and occasionally wondering whose bright idea 80 miles was.
š© To our checkpoint volunteersāthank you for spending your day swatting bugs, cheering on hikers, celebrating victories, and pretending not to notice the thousand-yard stares and blister shuffles.
š„¾ To our trail sweepersāthank you for being the last ones off the trail every single day, making sure no one was left behind. Whether you were offering encouragement, checking on hikers, or simply being there when the miles got tough, you were the safety net that every hiker hoped theyād never needābut was grateful to have.
š A special shoutout to the volunteers who gave rides back to camp. Sometimes the trail wins. Sometimes your feet file a formal complaint. Either way, you got everyone home safelyā¦ with just enough encouragement to convince them to sign up again next year.
šš¹ And then there were our surprise Trail Angelsā¦ who showed up with pizza and daiquiris . Thatās not trail magicāthatās emotional support in its highest form. Weāre not saying hikers wouldāve walked another 20 miles for a sliceā¦ but weāre also not saying they wouldnāt.
And finally, the biggest THANK YOU goes to the Guy brothers. Every year they somehow convince themselves this is a good idea (thank goodness), then spend countless hours planning an event that brings together hikers of every age, experience level, and hometownāall while raising support for The Buckeye Trail Association.
To every volunteer who cooked, hauled gear, worked checkpoints, swept the trail, drove tired hikers, answered questions, handed out medals, offered encouragement, or simply made someone smile when they needed it mostā¦
You are the scramble to our EGGS.
You made the miles a little easier, the blisters a little funnier, the sweat a little more worthwhile, and the memories unforgettable.
We canāt thank you enough for making this yearās challenge one to remember.
Nowā¦ whoās bringing the pizza and daiquiris next year? š„š„¾š
