Meet Graham
#9 of 15
Trail Name: Hare Scrambler
What's up! I'm Graham, also known as Hair Scrambler on the trail. I'm 13 years old and currently single.
I'm the 9th out of 15 kids and the oldest of the second set of twins (and the redhead of the two of us!).
I'm really into Motorsports, but I also enjoy mountain biking, fishing, swimming, and pretty much anything outdoors.
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When I first heard that we were hiking the AT as a family, I got really excited. I knew from other hiking and backpacking trips we'd taken that it would involve a lot of campfires, rock scrambling, plenty of views, and sunsets. My most favorite things about backpacking are the swimming holes and campfires. In the beginning, when we started, it was way too cold to swim. It took months to finally warm up and be able to swim in all the water we passed. I think the first time we were brave enough to get in was at the Pigeon River, right before Standing Bear. We camped beneath the underpass, which is something we'd never done before, so it's one of my favorite memories.
My role in the family woodworking business was helping assemble chairs. My favorite school subject is probably science. I love learning about how things work, like small engines and car mechanics. Sometimes, if stuff doesn't work, I'll take it apart just to see how it works and see if I can fix it. Things like dirt bikes, go-carts, microwaves, lawnmowers, and bicycles. I got my own tool set for Christmas, so that helps now that I can keep all my tools together. I'm not really a math kid. Some of my siblings are really good at math, but I'm not one of them!
I feel the good that's come from the trail is pushing myself and my own limits, the fun of doing hard things with my family. While I'm getting stronger, most kids my age are inside, and they won't ever get to experience things like this. I like extreme sports more than organized sports, so hiking the trail has been fun, and it's not what most kids do. Lots of people say my family is crazy, and they can't figure out why we're doing this, but I think they're crazy for staying inside so much. The haters say kids aren't supposed to hike so much and they can't hike so many miles, but I think it's good to hike with the haters for a while to show them what kids are capable of. It's fun being able to see everybody in the family so happy and free. We were happy at home, but not as happy as we are out here.
One of my favorite parts of the trail is all the crawdads we got to catch and the fishing we got to do. Virginia had some really good crawdads. Smoky bought me a fishing pole when we were in Maine, so we got to fish in all the ponds and rivers after we'd finish hiking for the day. In Hanover, NH, TBC Guides invited us to go out on his boat and fish the river. Between those of us that went, we caught 11 big fish. That was a really fun day.
How did I get my trail name? Hair scrambler is a term for a certain type of Motorsport. You run and jump on your bike and 'hair scramble' through the forest, dodging trees, rocks, going through bogs, jumping ramps, and all kinds of stuff. We hadn't been on the trail for very long, and we were at Blood Mountain Cabins. Another hiker asked me if I had a trail name, and when I said I didn't, he asked what I liked. I told him Motorsports, so he said my name was now 'Hair Scrambler.' I liked it a lot, so I kept it, and it stuck.
What are your two biggest pet peeves?
- When you strip the screw and can't get it out
- Coolsters
What trail do you want to do next?
We got invited by 'Johnny Walker,' another really cool hiker on the trail we leapfrogged with for a while, to come hike Scotland where he lives. I want to hike the Scottish National Trail. It's only 537 miles and runs the whole length of Scotland. The AT is 2,198.4 miles. I'd like to fly on a plane, so hiking in Scotland would also let us all fly together as a family too. Riding on trains and boats has been fun, but I really want to see what a plane is like. Grayson, my 25-year-old brother, wants to get his pilot's license, and I'd like to be able to fly with him a lot too.
What three things do you think of the most in a day?
- Ideas for making an income like mowing yards and cleaning windows so I can buy a Toyota truck
- Building a dirt bike track on our 5 acres
- What it will be like hanging around the fire pit at our house with Smoky and showing him where we live
If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
I haven't seen enough places to know yet.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Motovlogging on my own YouTube and TikTok.
Who do you want to meet most in person?
- 'Do It With Dan,' one of the first and original motovloggers
- The Joe Rogan Experience, because we all listen to his podcast and he talks about some really cool stuff, and it's funny.
My motto:
"Don't call it a dream. Call it a plan."
