PATC Ridgerunners for 2025
By Jess LaPolla
Ridgerunners work each summer with the public, trail community, and officials along the Appalachian Trail to enhance the public's enjoyment of the trail and to help protect it. The PATC's section of the trail extends from the southern end of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, through Maryland, to Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania. The Ridgerunners who patrol the section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) maintained by PATC are hired, trained, and supervised by PATC's Trail Patrol.
PATC strives to operate the best Ridgerunner Program on the AT. Our club works closely with our partners to fund, hire, train and support a total of 6 Ridgerunners assigned to 1 of 4 segments of our 240 mile AT section.
This year we have an incredible group of Ridgerunners that we are excited to work with.
Ellie Strait “MacGyver” – Michaux Regular Season Ridgerunner. Ellie is from Pennsylvania, near the Michaux State Forest. She completed a NOBO thru-hike of the AT in 2024. Ellie holds a BA in Environmental Studies and worked as an Outdoor Educator at the Pali Institute. Ellie is excited to bring together her experiences for a great Ridgerunner season and is looking forward to keeping the trail a safe and fun place for hikers to make lasting memories.
Josh Sheets “Soulslosher” @soulslosher is a Maryland Long Season Ridgerunner. Josh is from Delaware, now living in Virginia. He completed a NOBO AT thru-hike in 2011. He revisits the AT regularly and has otherwise completed 16 different long trails! He has recently pivoted from a career in social work and has enjoyed working at youth camps. He has also served as a product ambassador for FarOut, Hyperlite, and Jolly Gear. Josh is looking forward to encouraging environmental stewardship and LNT principles to all trail visitors!
Rich Jacobus “Lightfoot” is a Northern VA Regular Season Ridgerunner. From Virginia, Rich completed a NOBO thru-hike of the AT in 2022 and more recently the Taho Rim Trail. Rich enjoys working on teams and in public facing jobs. He loves boutique backpacking gear, reconditioning gear, and hiking in Shenandoah National Park. Rich identifies strongly with the trail ambassador aspects of being a Ridgerunner, teaching Leave No Trace policies and promoting the preservation of the trail and trailside resources.
Dillon Utter “Dreamsicle “ is a Maryland Regular Season Ridgerunner originally from Upstate New York. Dillon completed a NOBO AT thru-hike in 2023 and enjoyed learning the history and conservation of the trail. Dillon works with a guide service in the Catskills, volunteers doing trail and boundary work for the NY/NJ Trail Conference, the DEC, and the Finger Lakes Trail. We interviewed Dillon from his art studio, where he does freelance work when he isn’t outdoors. His goal for the season is to have meaningful interactions with trail users, inspiring them to also help educated and protect the land we love!
Marissa Fulton “Mosey” is a Shenandoah National Park (SNP) Early Season Ridgerunner. From Georgia, Marissa completed a flip-flop thru-hike in 2024, taking her time to enjoy nature and people while testing her determination. During her hike she traversed snowy peaks, dealt with floods in the 100-mile wilderness, and enjoyed blackberry milkshakes in SNP. Marissa enjoys working with the public and was working at a New Hampshire Ski Resort this past winter. She looks forward to encouraging and educating people on the trail.
Ray Stinson “Bones” is an SNP Late Season Ridgerunner from Maryland. Ray enjoys everything about the outdoors, trails ,and public lands. He has worked in state parks and conservation corps crews, and worked as a PATC Ridgerunner in 2023 in Maryland and 2024 in Michaux State Forest. Ray has hiked the Tuscarora Trail, logged around 1000 miles Ridgerunning for the club, and knocked out a SOBO AT hike from Katahdin to Harpers Ferry at the conclusion of his 2024 season. Ray is reported to be a legend at Camp Penn in his helping with Leave No Trace and Appalachian Trail Experience Hikes in our inaugural year at Camp Penn.
