What Are We Doing?!

So we’re hiking the Appalachian Trail. Our first day on the trail is about two weeks away now, and the nerves are starting to build. Money is saved, reservations are made, gear choices are nearly settled. I’m so full of excitement I could burst! But that’s not the point of this initial post. Instead I’d like to attempt to explain what exactly it is we’re doing and why for the friends and family who have so many questions and concerns.

The Appalachian Trail is 2,192 miles of continuous hiking trail that spans from Maine to Georgia and traverses 14 states along the ancient Appalachian Mountain range (www.appalachiantrail.org). A thru-hiker is someone who completes an established end-to-end long distance hiking trail within one year of starting it. The vast majority of thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail begin in Georgia between February and April and finish in Maine. Because of life schedules and personal preferences regarding crowds and social scenes, Chris and I will begin our hike in Maine in early July and heading south to finish up in Georgia. This means starting our adventure with the toughest summit of the entire trail, the famed Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State Park, Maine. This will be a 4,200 foot elevation gain on fresh legs. We also will likely be finishing the southern part of the trail in late fall or early winter, which will almost definitely provide below freezing temperatures and wintry precipitation in the Smokies.

One of the most common questions I get asked is “Why would you want to do something like that?” The short answer is I love backpacking. I have struggled my entire life to ever feel like I’m just being “myself” but when I’m on the trail I feel genuine, like this is who I am and how I act and there’s no filter because who the hell has time or energy to filter themselves when they’re trying to make it to camp 8 miles away in 3 hours? I remember the moment I fell in love with backpacking, it feels like a lifetime ago but it’s only been a few years. It was my first time on any part of the Appalachian Trail, and it just so happened to be in the Great Smoky Mountains. Chris and I had vastly underestimated the terrain and overestimated our abilities. We over-packed so badly, my pack came in around 47 pounds after food and water! I can’t remember the exact route, although I’m sure Chris can (he’s better with those kinds of details than I am), but I do remember that we started by summiting Chimney Tops and then hiked what was basically several miles of uphill, partially hiking up a creek. On our way up it started to rain, and then thunder started. Then it got dark. The trail had become a creek by this point and my boots were so heavy and full of water. I remember hearing lightning right above us and then hearing what we both swore was a growl in the trees next to us, although it could have been our imaginations or the “woods crazies”. We finally reached a sign for the shelter, but it said we still had a mile to go! We pushed on and sometime between 9 and 10pm we made it, and it was full of boy scouts! This wasn’t an issue for Chris but forced me to have to change in the woods with a poncho over my head to keep the rain out. Now I know this story doesn’t sound like the start of a love story, but it was like a first date where all the plans go wrong but the chemistry is so strong and you just click. I was smitten. I felt powerful and strong and like I could face anything after that challenge. Since then there have been other challenges we’ve faced; hissing snakes and fields of poison ivy over the trail and even rounding a corner to startle a momma bear and her cubs. Not to mention the blood thirsty ticks just waiting to hitch a ride on our skin! Yet I’m grinning from ear to ear while I write this. I’m never happier than when I’m 3 days into the woods and smelly and dirty and hungry and sore and at peace.

I’m in a transition period in my life; getting ready to transfer universities and really buckle down and finish school. Not to mention I turn 30 this summer! The time to do something like this is either now or who knows when. So instead of buying a new car or investing my savings, I’m investing in my piece of mind and in a physical, emotional, and spiritual journey of sorts. I can’t speak for Chris’s exact motivations, maybe I’ll convince him to write something up before we hit the trail ? I just know that this is something I need to do. It’s the right fork to take at the crossroads I currently find myself at and I am so incredibly lucky to have a partner as crazy as me.

I decided to put together this blog so that friends and family can follow along with our adventure without us having to spend all our time in towns calling people. Cell service on the trail is spotty at best, so updates will likely be posted on zero (no mileage) and nero (low mileage) days in or near towns. I will try to update regularly, but I make no promises on how often that will be. Wish us luck!

-Kylie