In the most wonderful turn of events that has
ever occurred, I will be returning to the Appalachian Trail on July 11th.
Just call it yet another extension on my bedtime: one of my friends that I was
hiking with likened my desire to remain on the trail for a longer duration to
the pleas of a middle schooler attempting to persuade her parents to let her
stay at a friends’ house longer than initially promised. “Mom, I know you
wanted me home at 4:30, but we’re not done watching a movie. Can I stay
until 5:00?” he would mock, as I called my mom to explain that I wanted to make
it to the halfway point on the trail before returning home, rather than to my
initial goal of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, which would be just short of that
mark. “So we finished the movie, but Alyssa’s parents said I could stay
for dinner, so can we make it 7:00 instead?” he would continue, exhibiting his
proclivity for creating complete stories out of thin air in order to make fun
of others, as I called her again to explain how the halfway point put me
partway into Pennsylvania and I wanted to try to make it completely through
that state before getting off-trail. “The Robinsons are having a game
night after dinner and they’re playing Monopoly and that’s my favorite game,
Mom, you know it’s my favorite, so can I please just stay until 9:00?” he said,
rolling his eyes in the background as I had yet another phone conversation with
my mother about how the trail through New Jersey was only a few days’ worth of
walking, so I might as well make it to New York and cross another state off of
my list before legitimately reaching my deadline and being forced to leave the
trail in order to attend the first of two family gatherings. “TR, you’re
spiraling out of control,” Squabbler informed me after I hung up the phone from
my final changing-of-plans discussion with my mother. “You’re the one who
convinced me to stay on trail until the halfway point,” I reminded him, “so
really, this is all your fault.” “I know. I’ve created a monster,” he
admitted. “But Moooom, I just wanna go to Maine with my friends!” he
continued, refusing to abandon his mockery of my situation despite the role
that he played in it.
And now, it would appear that I am indeed going
to go to Maine with my friends. Upon arriving back in South Carolina and
having many a discussion with my mom about the events of the past few months
and how much of the trail I had left, she suddenly declared, “Alright. I don’t
care what else happens, but when we get back from Canada, I’m taking you to
wherever your friends are on the trail.” I was taken aback. I had
set aside the rest of my summer to devote my time to family gatherings and
trips with my mother, and here she is telling me to go back to the trail and
hang out with my friends? This was basically the equivalent of her
calling Alyssa’s parents while we were in the middle of our game of Monopoly
and telling them that I could just go ahead and spend the night. I came
to the conclusion that either my mom is very generous and invested in my
happiness and success, or that after just a few short hours with me in the
house, she realized that she wanted me out of there. Whichever of these
is closer to the truth, it doesn’t change the fact that I am, once again,
Katahdin-bound. I will still have miles to hike next summer before I can
consider myself completely done with the AT, but the current plan is to catch
up with my hiking partners somewhere in New Hampshire and to summit Katahdin
with them sometime in early August.
So what is it that keeps pulling me in,
continues to draw me into this life of sleeping on the ground and eating ramen
and wearing sweaty, smelly, soggy clothing day in and day out? What is it
that makes the backwoods a more desirable place to spend my days rather than
leading a life of sleeping in on the weekends and drinking Starbucks every
morning and wearing shoes that don’t rub a different blister each day I walk
another 25 miles in them? It turns out that this is one of the more
difficult questions I’ve ever tried to answer. It’s the most
multi-faceted issue I can think of that I’ve been wrapped up in, and it’s truly
impossible to completely explain. It’s about the way the trail makes me
feel. It’s about how the trail has molded my view on humanity. It’s
about how the trail has helped me realize how far I am actually able to push
myself, both physically and mentally. In the three months that I’ve spent
out there so far, I have made more close friends than I ever imagined I would
going into this trip, been on the receiving end of so much kindness and
generosity from countless strangers, and been in and pushed through more
physical pain than any reasonable person would ever want to experience. I
learned a great deal more about myself and about the world that we are a tiny
little part of than I expected to. I fell in love, both with the
geographic region we’ve walked so many miles through and with the hiker
community that has surrounded me during every step. Because it truly is a
community. Here we are, this collective of intentionally jobless and
homeless humans, out there in the natural world going through the same trying,
ridiculous, and beautiful journey one step at a time. It’s a crazy thing
that we do, and it continuously takes my breath away how something as simple as
a footpath can bring so many people from so many different walks of life
together in such a profound way. The number of people I met who directly
impacted my experience on the trail is hard to wrap my head around, but I do
truly feel like the vast majority of people I interacted with had some sort of
effect on my time on the AT.
The most obvious and significant of these
people is my dear friend Kylie. It is literally impossible to separate
her from the trail in my mind. I couldn’t even begin to truly explain the
impact that she has had on my trail experience and on my life in general.
From the beginning, I have felt like we were meant to find each other on the
trail, and whatever forces brought us so randomly together, I couldn’t be more thankful
for. Leaving my life in Oklahoma behind for the trail was a difficult and
shocking transition, and meeting Kylie immediately helped that transition go
much more smoothly. I felt an immediate bond with her, and it is a bond
that has only grown stronger as each day has gone by. Nothing brings
people together more closely and quickly than backpacking. You see each
other in the most unflattering of lights and the most difficult of situations,
and if you can make it through that, you can make it through anything.
Well, I think it’s safe to say that Kylie and I have made it through. For
the better part of three months, we hiked together, ate together, and even got
sick together. She’s been my sherpa when my knees were too bad to stand,
my cheerleader when I was finding the pain really difficult to push through,
and my life coach when my personal life was causing me trouble. In the beginning of the trail when my
knees were causing me so much trouble, she always made sure to slow her pace
down and stick with me while I suffered through all of the painful ups and
downs. She is intertwined in so many of my best memories on the AT, and
she’s personally responsible for many more. From our discussions on NPR
podcasts to always beasting the newlywed game to singing Taylor Swift while
night hiking to keep the bears away, there are countless moments I’ve spent
with her that I know I’ll never forget.
She is intelligent and beautiful and hilarious, and I can no longer
imagine my life without her. I feel so lucky to have met her, and I know
that ours is a friendship that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I
love you, Kylie, Team Two Moms forever!
Wookie is another person who has had a great
impact on my time on the AT. From the beginning, he became personally
invested in my physical condition as we attempted to conquer our knee issues
together (after backpacking, nothing brings people together like shared
pain). I’ll never forget how he forced me to switch my full pack out with
his tiny, super-light pack on day six while he was slackpacking in order to
help relieve some of the pain in my knees. No one but a true friend would
threaten to inflict more pain on you if you refused their order to alleviate
some of your current pain by relying on them. It was also thanks to
Wookie that I spent my first night in a stranger’s home, and this was my
introduction to the selfless group of people who surround the AT who are
willing to invest their valuable time and energy towards helping out
thru-hikers. The perfect combination of kind, sarcastic, and hilarious,
Wookie brought a level of fun to the trail that we would have definitely been
worse off without! He also threw in a zero day in New York that was
completely unnecessary to him so that I could see him again before I had to
head off-trail, further exhibiting his completely selfless nature. I
can’t imagine the trail without him!
Uphill is yet another person who shaped my AT
experience from the beginning. He also pitched in as much as my pride
would allow when I was struggling so much with my knees. Several times
during that first week, he would hike ahead, make it to camp, and return to
where I was in order to take my pack and carry it back to where he had already
dropped his things. I would have completely lost my mind before making it
to North Carolina if he hadn’t been around with his constant hilarity and
cheerfulness while living in the cloud for four days. On my last day on
the AT for June, he backtracked miles that he had already done so that he could
spend the night at the same shelter as me. He even brought beer with
him! Uphill is one of those people who always has a positive attitude, no
matter the circumstance. He very unfortunately contracted Lymes Disease
while on trail and had to take far more days off than he was planning on, but
he still had a smile on his face and a “what can ya do?” attitude while
relaying his story to us. I admire his positivity and perseverance
through a less than ideal situation, and I can’t wait to see where his vigor
for life brings him next!
There were many people on the trail whom I
didn’t get to know as well as those three, but who still left an impression in
my mind.
Rowan, turned Sherbs, turned Friction, is a
person who impressed me from the beginning with his wisdom and maturity far
beyond his years. He came to thru-hike the AT straight out of high
school, with set plans to attend college in the fall once he was done. I
don’t think I’ve ever met anyone his age who could handle something like the AT
on their own, but he has been killin’ it since day one out there, and it never
fails to impress me! Friction, you’ll always be Sherbs to me, but you’re
one kickass dude.
Ox and I were brought together instantly by our
shared knee problems. Both of us being 20-somethings who felt way too
young to be suffering that much from joint issues, our bond was formed over
complaining about all of the pain we were in (and Oreos). Despite hiking
at different paces for most of the trip, we managed to stay in touch and finally
made our schedules match up enough to briefly see each other on my last day on
trail. Ox, I’ll always think of you when I see Oreos and the knee brace
that I don’t have to wear anymore—go us for making it this much further than we
probably should have!
Freebie was always so open and vibrant, and she
welcomed me in from the first night that I spent apart from Kylie when she and
I got separated. Her tendency to call everything she enjoyed her
“favorite” constantly reminded me to appreciate the little things in life.
Doc’s subtle hilarity made me enjoy her
presence from the first time I met her. Her excitement for Sullivan’s
arrival to camp at the end of every day never failed to make me smile. I
could always count on her for some wisecrack followed by a mischievous grin.
Yellow, aptly named, carried a sunny
disposition around with her wherever she went. I believe the only thing I
ever heard her complain about was how hiking the AT was ruining one of her
favorite features: her perfect arches. I’m glad to have gotten to spend
the time with her that I did, even though she says that when she thinks of me,
she just thinks of goats.
Translator’s ability to transform any
conversation into a charade always made it entertaining to be around him.
There was never a dull moment sitting around the “dinner table” while he was
there. I’ll also always be jealous of his very accurate elephant
impression.
Tree Arm is yet another example of endless
positivity. There seems to be a theme here amongst the hikers of the
AT. His colorful hiking stick certainly matched his personality.
Visiting the ponies of the Greyson Highlands with him was one of my most unique
experiences on the AT, and I got to cross the momentous 500-mile mark with
him!
Coco & Magnus are a perfect example of what
a marriage should be. They clearly have so much love and respect for each
other, and they are undertaking something together that most couples would
never even think of attempting. I hope that I can have a marriage like
y’alls someday. Also, y’all are just cool as hell. Keep up the good
work.
I never knew I could actually like a person
from New Jersey until I met Twiggy.
This girl definitely knows how to have a good time, and her laughter is
contagious! She makes every
situation a fun one to be in, and there is nobody I’d rather feed goats and
chickens with.
I met 12% in late March on my first day back on
trail after a four-day hiatus to let my knees recover. I was feeling particularly vulnerable
after being off-trail for so long right at the beginning of my hike, and I was
doubting my ability to make it any real distance on the AT. That evening, I hiked into the nearest
shelter from where I got dropped off.
After arriving at the shelter, 12%’s first greeting to me was
“Wait…you’re a girl?!” He had seen
me coming up the trail from across the way, and he said “I saw you booking it
this way, and I was just thinking, ‘That person’s a thru-hiker. They’re going to Maine.’ And then you get here and you’re a
girl! You’re a beast.” I don’t think he had any idea the
impact that his words had on me, but that was exactly the confidence boost I
needed on that first day back.
Sadly, since he had already completed a thru-hike of the AT back in 2010,
he was only doing a section of it this year. He’s out west now, working on his completion of the PCT, and
we’ve definitely missed him since he left!
I met Chappy the same night that I met 12%, and
I got a pretty good picture right off the bat of what a character he is. He’s always got some quip to throw your
way, and there is never a lack of things to talk about while conversing with
him. It’s always hilarious hearing
him recount the various situations he has found himself in on the trail. And even though he called me Smiley for
at least the first month that I knew him, he was the one who gave me my trail
name on that first night we met.
So really, TR exists because she met Chappy.
GQ and Walking Man have inspired me since I met
them due to their commitment to family and to reaching their goals. Seeing this father/son thru-hiking duo be
so successful on the trail makes me want to drag my mom out here for at least a
section at some point, and I think it’s very admirable that they’re completing
this trek together.
Billy is an incredibly genuine and down to
earth guy. It’s been a good while
since we’ve hiked with him, but I met him very early on in my trip and always
enjoyed being around him. His
career path and math abilities are way over my head and out of my area of
expertise, but it was fun and very impressive learning about everything that he
is capable of. I can even forgive
him for being from Texas.
Sweet Pea is one kickass chick! She is so genuine and she has a
wonderful outlook on life and on the trail. I wish I had gotten to hike with her more, but I still enjoy
keeping up with her hike through social media. I also have her to thank for my treasured horse shirt—she
ditched it on a tree along the trail, where I came along and retrieved it for
myself, not knowing who its previous owner was. I’ll think of her every time I wear it! Sweet Pea, thanks for reading my fairy
fortune to me at Woods Hole and reminding me that I needed a vacation—I came
back to the trail renewed and ready to make it to Maine! You’re one of the strongest people I
know and I’m constantly impressed by your approach to this journey!
I’m not so sure that I can forgive Squabbler
for being from Texas, since it was something that he reminded me about on a
daily basis. However, I will say
that hiking with him was one of the more interesting times I had. Being around Squabbler, you don’t have
to worry about coming up with things to talk about, because he will fill any
potential voids with his constant stream of consciousness. From the time he wakes up until the time
he goes to sleep, he always has something to say. We always said we wouldn’t have to worry about seeing any
bears on trail with him, because his vocal projections would frighten away all
of the wildlife long before we were within reach of it. But on a serious note, Squabbler was
very accommodating and welcomed me into his group immediately upon meeting me
after I got separated from Kylie again.
He is definitely one of the more entertaining people I have ever met,
and I genuinely enjoyed spending time with him. When he had a friend come to visit him on the trail, he
offered up a spot for me to sleep at the house at which they were staying so I
could do laundry and sleep in a bed for a night. Even though not a day goes by where he doesn’t make fun of my
degree from Oklahoma, I am very glad to have gotten to spend the time around
Squabbler that I did.
Salmon is probably the nicest human I have ever
met. The only time I have ever
heard anything negative come out of his mouth is when he called a deer an asshole
for not taking the food that he threw towards it. If anything close to an insult slips out, he immediately
apologizes, even if said apology is completely unnecessary. His knowledge of all things
fish-related kept some learnin’ in the AT for me, and his aquatic expertise
helped my little cousin Caroline rescue a crawdad from its imminent death at a
crawfish boil in Charlottesville and make it her pet.
I absolutely love being around Papalu because
he is one of the most outwardly happy people I have ever met. He always seems to have a smile on his
face, and I have found it to be impossible to be in a bad mood while in his
presence. Even though it became
very difficult to take anything he said seriously once the moustache found its
way onto his face, I always had a great time hiking and hanging out with
him! Trying to guess whether it
was Vienna sausages or cat food that his mom had sent in his latest maildrop is
one of my favorite past times.
Sorry for using the hair dryer in your hotel room to dry my shoes and
create the worst smell in the world, but thanks for all the smiles!
Chimney is a guy who always tells it like it
is. Watching him get annoyed at
Hip’s constant cheeriness and listening to him argue about which region of
Massachusetts is better (seriously, your state’s not that big) was always
entertaining. Despite my initial
faux pas with the group at Ming’s in Waynesboro (“F you, TR, you’re out!”), he
managed to forgive me and put up with me for a few more weeks.
Meeting Fireman was one of the craziest
coincidences I encountered on the AT and in life in general! Who would have thought that I would run
into a friend of a friend all the way from South Korea?! I wish we could have hiked together for
a longer amount of time, but I’ll never forget the moment where we realized who
each other was. It’s a small,
small world, and I’m glad I ran into you in it, Fireman!
And last but the opposite of least, the person
who I knew for the shortest amount of time but who had the largest impact on me
was Hip. Our initial friendship
was formed due to a shared love of Clemson, Braum’s, and Teddy Roosevelt, and
the random similarities just kept rolling in from there. Over the month straight that we spent
together, we gained the ability to read each other on a level that could only
be described as creepy. He became
able to tell exactly what I was thinking by the way I laughed or how long I
remained silent after he told a joke I didn’t find funny. I always pretended to be annoyed by his
ridiculous level of enthusiastic positivity, but in reality, it never failed to
brighten my day. Being greeted by
a cheery chorus of “Hello! How arrrrre you?” from outside of my tent every
morning ensured that I started each day off on the right foot. He wasn’t just there for the good
times, though. I encountered a
whole new set of physical struggles during the stretch of the trail through
Pennsylvania, and Hip was more supportive the entire time than I would have
thought any person would have even had the potential to be. There was day after day where I became
unable to make the mileage that we had set out for ourselves at the beginning
of the day, and not once did he even come close to getting frustrated with me
or making me feel bad about my physical inadequacy. He could always tell when I had reached my limit, and
knowing how stubborn I was and understanding my tendency to push past that
limit, he would pick out a place to stop and camp and pretend like the early
termination of the day was because he didn’t want to go any further. “I’m fine, let’s keep going,” I would
protest. “No, here looks good, I’m
ready to be done for the day,” would be his response, simultaneously saving my
body and my pride from becoming run down even further.
Honestly, if it weren’t for Hip, I would have
quit the AT about 200 miles ago.
That section in Pennsylvania really took it out of me, and I was in more
pain than I had been since the very beginning of the trail where I also thought
I was going to have to quit for good.
The day that we were hiking into Port Clinton, the pain and resulting
frustration became so overwhelming that I just sat down on the side of the
trail and looked up at Hip in despair.
“I don’t think I can go any further,” I told him. “I can’t keep pushing through this much
pain.” He reminded me that I had
to make whichever decision I believed to be the right one for me and that he
would support my choice, no matter what it was. For the remainder of the day, he did everything he could to
keep my mind off of the pain and loaded me up with so much encouragement that it
was impossible not to make it. The
next day, he helped me find a new pair of shoes to alleviate some of the pain
that I had been in. So with the
combination of the new kicks and Hip’s constant support, I made it all the way
to New York, where it was the date that forced me off-trail, not my physical
state.
Hip is the most exemplary example of kindness
and selflessness that I have ever had the pleasure of being around. He makes me into a better hiker with
every mile that we walk together, and watching how he interacts with the world
and the people in it makes me want to be a better person. Every day hiking with him was an adventure filled with constant hilarity. I can't count how many times I just laughed until I cried during the last month. In addition to the muscle I gained in my legs from hiking, I got an ab workout every day I was with Hip from how much I was laughing. I wish I could have gotten to meet him
prior to the final third of my hike, but I am truly grateful for every moment that
we spent together. The AT wouldn’t
have been anywhere close to the experience that it was if it didn’t have him in
it. Hip, I just have one question for you. Where are all the baby pigeons?
I have never been in any other place in my life
where I could spend three months in a place and come up with so many people who
have had a direct impact on my life.
The AT community is by far the most amazing one that I have ever been
privileged to be a part of. Even
though personal circumstances have prevented me from completing the entire
trail in a single go, this has still been one of the most amazing experiences
of my life, and there are countless memories, people, and lessons from this
time that I will never forget. Long
story short….thanks, AT. It’s been
real. I’ll be back for you soon.
