They are on a journey.
The Appalachian Trail is 2,194 miles on foot, from Springer Mountain Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. NOBO. Northbound. It’s the classic route and gets you an early start in the spring so you can be off the trail by the time the snow falls up north.
It was the brainchild of Benton MacKaye, who was inspired by a hike in 1900 and envisioned a long trail that would allow people to find answers to the “problem of living.” It was completed in 1937.
About three thousand people try to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail each year. About 750 make it. They wear out shoes. They lose weight. And they build a community. They are seeking answers, pushing their comfort zones and learning new skills. Some of them get lost along the way…and if I were to guess…I bet a few get lost when they try to plug back into the “real” world.
We set up a little “trail magic” at mile 1,310, offering cold drinks, warm hot dogs and comfy chairs to rest a while. In exchange, we heard stories, took photos, and got a little glimpse into this world we hope to inhabit ourselves one day.
We happened to camp next to a group that hiked the trail in 2002. They had gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their hike.
I asked the question, “What have you learned on the trail?”
Steve answered first. He hadn’t hiked the trail, but his wife had and he had heard the stories for years. This reunion was the first time he had met many of the people she had hiked with.
“I guess I’ve seen two things,” Steve said. “These folks started looking at what they COULD do, instead of what they COULDN’T do. And they made life-long friends along the way.”
Sounds like a worthy journey to me.
I was on my section hike in New Jersey in late June 2022, overnighting at the Mohican nature center, by chance at the same time that this group was having their thru-hike reunion. Learned about the project from the videographer who was interviewing the reunion attendees. The lessons they learned and guidance theyprovide for a life well-lived I find enlightening and uplifting. Thanks for putting this together and letting me know how to track it down. It took me more than a month to do so but glad I stopped by.
Sometimes the deepest understandings come from the simplest accomplishments, placing one foot in front of the other over and over.
So great life lesson
I absolutely love this!!! So many wonderful people expressing their take on life and what the trail provides. So hope I get there some time.
It is always about what you CAN do… in the face of injustice.