![]() "I got everything I wanted out of this trail and more," Say said. ![]() They plan to do more hikes together in the future. He met a man from Slovenia who was the third person from his country to complete the trail. He made friends for life as they endured such a strenuous adventure together, it gave them an unbreakable bond. He hiked the trail mostly on his own, just weaving in and out of other groups on the trail. For Say, that name was Motor Mouth, giving nod to his gift of the gab. Hikers usually adopt "trail names" while hiking the AT, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. "They say the guys end up looking like the 'Walking Dead' by the end of it and the women look like supermodels."Īlong the trail there are also about 260 shelters, many of them three-sided, that hikers can stay in. "It's pretty much impossible to keep weight on out there," he added. "I've been eating Ramen and potatoes for the past six months," he said, describing a meal the hikers call a Ramen bomb. "No matter what I did it was still trial by fire in Georgia. "The only way to prepare for a thru-hike is to thru-hike," Say said. Say got about 15 items from the hiker boxes to use throughout his journey. The hikers have hiker boxes along the trail where they can place unwanted items in it and they can take items from it. He went through five different pairs of shoes. Many who do thru-hikes begin in the spring and aim to complete the trail in six months, ending in October, as Say did.īefore setting out on the trail, Say did quite a bit of research on hiking gear, but still he ended up swapping out most of the items he had started with. "I only made it like halfway up the approach trail my first day so I didn't even make it to the trail." "I didn't know that you could just get dropped off at the top of the mountain," Say explained with a laugh. He started his hike on April 15 - on the 8.8-mile approach trail. Virginia is home to the most miles of the Trail (about 550), while West Virginia is home to the least (about 4), according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The Appalachian Trail passes through 14 states. Say started the AT in Georgia and traveled north. I have that childlike wanderlust like when I was a kid." "It changed me more than I could ever describe. "I am not the same person I was when I started it," he said. Through the bad days and the good, Say knew he would finish the AT. " went from something I wanted to do to something I have to do," Say said.įor Say, once he got on the trail, there was no turning back. for a variety of reasons, such as reconnecting with nature, escaping the stress of city life, meeting new people or deepening old friendships, or experiencing a simpler life." People from across the globe are drawn to the A.T. ![]() "I would see people so happy and so full of life, and it would upset me because I felt anything but."Īccording to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, "over 3,000 people attempt to 'thru-hike' the entire footpath in a single year. "I lost my dad last year, and since 2015 I've lost 11-12 people who were close to me or I was friends with, and it had made me angry and bitter," Say said. He had watched a YouTube video called "Appalachian Trail: A Journey to the Soul," where a man who had depression hiked the AT. But for Say, the thru-hike had become his goal. ![]() Turns out his friend meant they should hike part of the AT, not the whole thing. Say began researching the trail and thought it would be the opportunity of a lifetime. The thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail (AT) became an idea for Say when one of his friends suggested they should hike the AT - to which Say had to ask, "what is that?" ![]()
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