The Final Chapter

My favorite scene on the Appalachian Trail near Petites Gap/Highcock Knob, VA, March 26, 2021 (Day 31).

Reaching Springer Mountain, the Southern Terminus, June 13, 2021 (Day 90).

Summiting Mt. Katahdin, the Northern Terminus, August 25, 2021 (Day 131).

Completing our thru hike at Harpers Ferry on October 9, 2021 (Day 174).

In the Beginning… This adventure actually started about two years ago in the fall of 2019 when Jim asked me about how I’d like to hike the Appalachian Trail with him. I gave it a good 2 seconds of consideration before I wasn’t politically correct at all in my answer telling him NO…LOL. I was just getting over an injury with my right Achilles tendon as I ruptured it a couple years prior and long distance hiking was the farthest thing on my mind to do. 

Now lets back up about 57 years when Jim and I first met. His dad owned and operated a local campground, Coldbrook Campsites in Port Leyden, New York. Port Leyden was also the home of my father and he knew Jim’s dad and of the campground. The Riley’s always camped in the summertime, usually in the Adirondack’s and ColdBrook  Campsites was a convenient location where dad could still commute back-and-forth to his job in Utica. So my family started camping there,  starting off for a few weeks which turned into a season campsite for several years. Jim was the middle child of three brothers. And boys being boys we were always either swimming, riding bikes and playing whiffle ball, Jim and I became immediate friends. Our friendship grew over the years as we would see each other all the time throughout the year not just in the summertime. We actually became roommates after Jim graduated college and got his first teaching job in the Catskills. We remained close for another several year’s then somewhat lost contact of each other when we started having children and raising families. You know how that works… now fast forward back to 2019.

Jean and I started doing some day hiking in the area and the possibility of hiking the Appalachian Trail came up in one of our conversations after I told Jim no. Jean thought I should do it and after some more thought I decided what the hec… the book says it’s only “ a walk in the woods”. I informed Jim I’m “in” and  to make a long story short, we began hiking the AT beginning in New York in January of 2020 as we could hike from his house in Duchess County and work out any kinks before starting any camping. We completed most of New York when the pandemic reared  its ugly head and we decided to suspend our hiking. 

The pandemic seemed to be getting under control so Jim (who’s trail

name then was “Beer Snob”)  and I restarted our thru hike on January 10, 2021. We completed all of New York and northern New Jersey when the mid Atlantic and northeast areas  got hit with a nor’easter dropping 2-1/2 feet of snow. We waited till almost the end of February till we decided to “flop” south down to Harpers Ferry, WV to continue hiking…

We continued our trek south reaching Springer Mountain (the AT’s southern terminus) and Amicalola, as we also did the approach trail, on  June 13th. After taking a short hiatus we “flipped” to resume hiking north. We planned to go to right to New Hampshire to complete the Whites and Maine to summit Katahdin before the weather became inclement. We first hiked all of  Connecticut to “tune” our trail legs for the more difficult trails to come. We summited Mount Katahdin (the AT’s northern terminus) on August 25th with a hiking companion we met in New Hampshire named “Navigator”.  We immediately “flopped” south to pick up Vermont and Massachusetts in which we skipped. We then continued hiking in New Jersey and then Pennsylvania and finally Maryland, completing our thru hike in Harpers Ferry, WV on October 9th! 

Now some fun facts about the Appalachian Trail and our thru hike:

• The Appalachian National Scenic Trail aka the AT was established in 1921 but it was not completed until 1937 making this year its 100th  anniversary.
• Earl “The Crazy One” Shaffer completed the first thru hike in 1948.
• The Appalachian Trail’s current length is 2193.1 miles. It does not include the 8.8 mile approach trail that goes from Springer Mountain to Amicalola Falls State Park.
• The Appalachian Trail is the longest “hiking-only” trail in the world.
• The total changes in elevation thru hiking the AT is equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest 16 times.
• The AT is maintained by 31 trail clubs.
• There are 262 shelters/lean-to’s on the AT. 
• The average cost for a thru hiker to complete the AT is $5500 (not including slack packing which is at least 2.5X that).
• We completed our thru hike in 167 hikes; averaging 13.1 miles per hike. 
• Our shortest hike was 5.3 miles, a Nero, and our longest was 24.6 miles.
• We slack packed every hike with the exception of going through the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina - Tennessee and the White Mountains in New Hampshire.
• We even slack packed the 100 Mile Wilderness with the help of Shaw’s Hiker Hostel in Monson, Maine.
• We completed the Wildcat Slack Pack Challenge-one of the most challenging sections of the AT. A grueling 23.1 mile scramble between Pinkham Notch and the Rattle River Trailhead.
• We never used our tents. 
• I used 6 pair of hiking shoes and boots and went through 4 additional pairs of insoles.
• I used 2 pair of hiking gaiters. 
• I broke 6 trekking poles.
• I ate over 300 granola/protein bars, 250+ Nuun hydration tablets, 5 lbs of peanut butter, 12 gallons of ice cream  and drank over 14 gallons of muscle milk and I still lost 37 lbs while on the trail. 
• Oh and I nearly forgot, Turtle Power won the 2nd half slip/fall contest by a near margin but a win is a win; so I owe him 2 dinners. Congratulations!!

Hiking injuries & health:

• I fractured my right wrist off trail in February. 
•  I hyperextended my left Achilles on hike #31 resulting in tendinitis which lasted the remainder of the thru hike. This resulted in plantar fasciitis in both feet as I already had it in my right from my past ruptured Achilles.
• I found the first tick on me on Day #81. I found 3 others the whole hike; none were embedded.
• I lost 2 toenails.
• I contracted conjunctivitis (pink eye) in my right eye in Maine.
• I got poison ivy once in Pennsylvania.
• I experienced neuropathy in both my feet and right quadricep which came and went thanks to my L5/S1 degeneration. I did not experience any back pain at all as I firmly believe the hiking strengthened my core and supporting muscles. 
• I developed an issue with my IT band in my right knee in June which was resolved quickly with stretching and PT thanks to Sharon Riccio.
• I began wrapping/taping my knees after summiting Katahdin. The continuous climbing in New Hampshire took its toll on me. 
• I experienced multiple aches and pains in which I’m blaming on just being old. Vitamin I (Ibuprofen) becomes your friend and daily regiment. 
• I used nearly 20 roles of duct tape, 5 rolls of KT Tape, 20 roles of self adhesive tape, 5 roles of Leukotape, 84,000 mg of Ibuprofen, over 250 band aids, 7 boxes of colloidal bandages, 3 compression ankle wraps and one wrist brace. I should have bought stock in CVS and Duct Tape.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started hiking the AT. I knew it would be strenuous and take some time to complete. I didn’t become consumed with reading all the blogs and journals as many hikers do. I chose a few specific articles to read from reliable sources. I knew other hikers have different opinions and look at things differently than I do and didn’t want their opinion to unnecessarily skew mine. I did make one “noob” error and did not believe how essential pack base weight is on a long distance hike such as the AT. I soon learned how true that was and did a shakedown after hiking through the Great Smoky Mountains dropping nearly 10 lbs in my pack.  If I could offer one piece of advise and if I was going to do more long distance hiking, in which I’m not, I would spend the extra monies and purchase all ultra lightweight equipment. It’s not cheap and it could be a considerable upfront expense as why a lot of hikers do not buy it. You can make it a little more affordable if perhaps you upgrade your equipment over time and not all at once. Or maybe skip a Starbucks coffee now and then and put this money towards purchasing your ultra lightweight equipment. Regardless, if hiking is a passion of yours and you hike often; when you consider the cost over the many miles of hiking you will be doing it’s definitely money well spent and would make your hiking easier and more enjoyable!

I met many hikers from all walks of life, no pun intended. Most thru hikers are typically young adults right out of college (20 - 30 years old) and older, mature individuals (55+ years old). The younger having little responsibilities to hold them back and the mature hikers are usually retired or empty nesters, having less responsibilities to hold them back. You do not see many middle aged thru hikers (30 - 55 years old) as they are caught up with their careers and/ or raising families and don’t have the time to commit to such an undertaking; a thru hike can take up to several months to do. I was surprised how many hikers smoke cigarettes, especially the younger hikers. I also was surprised to learn that approximately 10% of the young hikers have no place to live when they leave the trail - the trail is their home. 

Only 20% of those who begin a thru hike complete it. Here are the 5 main reasons why they don’t: 

1. Lack of funds.
2. Injury.
3. Loss motivation, boredom, lack of mental preparation (hiking alone).
4. Family issues.
5. Running out of time.

Reasons 1,3 and 5 were irrelevant to me; #4 - you would have to evaluate the circumstances if it came up. Reason #2 nearly took me off the trail but I worked through it. 

What amazed me the most was the number of solo female thru hikers we met - 40% percent of thru hikers are female. And many of them being in their 60’s & 70’s.  I remember one hiker named “Buttercup” who was  5’- nothing and was 73 years young. We passed her several times on the trail; once being helped off the trail by two Good Samaritans. “Buttercup” fell and suffered a severe laceration on her head and a concussion. We met her again 12 days later,  back on the trail and chipper as ever.  

The majority of section hikers that hike in the summer are usually teachers as they have summers off and this is the only time that they have to hike 100 miles. 

I read about an 82 year old man hiking the AT for the 3rd time and this time he would be the oldest ever to complete a thru hike as he would turn 83 on the trail. This individual is Meredith “Sunny” Eberhart aka “Nimblewill Nomad”. I found his website and was reading his daily journal following his progress when I realized we were hiking in the same section of the AT and we might run in to him. Sure enough, we were staying at the Mountain Harbor Bed & Breakfast and Hostel by Roan Mountain in Tennessee and we met him the next morning at breakfast. We had a great conversation and he was so supportive of all hikers; a true gentleman and ambassador of the AT. We actually met again on the trail when we were in New Hampshire and “Nimblewill” flipped south after summiting Katahdin. He actually remembered eating with us at the hostel back in Tennessee. 

Happy Trails “Nimblewill” and good luck completing Odyssey 2021.

I cannot forget to mention Shaw’s Hiker Hostel in Monson, Maine. It is the Mecca of all AT hostels as it is located near the southern border of the 100 Mile Wilderness providing much needed resupplies and accommodations to weary hikers. It is run and operated by Jarrod “Poet” & Kim “Hippie Chick” Hester who are veteran hikers themselves completing their thru hike in 2008. They set us up to slack pack the 100 Mile Wilderness. Thanks again for a great stay and feeding Turtle Power his IPA’s. 

Another unforgettable hiker we met has been section hiking the AT since 2006. We passed each other a few times back in New Hampshire and each time we met we’d chat a little longer. When he began his early section hikes, he started with a friend who had to stop after a couple years due to family issues. He has hiked the remaining years by himself answering the call to finish. This year was going to be the year he was going to summit Katahdin and complete his voyage. We became friends on the trail and he invited us to share his lean-to in Baxter State Park and summit Mt. Katahdin with him. His name is “Navigator” and it was a pleasure to meet him and his wife Jenny on the trail. 

“Turtle Power”, “Navigator” & “Splinter” ready to climb Mt. Katahdin. 

Jenny and “Navigator”.

Congratulations “Navigator”! Your hard work and perseverance paid off. 

Thank you again for your generosity!

Last but definitely not least, I want to mention Joe Arcuri Jr. but we affectionately know him as “Chief Snow” as one of our most favorite hikers we hiked with on the trail. Chief joined us for a couple days when we hiked in Massachusetts. I was a bit disappointed when he couldn’t join us when we finished in Harpers Ferry as he was at his “shack on the beach” in Florida. 

There were countless other hikers we met on our journey: “Drifter”, “Hun”, “Splash”, “Chip Crusher”, “Mogul”, “Ketchup”, “Mr. Clean”, “Cyborg”, “Spirit”, “Greg in Wild”, “Pointer”, “Beer Shower”, “Bug” and “Godfather” just to name a few. So many different personalities and individuals all hiking their own hike, making our “Platinum” Slack Packing Flip - Flop - Flip Thru Hike more memorable and enjoyable. 

I want to thank my ole friend Turtle Power for asking me to join him on this adventure even though I wasn’t his first choice… it was inevitable that we would so I’m not quite sure he just didn’t ask me right up front? I know we had our differences but we survived; we didn’t agree 100% with all the “Zero’s” or all the time off the trail that I wanted. After I write my book on hiking the AT, I want Nicholas Cage to play me in the screenplay. I don’t think he liked my choice of Alec Baldwin to play him neither? Anyways, we made it all work and gained life time memories together; check it off the bucket list. Something to look back and laugh about in our senior years. And NO, I am not hiking the PCT with you. I could possibly join you for a few days or be your support, but no more long distance hiking for me… nada… zip… zero!!!

I almost forgot to mention and thank all the “Trail Angels” and the “trail magic” that they provide to all thru hikers. It’s simply amazing what they do especially one “Trail Archangel the named “Fresh Ground”.  We met him once by Dragons Tooth cooking burrito’s and a 2nd time in Maryland providing pizza and subs. 

Thanks to all my family and friends and followers on my blog, especially Bob Runkle my unofficial publicist,  who made comments of my progress and sending words of encouragement. 

I also want to mention and say thank you to my Grandmaster and Instructor, Grandmaster Clifford Crandall for all his support and advise he gave me while I was on this trek. All my previous training under Grandmaster Crandall’s direction played a major role in my successful completion of my thru hike. Someone once said … “ hiking the AT is 90% mental and the remaining 10% is… mental.”  That could not be more true as my mental state and preparation due to my martial arts training was THE deciding factor in my completion of the thru hike. 

I want to thank my children Theresa, Erin and Scooter for their support and words of encouragement.  Theresa came up with my trail name and the name of my blog “The Way I Go Along the Appalachian Trail” or TWIG a spin off on “Splinter”.

And of course, there’s Jean. I am so thankful to have her and for her understanding and support. Originally she was going to be more involved dropping us off at trailheads and preparing gourmet meals but covid altered that. So we ended up being separated more than what was anticipated. But we did buy a condo in Florida during all this so now I look forward to setting that up with her and spending many warm winters together. 

And I want to make it 100% unequivocally perfectly clear that this is my one and only long distance hike!!! Jean and I are planning on hiking a portion of the Camino de Santiago in the fall of 2023 if anyone would like to join us… I guarantee that will be “Just a Walk in the Woods.”

Happy Trails!

Till next time... Happy Hiking     🥾 

😋

“It will surprise you what a conversation with a good friend can lead too…” 

                                           Steve “Splinter”Riley