The Story Behind Comet Haley

I’m Haley, a hiker, storyteller, and chronic chaser of the next horizon. My husband, Jon, shares this obsession, which is convenient as it tends to take us far from home.

It all started in George Washington National Forest: our first camping trip, towering trees, and the particular quiet that only exists when you’re genuinely far from everything. We didn’t know it then, but that forest would become more than just a place to camp. Years later, Jon proposed at the summit of Kennedy Peak. The next year, we exchanged vows on a rainy day at the Storybook Trail. Some places just call you to write your own stories.

Couple in wedding attire standing on a rocky outcrop surrounded by misty mountains and dark evergreen trees.

Since then, we’ve traveled all over the country. From backpacking in the South and trekking in the Rocky Mountains, to falling in love with our native Mid-Atlantic trails. We currently live in the Allegheny Plateau, excited to explore the other side of our beloved Appalachian Mountains.

Hiker standing at the edge of a glacial alpine lake with dramatic rocky peaks and snow fields in the background.

Comet Haley is where I write about all of it: the trails, the campsites, the moments that don’t make it into photos. What started as a personal record of our adventures has grown into something I hope helps you find your own path in the mountains. You’ll find detailed trail guides, honest trip breakdowns, and the occasional tale about getting it wrong in the woods. If you feel more like yourself on a trail than anywhere else, you’re in the right place.

Rustic log trail steps leading through a dark pine forest toward a rocky mountain peak.