The Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail is probably the most famous long distance trail, it runs from Georgia to Maine and was the first National Scenic Trail.  In 1996 at the the age of 18 I graduated from high school a semester early convinced my parents I wouldn’t die and set off on a journey that would shape the rest of my life.  I started the AT with a group of 8 people, by the third day 3 remained on trail. For the next 5 months we worked our way north.  Along the way I found a dog I named Erwin, after Erwin, TN. That dog and I spent the next 13 years exploring the US on foot.

The trail that year was wet, in fact 1996 was one of the wettest years on record for the East Coast.  We encountered snow on and off for the first 500 miles. Who knew it snowed in the south?  The time I spent on the AT taught me more about myself than any other hike. It was there I learned to be self-reliant and set a goal and achieve it. The friends I made along the way are still part of my life, and not a day goes by when I don’t think about my time on the AT. Learn more about the AT by visiting: www.appalachiantrail.org