Camp stove coffee. Sleeping under the stars. Hiking with a pack full of gear through rain, wind, sleet, and sun. For many of us this sounds like an adventure vacation, but to an AMC Ridgerunner, it’s just another day in the office.
From May to September, these seasonal outdoor professionals hike the 63-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in Connecticut and southern Massachusetts, interacting with thousands of people, teaching Leave No Trace practices, assisting hikers in need, and protecting the trail’s fragile ecosystem from the growing pressures of human use.
Born from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s 1986 vision to educate hikers, promote stewardship, and preserve the trail, AMC’s Southern New England Ridgerunner team is here to carry that mission forward – and they’ll hike 800 miles a season to make sure the A.T. is here for generations of hikers to come.
A Day in the Life of an AMC Ridgerunner
“It’s not a nine-to-five,” jokes AMC Ridgerunner Coordinator Brandon Elgün. “My very brief elevator pitch for when people ask me what Ridgerunners do is: I’m here to protect you from the environment, and the environment from you.”
Ridgerunning takes many shapes, and no two days on the trail are the same. Full-time Ridgerunners work “spikes” — shifts of 10 days on, 4 days off — in which they hike the entire 63-mile section. Some of their responsibilities include:
- Hiker education – offering tips on local regulations and Leave No Trace practices to empower the public to take ownership and responsibility of the trail and its community.
- Safety – performing wilderness first aid, monitoring conditions, and assisting hikers in distress.
- Trail reporting – noting blowdowns, shelter damage, and other issues for volunteer crews to fix.
- Maintenance – removing brush and fallen trees, sweeping campsites and shelters, maintaining composting privies, and dismantling unauthorized fire rings.
- Collecting data – tracking visitor numbers, campsite use, and resource impact to help the Appalachian Trail Conservancy make decisions about site expansions or permits.
While Ridgerunners face all kinds of weather conditions and the occasional challenging interaction, most hikers are positive and respectful—and that, Brandon says, makes the work deeply rewarding. “We’re not here just for thru-hikers. Most of our time is spent helping newer hikers feel comfortable and responsible in the backcountry. Ninety-five percent of the time, people are awesome out here.”
AMC SNE Ridgerunner Coordinator Brandon Elgün.
“Anything But Ultralite.”
Imagine a backpack filled with food and all the clothes and gear you need for 10 days. Now add a saw, trash bags, gloves, a first aid kit, a wrench, a notebook, and whatever trash you find while you’re out there. “Ridgerunning is anything but ultralite,” Brandon says.
That’s why this year it was a game-changer when Hyperlite stepped in to help, donating ultralite backpacks, tents, and quilts to AMC’s Ridgerunner team. “Being able to save space and weight allows us to be more efficient in our jobs, helps reduce strain on joints, increases morale, and allows us to experience top-of-the-line gear that we haven’t been able to try before,” says Brandon.
With lighter packs, the team has had more space for “luxury items” like books, binoculars, or headphones — things that, while they may seem small, make a huge difference in self-care and morale during extended time on the trail.
Putting in 800+ miles in a season also takes a huge toll on footwear – LOWA came to the rescue this year, outfitting the team with new hiking boots.
AMC’s 2025 Ridgerunners (left to right): Tyler Dion, Caleb Williams, Brandon Elgün, and Vince DeWitt.
Meet AMC’s 2025 Ridgerunners
We asked AMC’s 2025 Ridgerunner team — Caleb Williams, Tyler Dion, Vince DeWitt, and coordinator Brandon Elgün — to answer four questions. Here’s what they have to say about their time on the trail.
1. Why did you choose to be a Ridgerunner?
Vince: I was drawn to apply for a Ridgerunning position five years ago (at 64 years old!) due to my lifelong love of the outdoors and to prove to myself that I still “have it in me.”
Tyler: I heard about Ridgerunning from a friend a long time ago on a hike up Mt. Monadnock. He said he wanted to work as a Ridgerunner. I said, “What’s that?” He said, “Someone who gets paid to hike.” My response was, “That sounds so cool!”
Caleb: What drew me to Ridgerunning is the ability to schedule my day and have autonomy.
Brandon: I’ve gotten so much from this trail. I am drawn to give back and pay it forward.
2. What is your favorite part of the job? And what’s the most challenging?
Brandon: I really enjoy the variety of the days — no two are the same. The challenges keep things interesting. I also really enjoy the balance of working with my body and my brain. Being very mission focused, I appreciate how everything we do — removal of fallen trees, waste management, renaturalization of unsanctioned campsites — all have a specific purpose in conserving and protecting the trail.
Vince: My favorite part of ridgerunning is the feeling of accomplishment: hiking whatever number of miles, ensuring I’ve done my job, and greeting hikers on their routes, however long they may be.
Tyler: The most challenging part of the job is remembering that not everyone is aware of LNT principles. It can be frustrating when you come across a messy site.
Caleb: The heat and the weather can sometimes get the best of you.
3. What luxury items do you carry with you into the field?
Vince: The Merlin bird app, and Starbucks instant coffee.
Brandon: Crossword book, paperback, and sometimes a day hammock for lounging after a day of hiking.
Caleb: My headphones and charger. I like to listen to audiobooks at night and listen to music when I get into camp.
Tyler: Definitely a book… Or 2… Or 3… I have a few books on me at any given time. I don’t mind the extra weight.
4. What do you wish visitors knew? Or, what do you find yourself educating people about most often?
Caleb: Most thru-hikers are good about cleaning up trash and leaving no trace. As the season progresses, fire rings become more of an issue, so right now most of the education for me has been about leaving no trace as far as fires go.
Tyler: Food. People often ask why they need to put their food in a bear box or why it needs to be secured. A black bear’s sense of smell is up to 2100 times more sensitive than that of our own.
Brandon: We try to help folks understand that all items with scents — food, trash, toothpaste and other hygiene products, etc., need to be properly stored and secured. This is as much to protect the bears as it is the hikers.
Vince: It would be nice if hikers realized that leaving food in bear boxes or around campsites in an effort to be helpful to hikers desensitizes bears to human presence and can either lead to a dangerous encounter, or bears trying to obtain food from bear boxes or hikers’ tents. In these cases, bears may end up being euthanized. We must remember humans are guests in their environment. (Editor’s note: If you run into Vince on your hike, ask him to tell you his story about being followed by a black bear on trail this season!)
AMC Ridgerunner Caleb Williams.
How to Become a Ridgerunner
People find their way to the Ridgerunner program from all kinds of backgrounds and life experiences. Brandon, for example, didn’t start their career in the outdoors—they spent 15 years in public health before deciding it was time for a change. After burning out during the pandemic, they turned to their lifelong love of the Appalachian Trail, first as a trail steward in the Catskills, then as a thru-hiker, and finally as a Ridgerunner with AMC.
While many people think only thru-hikers can become Ridgerunners, Brandon says that’s a misconception. “Only half of our team has thru-hiked. What matters most is experience in the outdoors and the ability to adapt to anything.”
Other qualifications that make a good Ridgerunner are outdoor experience, good judgement, creativity, and strong communication skills. Ridgerunners need to be able to manage themselves on the trail, especially in tough conditions. They work solo and make decisions without immediate support. Wilderness first aid and Leave No Trace training aren’t required, but they’re certainly a bonus. And the ability to meet people where they are and offer Leave No Trace principles in a way that’s engaging instead of preachy is key. It’s all about getting other hikers excited to do their part.
One of the most important qualities of all, Brandon says, is passion. “It’s not easy. You’re out there for a long time and people aren’t always the greatest and it is hot and buggy and rainy. So, I just need to know that people can return to the mission and stay focused.”
As the Ridgerunner manual reads: “We do this work because we are passionate about the enduring value of the outdoors and the natural environment; we do this because each of our lives has been greatly informed by the mountains, forests, streams, and trails.”
Applications open in December, and you can apply on outdoors.org.
AMC’s 2025 Ridgerunners in the field.
Want to help protect your favorite trails but not sure if Ridgerunning is for you? AMC welcomes trail volunteers of all experience levels to join in on work parties, hiker education, and more!
Many AMC programs, like the Ridgerunners, are made possible by the incredible generosity of sponsors like Hyperlite and LOWA. We are so grateful for their support! If you are interested in learning more about our programs and understanding how your business can be involved, you can read more here.