The People Behind VarkcTwo hikers who refused
to let memories fade
Varkc wasn't built in a boardroom. It was born from exhaustion, frustration, and a deep love for the trail. Here's why we built it — and why it matters to us personally.
1000 Island Lake, Sierra Nevada
Where the idea for Varkc first took shape
“We've both stared at blank journal pages at 9 PM in a cold tent, too exhausted to write but terrified of forgetting. That feeling — that tension between exhaustion and the desperate need to hold onto something beautiful — is why Varkc exists.”
Henry Koon
The Hiker
Henry is the heart and soul of Varkc. An avid thru-hiker who has experienced firsthand the beauty — and the brutality — of long-distance trails, he knows exactly what it feels like to lose a memory because you were too tired to write it down.
That personal frustration became the spark for Varkc. Henry believed that if an app could handle the heavy lifting — the stats, the tracking, the organization — hikers could focus on what actually matters: the experience itself.
From pitching the idea to building the community to getting Varkc on the App Store, Henry's relentless drive and sales instinct turned a tent-side dream into a real product that hikers actually use.
Trail Experience
Henry's firsthand experience on long-distance trails shapes every decision. He knows what hikers need because he's been there — exhausted, inspired, and desperate to hold onto the moment.
Community Builder
The social features and community vision behind Varkc come from Henry's belief that the trail community deserves better tools to stay connected.
The Idea & The Drive
From the initial idea scribbled in a trail journal to a live App Store product, Henry's relentless persistence and sales instinct turned a dream into reality.
Townsend Tanner
The Builder
Townsend is the technical mind behind Varkc. With a passion for building technology that genuinely improves people's lives, he turns Henry's vision into a product that actually works — everywhere, every time.
His approach is simple — technology should be invisible. When you open Varkc after a 30-mile day, you shouldn't have to think. The app should already know your stats, and you should be done in seconds. That philosophy drives every architectural decision Townsend makes.
From building the offline-first sync engine to optimizing battery usage for days without a charger, Townsend obsesses over the details that make Varkc feel effortless — even when the engineering underneath is anything but.
Technical Vision
Townsend architects the seamless, offline-first experience that makes Varkc work flawlessly in the backcountry — no signal required.
Engineering Excellence
From the sync engine to battery optimization, Townsend obsesses over the technical details that make Varkc feel effortless.
Craft & Quality
Townsend believes technology should be invisible. Every line of code is written so hikers never have to think — just tap and done.
This is personal
Varkc isn't a side project or a business experiment. It's the answer to a question we've both asked ourselves while lying in shelters, tents, and under the stars: “How do I hold onto this?”
The sunrise that made you cry. The stranger who became your best friend by mile 200. The moment you realized you could actually do this. Those memories deserve better than a fading recollection and a blurry phone photo with no context.
We built Varkc because we believe every thru-hiker's journey is worth preserving — completely, effortlessly, and beautifully. Not as a chore at the end of an already impossible day, but as a 15-second ritual that captures everything.
When you finish your thru-hike and look back through your Varkc journal — every mile, every photo, every rating, every note — that's why we built this. That moment of reliving your adventure, perfectly preserved, is everything to us.
Varkc is on the App Store
Search “Varkc” on the App Store to download. We'd love for you to try it and let us know what you think.
Join us on the trail
We're building Varkc for every hiker who's ever wished they'd written it down.