The Final Post: Reflections and Summaries

applehikesadmin Appalachian Trail August 9, 2019 | 0

It has been almost a month since I summited Mt. Katahdin on July 15th and finished my 131-day thru-hike. In all honesty, I’ve been putting off writing this post, because how do you distill 2200 miles worth of adventures into a succinct set of experiences and values? I don’t think that I even realize yet all of the ways hiking the AT has rubbed off on me—that’s something that I’ll probably discover bit by bit as I transition back into the real world and onto new phases of life. But thinking back to where I was at standing on top of Springer Mountain on March 7th, I do feel like I have grown significantly in some marked ways.

When I first envisioned myself hiking the AT from my dorm room in Cambridge, I saw myself on Katahdin with a heightened sense of independence and self-confident. Starting the trail, I made the mistake of thinking in order to achieve that, I had to support myself entirely, and not rely on others. I’m not sure exactly where this stubborn belief came from; certainly I have always been stubbornly reluctant to ask for help, and I’m sure the fact that I was in the minority as a young solo woman added to the chip on my shoulder, but for the first 600-or-so miles I resisted the idea of being a part of a trail family even as I became more and more entrenched (and happily so) in my relationships. At some point in Virginia, I realized that my partnerships with these people did not weaken me or diminish my feat, but on the contrary, with them I was able to be stronger: knowing that I could step up when one of them was having a hard time made me feel confident and fulfilled, and knowing that one of them would be there to help me when I struggled reassured me that I could keep pushing on. My trail family: Blackbeard, Welcome, and Committee, and of course Brick and Pick-Me-Up, were far and away the best part of the trail, the reason that I finished, and they will be the most special take-away.

I also wrote on my blog before I started hiking that I was attempting the AT because I wanted “a chance to heal and the time and space to figure out [what] will make me happy.” I can say that I think that the trail did bring me that. The trail was not total happiness: I cried in my tent, on my way up and down mountains, while filling up water, and in at least a few privies. I fell over and over again, causing both of my knees to scar. I had days where all I did was look down at my feet and painstakingly tick off the miles left to camp. But then again, it kind of was total happiness, because even those tough moments were slated against backdrop of dreamlike rhododendron groves, shimmering frost-covered pines, and open balds. I was always aware that I was pursuing a project that had been my dream, and that sense of purpose and excitement created an overwhelming sense of satisfaction that overwhelmed the temporary blips of struggle. In terms of healing, I didn’t come off Mt. Katahdin rid of all anxieties and mental challenges, ready to flush my pills down the toilet and skip off into the sunset. But I was able to see that my mental struggles did not prevent me from achieving my goals and feeling happy. I didn’t leave the AT rid of all self-consciousness, but I saw that despite my shyness I was able to create powerful relationships and though my body may not be perfect in my eyes it could propel me more than 30 miles in a single day. I think that’s as much as I can ask for.

Thank You

I know it’s cliche, but I truly owe my completion of the trail to everyone who helped me along the way. I feel so lucky to have so many people in my life who wished me luck and sent me motivational messages, so thank you to all of you. There are some people, though (and I know I’m forgetting some), who I wanted to specifically thank.

Mom and Dad, for the unconditional support and aid, and especially for the resupply boxes supplemented with girl scout cookies
Auntie Alex, for the care packages that somehow perfectly predicted my cravings
Aunt Nini (and Jonathan), for spending your weekend together taking the train out to Pawling to hang with stinky me!
Paula, Scott, Maddie, and Chloe Moore, for the cards of encouragement that I carried with me my entire hike, and for the Leukotape that absolutely saved my feet through the 100-mile wilderness
Everyone at Cardigan Lodge: Tom, Pete, and Natalie, for offering me (and Blackbeard) rides, free food, and deluxe lodging, and for giving me the perfect respite at one of my favorite places
All the trail family moms and dads, for being the parents I needed when mine weren’t there, providing shuttles and town meals (including many a trip to Olive Garden)
My roommates, for listening to my stories and keeping me connected during our many phone calls (including some while I hiked)
Cam & his roommates, for the most comfortable bed and the most needed washer and dryer in Boston
Rob and Ruth Iosue, for opening their home to me in Pennsylvania. Thanks to Rob specifically for the refreshing smoothie and the tour of all the trees, and to Ruth for being my substitute mom on Mother’s Day
Michelle and Jeffrey Eisenberg, and Joe and Maylin Jones, for their incredible trail magic treasure hunt
Fresh Ground, for all the banana pancakes and grilled cheeses, and the best surprise birthday party I’ve ever had.
My trail family, for the nice walk. I love you all.

State! By! State!

Toward the end of the hike, Blackbeard, Welcome, Committee, and I would play the State By State game to pass the time and reflect on our trip: we would attempt to start at the beginning of the hike and identify highlights by state. There were too many good moments, however, and we never managed to get through our entire trip in a single session. In honor of those many conversations, here is my state-by-state list: just one highlight for each (though there are innumerable).

Georgia: Tray Mountain
After two days of rain and the now-infamous crying in my tent incident, I climbed Tray Mountain and stayed at the Tray Mountain Shelter on my fourth day on trail. This was the day I first hiked with Blackbeard, and when I first got to know Welcome and Committee. Though the climb up the mountain itself was rough (for the rest of the trail we referred to the “Tray Mountain Effect” to describe any big climb at the end of the day that felt endless and agonizing), that day was the beginning of the best aspect of the AT: my trail family. As proof that I’m not being revisionist, here is the text I sent my mom after just arriving at the shelter:

“I’m good! Actually found someone I hiked with all day and he’s super nice! It’s sunny and warm so I’m drying my stuff out! All is well.”

North Carolina: Buying Crocs
I had accrued some monster blisters by the time I hit Franklin, NC and my feet were hurting badly. The moment that I slipped on the Crocs I bought at Outdoor 76, the squishy soles, the open backs, and the knowledge that I wouldn’t have to spend all day in my trail runners ever again made me feel pretty euphoric.

Tennessee: the Roan Highlands
The open balds at sunrise were some of the first truly sweeping vistas I saw on the trail.

Virginia: Rice Fields
The #1 best sunset on the Appalachian Trail, and a top 5 moment of feeling a sense of community.

West Virginia: The Water Tasting
I drank a lot of water on the Appalachian Trail, including some incredible mountaintop spring water. But I’m very grateful to the Harper’s Ferry old-fashioned candy store for helping me distinguish the flavors of a dozen different types of water. Who knew there was such variety?

Maryland: Annapolis Rocks
The one night that I spent in Maryland, I got to spend the afternoon and evening cooking dinner and watching the sunset on beautiful rock outcroppings, before crawling into my cozy tent.

Pennsylvania: 501 Shelter
The two 40-degree rainy days in Pennsylvania were some of the toughest—I slipped on the slick rocks and cut my knees open, I felt cold down to my bones, and I would lose all mobility in my fingers by the time I got to camp. The second day, though, we ended at 501 Shelter, a totally enclosed building that was more like a hostel than a shelter, complete with bunks and take-out menus. Curling up in my sleeping bag and watching movies all afternoon was a perfect escape from the blustery weather outside.

New Jersey: Stan and the Secret Shelter
The Secret Shelter (a technically unofficial shelter owned by a trail angel and made available to all hikers) was all fine and good, but Stan the donkey was incredible. Officially his name is Jake as I later learned, but he’ll always be Stan in my heart.

New York: The Dover Oak
I love trees, and this was the biggest tree on the whole trail!

Connecticut: Sages Ravine
Virtually all of Connecticut was grey and rainy, which at times was kind of grim. But in the forested ravine, the moisture just made the trees more lush and the water more flowing.

Massachusetts: Stop-n-Shop Reunion
We met Chuck Norris, Navi, Good Will, and Hemingway in the Smokies, and they quickly became our great friends as we hiked off and on with them for the next 600 miles. When we said bye to them around mile 800 as they took some time off to visit Norris’s aunt, we weren’t sure that we would see them again. But that’s the fun thing about the trail: I knew pretty much everyone around me, but never knew exactly where anyone was. So nearly 900 miles later, it was an exhilarating surprise to see Norris and Good Will booking it down the trail coming down from Mt. Greylock. They, along with Hemingway (Navi had finished his hike in Harper’s Ferry, so he wasn’t on trail anymore at that point) joined us for an epic grocery store lunch at the North Adams Stop-n-Shop, complete with popcorn, watermelon, and pasta salad.

Vermont: Glastenbury Fire Tower
The one place on trail I got to experience an epic sunset and sunrise from the same spot.

New Hampshire: Mt. Moosilauke
All of the Whites were just as incredible and challenging as I knew they would be. But finally getting to the summit of Moosilauke, and knowing that I had made it back home to the New Hampshire mountains, was the absolute best.

Maine: When Welcome Carried 2 Packs
Maine was an incredible state, from revisiting the first section of the AT that I ever hiked, to the remote and wild climbs, to the summit of Katahdin. But nothing can truly top the 0.7 miles that Welcome carried Blackbeard’s full pack as well as her own, when the Baxter State Park rangers confused us about where we had to register for our final campsite.

Did/Did Not

The best ways possible for me to sum up my hike:

Things I did not see: a moose
Things I did see: a copperhead, several bears, a bobcat, a porcupine, and the giant moose statue at Moose Mountain Mini-Golf

Things I did not eat: Ramen or instant mashed potatoes I managed to go the entire length of my trip without having to eat the two most classic and least nutritious hiking foods. In total honesty, the last night of the trail at Katahdin Stream Campground, I was really craving Ramen, but I held off to preserve the purity of my hike!
Things I did eat: approximately 524 Clif Bars and one vat of dehydrated vegetables If anyone has any questions about the relative tastiness of virtually any protein bar, I am a wealth of information. Peanut Butter Banana Clif is hands-down the best.

Things I did not do: poop my pants It’s a common phrase along the trail that “you’re not a real thru-hiker until you poop your pants.” Well, I guess by that metric I don’t qualify as a thru-hiker.
Things I did do: pee my pants Look, when it’s pouring rain, everything gets more wet taking the time to pull down pants than not. Water washes out everything anyway, right?

That’s it until the next thru-hike folks. Thanks for joining me on my journey!