Ah yes, the ambigious questions of, "Why?" Why did we choose to spend the next 7 weeks of our lives following white-blazed trees?
Completing the Appalachian Trail has been a goal of mine since our youth group in Savannah went on our annual hiking trip in the North Carolina mountains. On a few occasions we hiked part of the A.T. and I remember talking with thru-hikers, young and old, about their motivations and goals. One elderly couple in particular had an energetic aura about them and cheerfully exclaimed that their only goal was to complete it. They were retired and wanted to enjoy their hike, stopping to enjoy many of the towns along the way, no matter how long it took.
Fast forward 5 years. After completing summer school and only one semester of school remaining, I went on a weekend hike with Nate Jones and Sarah Todd to Mt. Rogers along the AT in VA. I was under-prepared, under-equipped, and froze the two nights we were out, but as I lay miserable in the shelter, I thought of the beautiful scenery, sunsets, and wild ponies we witnessed only hours earlier. It was on this hike that I re-considered the brilliant idea of thru-hiking during my free time between passing NCLEX and reporting to Officers Basic Course in San Antonio, TX. I originally planned on attending July OBC, which gave me just enough time to thru-hike the entire AT. However, the Army had other ideas and has since given me a late March date. Thus, Nate and I made it our goal to reach the James River Foot Bridge near Lynchburg, VA by the end of spring break.
Why Nate? My mother muttered something on the phone about if we encountered a bear, and there were two of us, at least one of us would live to tell the tale. Kidding aside, asking Nate to join me was one of the biggest "why's" I encountered. Nate and I have never been the two to get along. In fact, I think we cause the most friction because of our similar bull-headed personalities. However, I believed he would make a good companion: he is entertaining, strong, loyal, and it's always a good idea to have a boy scout around when you need to get out of a sticky situation. And whether I'll tell him to his face or not, I really do love the kid.
Now, why did Nate agree to this arrangement? He'll have to tell you himself.
"Well, I've never been too fond of hiking, or spending excessive amounts of time with Petra. None the less, I was ready for a break from Germany, and an adventure I could retell for years to come. Being a boyscout, you would think I love to hike and spend time in the outdoors. I don't. At all. But for once I thought, I wanna do something crazy, something that would separate me from every other teenager."
--Nate
Here are a few of the other questions we have been asked:
Will it be cold?
Yes! We considered the Florida Trail because of the expected inclement weather, however, we decided to hold fast with the AT and to prepare by packing better gear. We have added snow shoes, 0° sleeping bags, and extra clothing in anticipation of the brutal chill.
How far will you go each day?
We will start by going 8-10 miles per day and hopefully work up to 15-18, weather and physical capabilities permitting.
Where will you sleep?
We will be forgoing a tent in favor for a lighter pack. There are numerous shelters maintained by volunteers about every 5-10 miles. We will also stay in hostels when we approach major towns.
What will you eat?
Anything that doesn't talk back to us. We have a 2-person propane stove that will work in the cold weather. There are many options to hikers including freeze dried, dehydrated, and fresh foods on occasion.
Are you crazy?
Yes.
I will end with one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Horton, "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional."
