I think of myself as just an ordinary guy who has been blessed with the opportunity to do some extraordinary things. My life has played out in a such way that I have the means and flexibility to leave work and the indoor world to go walk in the woods five or six months at a time. I suppose some people may call long distance hiking a sport, but to me it is more of a lifestyle and any perceived sacrifices are far outweighed by the benefits.
I lived in Tennessee for 10 years before learning of the existence of the Appalachian Trail. During a weekend hike in the Smoky Mountains, some friends and I ran into thru hikers who explained that the trail we were on went all the way to Maine. On several occasions after that, I encountered thru hikers and gradually decided it was something I would like to try.
In 2003, the company I worked for was bought out and that gave me the opportunity to embark on my first thru hike on the Appalachian Trail. At the time, I thought it would be my one and only thru hike, but I had no idea what a change the experience would form in me.
Conditions at my new job and simply a longing for life on the trail again led me to complete the Appalachian Trail a second time in 2008.
By this time, I knew that more long distance hikes would follow and I began planning for both the Pacific Crest and Continental Divide Trails. I completed the Pacific Crest Trail in September of 2010, and almost immediately began planning for a Continental Divide Trail thru-hike. .
The Continental Divide trail followed in 2012 but it wasn't a cake walk. By the time I reached the middle of Montana, I had lost 20 pounds. With my, how shall I say it, svelte build of 5'9″ and 135 lbs, that was more than I could afford to lose. This thru hike challenged me in ways that the others did not. With the greater challenges came greater rewards and a huge sense of accomplishment.
My family probably thinks I'm crazy for heading back out to the Continental Divide in 2016. There is so much about the CDT that beckons me back. Once again, I expect it to be a very difficult trail logistically, physically, and mentally, but the draw is too much for me to resist.
George MacDonald had something to say about a simple flower that comes closer than anything I know at touching my feelings for tromping through this grand creation.
Not only do I have a spiritual connection to hiking, but have developed many and lasting relationships with other hikers. As sojourners traveling the same path toward the same goal, sharing intense and difficult conditions, we form ties stronger and deeper than many back in the superficial indoor world.