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Solophile's AT HikeEach year, approximately 2000 people attempt a |
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Solophile's AT HikeEach year, approximately 2000 people attempt a |
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On March 11, 1997, my adventure
began on a little known mountaintop called Springer Mountain
in north Georgia. With my dog, Micah, for my companion, I planned
a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail that would last approximately
6 months and cover over 2160 miles. The end of my journey was
Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State Park, Maine, but it was the journey
itself that is my true goal.
One of the most frequently asked questions I've received is "Why?" This AT hike was something I had been planning for a while. I've heard of others for whom it's been a life-long dream. Some have had to wait decades to make their dream a reality. I am a relative newcomer to the "AT Thru-hiker Wanna-be Club". I only started backpacking in 1995 and I met my first thru-hiker at a small spring in the Hundred Mile Wilderness of Maine while I was on a week long backpacking trip. Since that time, the idea was in my thoughts constantly. It was only about eight months before I started that the details of my life fell into place to allow me to say 1997 would be my year.
But still, why would someone want to undertake such a trip in this day and age? It is exactly because of this day and age that I hiked. I wanted to have a period in my life where my concerns are more elemental. I wanted my worries to consist of food, water, and shelter, rather than bills, traffic, ringing phones, work deadlines, and other things that really are of little significance when you sit back and put your life in perspective. This journey was an escape as well as a physical and, more importantly, mental challenge.
I hope you'll enjoy following Micah's and my progress as I reported back in each week with journal entries and photos.
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