2021 marks 100 years since forester and planner Benton MacKaye penned an article that conceived a trail connecting farmlands, mountain ranges, camps, and towns along the Appalachian Mountain Range. Sixteen years later, the Appalachian Trail was completed, traversing through 14 eastern states for more than 2,100 miles. Each year an estimated three million people take to the trail.
Some folks attempt to hike the whole thing from end to end. Some tackle chunks of it at a time in no particular order. And many are content to spend a day or two wandering through stunning mountain ridgelines and secluded white pine and hemlock forests.
In honor of this anniversary, Lynn Riddick met up with one A.T. enthusiast who has experienced the colossal physical and mental challenges of tackling the entire trail…and its immense rewards.
Comments
Excellent interview. Brian is my cousin and to hear this story was a gift. I share his passion for hiking, and know this is no small achievement! Most AT hikers give up their through goal.
Thanks for listening, Sharon. And thank you for your wonderful comments.