Congratulations Beaker!

Today’s post is a tribute to Rusty Miller, a chemist from West Virginia, and his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. He began his journey on February 26, 2017 and crossed his finish line on September 12, 2017 for a total of 189 days.  Many of you have followed my blog and his adventures over the past seven months. This post will be a photo diary of this man’s trip across 14 states and his 5 million steps to the finish line. All of these pictures come from Beaker’s online journal found at: http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/photos/18636

He began at Springer Mountain, Georgia with red shirt and kilt.

At Springer Mountain-The beginning

His Look – The Kilt

Completed Georgia -13 more to go

North Carolina brought the Smoky Mountains and cold weather.

Snow in the Smokies

Border of NC and TN

Tennessee included a bike ride in Erwin to do some laundry and a lovely waterfall with hiking buddy, 1st Sgt.

Bike to do laundry

Beautiful waterfall

There’s always a possibility of snow in April in Virginia, but the wild ponies of Grayson Highlands are always a highlight of a thru-hike.

4/7/17 Snow in Virginia

Beaker with the Wild Ponies

Becker actually sold his home in WV and bought a new one in Knoxville while on the trail. He took three weeks off trail to move his home from West Virginia to Tennessee. This gave him an opportunity to change his trail persona.

Harpers Ferry, WV is the home of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the emotional half-way point of the trail. The true, linear, half way point is in Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania.

Harpers Ferry

Pine Grove Furnace St. Park

The month of June brought the rocky trails of PA, NJ, and NY.

Summit out of Palmerton, PA

Dover Oak, largest oak tree on the AT

July led Beaker above tree-line in New Hampshire.

Silhouette above the trees

Mount Moosilauke

August 12 was the day for Mount Katahdin, Maine, the northern terminus of the AT.

Beaker on lower left

After Katahdin, Beaker went home to Tennessee for two weeks before completing a section of Virginia that he skipped on his NOBO journey to Maine. He returned to the trail on August 27 to complete his 2,200 mile trek of the Appalachian Trail. Moving SOBO, he was dropped off in Waynesboro, VA. by his son, Zack, hiked 315 miles in 19 days, and finished his adventure in Adkins, Virginia at The Barn Restaurant.

Beaker and his son, Zack

Sitting on McAfee Knob

The Finish Line

What a great journey! I give Beaker a standing ovation and two thumbs up.

Beaker Finishing the Appalachian Trail – The Final Days

9/11/17 Destination: Knot Maul Shelter, VA

Miles hiked: 2175.7 Miles Today 24.4 Miles to go: 14.6

Beaker at the Chestnut Knob Shelter

Beaker was up at daylight. The forecast was for rain in the afternoon, so he wanted to get in as many miles as possible before welcoming the liquid sunshine to the trail. He had to bid farewell to Hoops (Courtney) thanking her once again for coming out to the trail. Dancing Bear slept in a little later but was planning on hiking to Knot Maul Shelter today as well.

It was overcast and windy all morning; but, the rain held off. Dancing Bear passed Beaker fairly quickly into the hike which reminded Beaker of the old days with the young guys blowing past him as he trudged up the hill. Beaker then settled into his steady pace, listening to an audiobook as the miles melted away.

About 15 miles into the hike, Beaker stopped for lunch at Chestnut Knob Shelter. He showed up just as Dancing Bear was heading out. The shelter was so nice, located in a meadow on top of a mountain. It was a fully enclosed shelter with windows, bunks for six, and a picnic table in the shelter. Beaker finished his lunch and reluctantly headed back out into the wind and light rain.

Another ten miles of hiking brought him to his destination, Dancing Bear was already there, reading. They had a pleasant dinner at the shelter, both grateful for the company of another thru hiker.

It still hasn’t quite sunk in that tomorrow is my very last day on trail. I have been doing this since February. Although I’m more than ready to be finished, I know that I will miss the simplicity of this lifestyle where all you have to worry about is putting one foot in front of another. I will also miss the easy camaraderie of the thru hiker community.

9/12/17 Destination: The Finish Line – The Barn Restaurant, Atkins, VA. Miles today 14.6

September 12 would be Beaker’s last day on the trail. Instead of summarizing his journal, I decided to quote portions of post in the hopes of better capturing his spirit and excitement of the end.

The Thru- Hike COMPLETE!

My final day on the trail was quite epic. The wind gusted all night and the rain arrived around 3:00 AM as the tail end of Hurricane Irma descended upon us. Since I only had 14.6 miles to hike, I slept in until 7:15 AM, allowing it to get light before I drug myself out from under my nice, warm down quilt.  

After eating breakfast and packing up, it became apparent that the wind and rain weren’t going to let up any time soon, so I decided it was time to hike. Dancing Bear was still in his sleeping bag and was contemplating taking a zero day at the shelter to ride out the storm. So, I bade him farewell and good luck and headed out.

The wind was gusting and the rain was pelting as I climbed the ridge. There were leaves and branches down everywhere and I had to climb over a couple of downed trees. ….The trail profile was a little steeper than what I had hiked the past couple of days, with three pretty big climbs. Each time I descended from a mountain, I would have to climb over a stile and traverse a pasture.….The pastures were also much more exposed than the woods. At one point, I came around the hill as I was traversing an open pasture right into a strong headwind, with sheets of rain pelting me. The wind was so strong I had to tighten the drawstring on my hat to keep it from blowing off.

I was trudging up a long, steep hill at one point when Dancing Bear came bounding by like it was nothing. It really warmed my heart to be passed just once more by a young Twenty Something like I was standing still.  It was just like the old days.

Eventually, I climbed over my last stile, walked under I-81 and approached the Barn Restaurant. As I walked up, Dancing Bear was on the porch, cheering me on. He said that he didn’t want me to “summit” at the Barn alone, so he decided to hike through the rain to be there for me.

After 2190.3 miles of hiking through rain, sleet, snow, wind, sun, rocks, roots, and mud, my hike was finally at an end. A casual observer probably would have said that the moisture on my cheeks was a result of the pelting rain. Any thru hiker would’ve known the true source and smiled, knowing that I had now well and truly earned the title of Brave & Fierce Thru Hiker.

 

Beaker Finishing the Appalachian Trail – Part 2

View from Peter’s Mountain

9/7/17 Destination: Rice Field Shelter, VA –  Miles Hiked Today 25.3

Beaker had a long day planned, setting him up for a Nero (near zero) hike into Pearisburg on Friday. Although there were two pretty good climbs on the agenda, the majority of the hike was along ridge lines. The weather was great for hiking – cool and sunny.

The hike was pretty uneventful. Beaker didn’t see anyone on the trail all morning. After lunch, he met three women who were doing a southbound section hike. They had stopped to take a break at the shelter. After visiting awhile, Beaker started the long climb up to the Peter’s Mountain ridge line. He passed through a couple of old farm fields along the ridge, complete with apple trees – he ate his fill of the small tart apples. After a long day of hiking, Beaker finally arrived at the Shelter around 7:00. There were five other hikers at the shelter. They had already finished dinner and were settling in for the evening when he arrived, so Beaker set up his tent close to the shelter for the night.

Tomorrow’s journey hopes to be a short 8 mile hike down off the ridge, across the New River, and into Pearisburg, VA. The plan is for his brother Kenny to pick him up and take him to his house in Lewisburg, WV, for the night.

9/8/17 Destination Miller House, Lewisburg, WV.  Miles Today – 7.8

It was breezy and only 43 degrees when Beaker woke up at 7:00.  Getting out from underneath his warm quilt was tough. Once on the trail, the hike was smooth and gentle all the way down into Pearisburg. Then, Beaker came upon the Lucky Star Chinese Buffet (can you say, “All You Can Eat”?). I laughed when I finished eating and opened my fortune cookie and read: “You will obtain your goal if you maintain your course.” Even the Chinese buffet is rooting for me to finish this journey.

Beaker’s brother Kenny picked him up at the Lucky Star and they drove to Lewisburg, WV for the night.

9/9/17 Destination: Trent’s Grocery, VA  Miles Today 25.8

Today ranks high on my list of Great Trail Days. Beaker started off in the fog but climbed out of it as he ascended into the hills. The rest of the day was spent hiking along the ridge. Although he had to navigate a few rocky sections, the trail, for the most part, was smooth and easy. In addition, the weather was just about hiker perfect – cool but clear skies. 

At one point I heard crashing through the underbrush to my right. I have seen a bunch of deer through this section; but, these sounded bigger. Then I saw it – a bear! A fairly good sized bear ran across the trail about 30 feet ahead of me. It then stopped and stood on its back legs and looked at me…it dropped back down on all fours and loped off into the woods.

Beaker and Hoops

Trent’s Grocery, today’s destination, has everything a thru-hiker needs: a deli, a full selection of resupply options, and a place for camping next to the store –  Beaker arrived there around 6:00 and got a cheeseburger and onion rings.  

Beaker got a text from Courtney (aka Brie, aka Hoops). She was driving up from NC to meet him. The thing I have missed the most on this last section of the hike is the camaraderie of other thru hikers. In fact, I have been downright lonely. Beaker first met Courtney climbing up Blood Mountain on the second day of the hike, they crossed paths many times throughout the hike, and they climbed up Katahdin on the same day. Beaker was excited when she texted. It was so good to see one of his thru-hiker friends. Once her tent was set up, they went back to Trent’s for some ice cream and a bundle of firewood. They were joined in the camp by two other hikers and the four of them had a special evening around a campfire, listening to distance coyotes howling at the moon and telling tales of the trail. Tomorrow, Courtney is going to slackpack Beaker so he can knock out another 25 mile section of trail.

9/10/17 Stealth Site next to VA Rt 615, VA  Today 25.2 miles

Beaker awoke to fog and a heavy dew at his campsite behind Trent’s Grocery. Courtney was slack-packing Beaker today. She even brought him a daypack, so he didn’t have to carry his heavy backpack. Beaker hit the trail by 7:45.

He climbed up out of the fog into full sun and blue skies – another beautiful hiking day. With the lighter pack, Beaker was able to cover ground pretty quickly. Around the 18 mile mark, he crossed US Rt 52 and came upon Courtney sitting at a picnic table next to the road. Beaker refilled his water bottles, ate some snacks, and headed out to finish the last seven miles of today’s hike.

Dancing Bear and Hoops and DQ

While Hoops was waiting for Beaker to arrive, a Flip-Flopper named Dancing Bear had passed by. Beaker had first met Dancing Bear in Maine right after Mahoosuc Notch and had seen him off and on through Maine. Courtney invited Dancing Bear to camp with them and to run into Bastion, VA for pizza that evening. After a pizza dinner at the Pizza Plus, the three friends drove over to a Dairy Queen for dessert. They then returned to their stealth site next to Rt 615.

Tomorrow, Beaker plans to hike another 25 miles to Knot Maul Shelter, setting himself up for a 14 mile hike in the rain on Tuesday to complete the trail.

Beaker Finishing the Appalachian Trail – Part 1

Beaker is very close to completing his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. In the next three days, let me catch you up on his adventures over the past 10 days. He is completing a section of the trail in Virginia that he skipped hiking to Maine. He is now walking SOBO (South Bound) as he completes this final leg of his journey.

9/2/17 Destination: Bobblets Gap Shelter, VA     Miles Today 18.2    Miles to go: 203.0

Another rainy day on the trail. It rained all night and Beaker woke to rain, wind, and fog. He was up and on the trail by 7:20 AM. The trail surface continued to be nice and smooth. He stopped for a break at Bryant Ridge Shelter, one of newer shelters on the trail – double decker structure with room for about 20 people and a big front porch. After a short break, Beaker continued hiking  – the rain lasting most of the day. The trail was pretty quiet today.The rain discouraging most day-hikers.

Beaker took a pretty good fall in the afternoon. He was moving along at a good pace on a level stretch of trail but managed to catch his toe on a trip rock. The momentum from his backpack propelled him forward and, with no time to react, he found himself sprawled out on the trail. He ended up with banged up knuckles on his left hand and scrapes on his left shin.

Beaker arrived at the shelter in the rain around 5:00. The weather is predicted to improve tomorrow and Beaker will be headed into town to spend the night at his cousin’s house, so he fell asleep hoping for better days on the trail.

9/3/2017 Destination: Cousin Bill’s Apartment, Salem, VA   Miles Today:18.5

Beaker headed out around 7:15 AM. The sun broke out of the clouds only a couple of miles after leaving the shelter and by mid-morning, he was hiking under clear blue skies. For the most part, the trail was smooth and gentle, crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway several times.

The bright and beautiful day was dimmed somewhat when I learned via Facebook that a dear friend of mine from my days with the Mountaineer Area Rescue Group had died suddenly and unexpectedly. I spent the rest of the morning hiking with an air of melancholy, thinking of all the times I had spent with Ann on training missions and actual searches.

Beaker arrived in Daleville around 4:00.  Beaker’s cousin, Bill, picked him up around 5:00 in order to spend the night in his apartment in Salem, VA. During the hour wait, Beaker resupplied for his coming hike into Pearisburg. Friends of Bill brought over a wonderful meal of baked spaghetti, corn on the cob, and garlic bread. After dinner, they all settled in to watch the WVU-VT football game on TV. Tomorrow, Bill is going to drop Beaker back off in Daleville and he will slackpack 20 miles via Tinker Cliffs and McAfee’s Knob, where Bill will pick him up and bring me back to his place for another good night’s sleep.

9/4/2017 Destination: Cousin Bill’s Apartment, Salem, VA  Miles Hiked Today: 19.8

Beaker and Matt

Today was a beautiful day to be on the trail – both in terms of weather and terrain. Cousin Bill dropped Beaker at the trail around 8:00. Even though most of  the morning involved climbing, trail conditions were very nice, and the pack weight was light. Beaker started listen to audiobooks, which also helped the miles to pass by quickly.

Since it was a holiday with beautiful weather, the trail was filled with day-hikers. Tinker Cliffs were pretty crowded; however, the views were spectacular. Bill’s 15-year-old son, Matthew, met Beaker at McAfee’s Knob, the rock overhang that is the most photographed place along the Appalachian Trail. There was a big crowd at the knob waiting to get their picture while sitting on the edge, dangling their feet over the precipice.

After snapping a few photos of their own, Beaker and Matthew headed for the parking lot and were soon riding back to Bill’s place. After a great shower, they went to an incredible cookout at a friend’s house – hot dogs, hamburgers, mac and cheese, au gratin potatoes, fruit salad, chips, and desserts! Bill will return Beaker to the parking tomorrow, where Beaker will continue heading south.

Audie Murphy Memorial

9/5/17 Destination: Niday Shelter, VA.  Miles Hiked Today: 22.7

Bill got Beaker back to the trail by 8:15. It was a beautiful day, with blue skies and light winds. Most of the day was spent running along ridge lines and scrambling over rock outcropping. Beaker passed two AT landmarks on the hike today. The first one: Dragon’s Tooth is a 50 ft stone monolith at the top of Cove Mountain and the second: the Audie Murphy Memorial marks the spot of the fatal plane crash in 1971 that took the life of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in World War II.

It was getting pretty dark when Beaker arrived at the shelter. He was alone in the camp tonight. The keyword for this portion of the hike has been solitude.

Keffer Oak

9/6/17 Destination Warspur Shelter, VA.   Miles Hiked Today 18.2

It rained on and off all night, but Beaker was under way by 7:20.  After leaving the shelter, the rain settled in. It was a cold, steady rain that went on most of the morning. After climbing a couple miles, the trail leveled off and ran along the ridge. The trail along the ridge was rocky – wet, slippery slabs.

Beaker had to slide down some of the tilted slabs, but after descending from the ridge, he hiked through pastures and farmland for several miles, passing the Keffer Oak, a huge oak tree that is the second largest tree on the trail. The trail continues to be empty. Beaker only met two hikers today and they were heading north.

Beaker arrived at Warspur Shelter around 5:30. The clouds had actually cleared and the sun was shining brightly. It was nice to get into camp early enough to fix dinner and clean up before dark. Beaker was alone in the shelter again tonight.

Amazingly enough, I have walked almost 2100 miles now. I can remember way back to Georgia in February. The trail seemed impossibly long and daunting. It seemed like the exhausting 8 to 10 mile nibbles I was doing every day would never get me to the end. Now, I get up and walk 20 miles every day without a thought…..I’m not trying to say what I’m doing is amazing. It’s just funny how what once seemed impossible has become so mundane. Sadly, I also know that I am going to quickly lose this level of fitness when I am not walking 20 miles every day. Hopefully, I can keep off the 40 lbs I have lost when I go home.

Beaker Under 225 Miles to Go

8/30/17 Destination: Stealth Site north of Punchbowl Shelter, VA   Miles Today: 22.2

Today rated up pretty high on my list of Good Days on the AT.

Beaker got up about 6:00. The sun is rising later each day and it wasn’t fully light until after 7:00. As a result, he didn’t get on the trail until almost 7:30 AM. The rain had passed overnight but fog remained and the trees continued to drip. The trail through this section of Virginia is beautiful – smooth, packed dirt moving gently along the ridgetops. To make conditions even better, the trail ran through old farmland, with lots of apple trees. I couldn’t walk past those trees without sampling an apple. Or two. Or three. Or more…

The mist dissipated around 11:00 making the hike even more enjoyable. Beaker stopped for lunch around 1:00 and by 5:30 he arrived at a lovely campsite. While filling up his water bottles to make a final push ahead he struck up a conversation with a northbound hiker. The other hiker shared that a  youth group that was headed to Punchbowl Shelter [Beaker’s initial destination] for the night. Beaker decided that 22.2 miles was far enough for one day. He took his time setting up his tent, eating dinner, cleaning up, and hanging the bear bag before sunset.

Beaker in Glasgow

8/31/17 Destination:Glasgow, VA   Miles today 13.2

Town Day! Beaker had a 13.2 mile hike in to Glasgow. Unfortunately, the first five miles were a climb to the summit of Bluff Mountain. Upon reaching the summit of Bluff Mountain, Beaker was rewarded with spectacular views mountains to the east and west.

Taking advantage of good cell phone service at the top of the mountain, Beaker called a hostel and made arrangements to be picked up at 1:00 PM at the road crossing 8.9 miles away Unfortunately, the rocks appeared, loose and wobbly making the descent rather treacherous. Beaker navigated the downhill and arrived at the pick up point with 14 minutes to spare.

Bob is the caretaker at the Glasgow hostel. Beaker jumped in his old car with peeling paint and started the five mile trip over the winding mountain road to Glasgow. Bob’s driving style was a little on the frightening side, passing on the solid lines around curves so Beaker was glad that the car ride was only 5 miles in length. He completed the usual town chores of showering, laundry, washing his pot and spoon, and figuring out how much food he needed for his next segment.

Prediction of steady rain all day tomorrow, but Beaker plans to hike on assuming I survive the ride back to the trail with Bob.

9/1/17  Destination: Cornelius Creek Shelter,VA.   Miles today 19.9

Today was a nasty day to be out on the trail. The remnants of Harvey reached The Appalachian Trail in Virginia and the weather was wet, blustery, and cold. Bob delivered me back to the trail head by a little bit after 7:00 AM. The ride was calm and not nearly as scary as yesterday. Beaker crossed the 1000 foot long James River Bridge – the longest footbridge on the whole AT. The rest of the day was spent climbing. The rain held off for the first three miles; but, then the wind picked up and the rain settled into a steady, windy downpour. Beaker basically put his head down and cranked out the miles. As long as I kept moving, I didn’t get cold. So, I just kept moving all day. Beaker has also started listening to books on Audible to pass the time, so the miles went by quickly.

Beaker arrived at Thunder Hill Shelter around 1:30 and took a break to eat lunch. Heading back down the trail, he began to realize how cold he had become eating lunch so he began to hustle down the trail finally warmed up enough for my teeth to quit chattering.

Beaker passed by another AT icon along the way today – the Guillotine. It is a rock formation where you pass under a large boulder suspended above your head, trapped by the sides of a narrow passage between two rock faces.

Four people were already in the shelter when I arrived; but, they gladly made room for one more. After changing into dry clothes, eating dinner, and hanging our food bags, we are all settled in our sleeping bags for the night. It is still blustery and rainy and predicted to get down in the 40s tonight; but, I am safe, warm, and dry for the night.

Beaker Traveling the Virginia Trails

8/28/17, Destination: Maupin Field Shelter, VA – Miles today 20.8

Stanimal and Jack with the New Pack

Beaker waited until the businesses in town opened up. He had identified a tailor who could probably sew his pack strap; but, Adam, Stanimal, suggested an initial visit to Rockfish Gap Outfitters. RGO is an authorized Osprey Packs dealer. Stanimal thought they might be able to talk to Osprey and see if anything could be done. Jack from RGO got on the phone with Osprey and 15 minutes later Beaker was walking out the front door with a brand new replacement pack. Adam dropped him back off at Rockfish Gap, Beaker was able to hit the trail by 11:00.

The trail was smooth, dry, rockless, and rootless….and filled with switchbacks. Unfortunately, with the summit of Humpback Mt, the gentle re-introduction to the AT ended. Reappearing was the rugged trail with all those loose rocks attempting to twist an ankle or trip the hiker right off his/her feet. As a result, by late afternoon, Beaker’s feet, ankles, and knees were really feeling it.

Due to his late start, he did not arrive at the shelter until 8:15. When I arrived at the shelter, I think I startled a couple of the people when a kilted figure silently materialized out of the dark. Rain was expected overnight, so Beaker chose to sleep in the shelter to keep his equipment dry.

8/29/17, Destination: Seely-Woolworth Shelter, VA – Miles today 20.4 (Miles to complete the AT – 276.7)

Rainy Day in Virginia

The rain arrived as promised around 4:00 in the morning which delayed Beaker’s start until 9:15. Two things surprised me today. First, I was surprised to find I had very little phone signal. I had better signal in the 100 Mile Wilderness! Second, the trail was much rockier than I expected. And, of course, the rocks were wet and very slick. In fact, I took a pretty good tumble coming down Three Ridges and banged up my right knee pretty badly.

After lunch, Beaker crossed the Tye River and began the long climb up a mountain called The Priest. The climb was 3100 feet over 4.5 miles. It was long and hard but the terrain calmed down and the rocks went away. The weather was nasty and frustrating. It was just a nasty day to be out in the woods hiking.  Beaker finally reached the summit of The Priest in the fog and rain. He arrived at the Priest Shelter about 4:30 only to find it filled with a Freshman Orientation group from Washington & Lee. He decided to push on another 6.6 miles to the Seely-Woolworth Shelter. The rain had tapered off; but, a fog had settled in and the trees continued to drip water.

Beaker finally arrived at the shelter around 7:30 PM to find five people already in the shelter, so he decided to set up his tent. I am now snug, warm, and dry in my tent. The rain has stopped for now; but, more rain is predicted for tomorrow. I am so tired of hiking in rain.

Beaker Back on the Trail

Beaker and his son, Jack

August 27, 2017

Beaker is back on the trail. During the two-week rest after his climb up Mount Katahdin in Maine, he has been busy doing some remodeling his new home in Knoxville, Tennessee; he was able to catch the eclipse with just an hour’s drive to the path of totality – a spectacular event; he had two job interviews for full-time paramedic positions resulting in one offer and the other with high promise; and he finished off his rest-time with a wedding in Columbus, Ohio. He flew out of Columbus and met his son, Zack, in Charlottesville, Virginia. They had dinner together and then Zack dropped his dad off at Rockfish Gap to continue his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Beaker had walked less than a mile when he felt a pop and felt his backpack fall limp on his shoulders. He quickly stopped and examined the damage. The left shoulder strap had worn through about an inch above where it attaches to the body of the pack. With no way to fix it on the trail, his best option was to call Zack for an emergency pick up.

They drove to Waynesboro, Virginia, and Beaker found a spot at Stanimal’s Hostel. Adam Stanley, Stanimal, is a 2004 thru-hiker of the AT and completed a 2010 hike of the PTC (Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada). Beaker ended up being the only hiker in his hostel for the night. Stanimal promised Beaker a shuttle ride to a tailor in the morning for a pack strap repair or to an outfitter to get the pack replaced.  

This is a fairly inauspicious beginning to this last segment of my hike; however, at least the strap did not break when I was two days’ hike from a town. Hopefully, I can get it repaired and be on my way late morning tomorrow.

I had a similar problem on my thru-hike of the AT in 2014. I sensed a unevenness in my backpack one day and upon closer inspection, notice that my strap was pulling away from the bag. I was able to order and replace my backpack before permanent damage left me having to carry the pack in my arms for miles. Reading of  Beaker’s experience was a reminded of God’s faithfulness to me during my adventure in what could have been a very difficult situation.

It is good to see the chemist from West Virginia (now the paramedic from Knoxville) back on the trail with only a section of 318 miles in Virginia to complete his 2017 thru-hike of the AT.. More to come.

Hike It Forward In Paperback

Paperback Copies

Hike It Forward, the book recounting my experience on the Appalachian Trail, is now available in paperback. Several of you have inquired into the possibility of making my ebook into a real copy to be held in your hand, so you could turn the pages, and feel its weight and place it on your bedside table.I am thrilled to pass the word that it is now available through Amazon. Just click on the picture of the books and it will take you to the correct Amazon page.  

In April of 2014 I had the incredible opportunity to hike the 14 states of the Appalachian Trail. I kept a journal every day and was able to capture some of my adventure in this daily record. Hike It Forward includes an abbreviated journal of my trek, but I tried to make the book more than just a diary. It is formatted by topics and each chapter focuses on one of the various aspects of the thru-hike from hostels, to trail jargon, from wildlife to trail names, from adversity to thrills, and from valleys to summits.  

Please pass the word along your network to those you who might have an interest in reading about the adventure of the trail. I consider myself a spiritual man who loves to see God in all things, so my book is subtitled  “Hiking the Appalachian Trail: Strong, Safe and in the Spirit” and it includes some of my insights into the faithfulness of God along my 152 days in the woods.  I am always available for comment and would love to hear your reactions to my story.  

Thru-Hikes Completed

Beaker made it to Katahdin on August 12, but his thru-hike continues as he returns to a 315-mile section in Virginia that he bypassed earlier in his hike. There have been several hikers who recorded their journeys on trailjourals.com that have completed their adventures and climbed to the brown sign on top of Katahdin in Baxter Park. Today’s post will quickly highlight the four individuals that have headed home as thru-hikers of the Appalachian Trail.

Salesman at border of GA/NC

Salesman on Katahdin

The first of the journal writers to summit Katahdin was Salesman who finished up on July 9th. He began his adventure on February 20 and, like all four of these hikers, walked through some snow and cold weather during the early days of his walk through 14 states. His trek lasted 140 days which is quite a rapid pace especially through those cold trail days. Salesman’s real name is Mike M and he lives outside of Charlotte, NC. He grew up in East Tennessee and had hiked some sections of the southern AT over the years. He started early because he did not want to compete for shelter or hostel spots in the bubble. Mike had been thinking about an AT thru-hike for about 5 years and was waiting for retirement to make the dream a reality. Congratulations to the Salesman.

Will-da-beast in Georgia

Will-da-beast in Maine

Will-da-beast post hike

 Will-da-beast, summitted Katahdin on July 21st after starting at Springer Mountain, Georgia on March 1 for an adventure lasting 143 days. Will-da-beast, Charlie Quattro, is a 53 year-old grandfather who had desired to hike the Appalachian trail for many years. He had many experiences on the AT in the past, having trekked through all of Georgia, part of North Carolina, and all of West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. He began the trail with a long beard but he cut the growth at the brown sign in Maine.  

Whistler – Day One

Whistler – Day 141

Whistler, Bill Monk, from Nova Scotia, Canada, began his epic hike on March 5th and completed the adventure on July 24th. His journey of the  2, 180+ mile trail encompassed 141 days. Bill is married to Annie and they have two sons, Brian and Richard. He and his sons did some hiking on the AT in 2002. He had the privilege to actively support the Annapolis Board of Trade (similar to the Chamber of Commerce in the US) for the past eight years while recently serving two terms as their vice president.  

1st Sgt at the Approach Trail – GA

1st Sgt at the brown sign

First Sergeant, Dave, began his his thru-hike on 23rd  of February and completed his journey on August 10 – a 169-day trek. He is a retired United States Air Force member (30 years) and an avid Geocacher. The rank Dave held for about the last 10 years of his career was First Sergeant (thus the trail name). Hiking the Appalachian Trail had been a dream of Dave’s since he was just a boy. He planned for the hike for more than a year. 1st Sgt hiked two large sections of the AT with Beaker, reaching the summit of Mount Katahdin just two days before the chemist from West Virginia. Dave’s wife Christine joined him a few times during his thru-hike of the trail.

Beaker On Katahdin

August 8, 2017

Beaker – bottom left

Beaker was up at 4:00, The Fellowship met at the campground office at 5:00, and they all headed to Baxter State Park in three shuttle vehicles. The gate to the park didn’t open until 6:00, so it was about 7:00 when they finally set forward on the trail to the summit of Mount Katahdin. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a pretty day to summit – light rain was falling and the mountain was in the clouds.

As Beaker got out of the shuttle car, who should he see but Sitting Bull and Hoops! They pushed hard and made it into Baxter State Park last night to summit this morning. The hike was steep and rocky. As they neared the treeline, the rain stopped, but the trek led into the thick clouds encircling the summit. Soon, visibility was down to 20 feet and the rest of the world was encased in the fog. Beaker began to climb hand over hand up vertical rock sections with the help of occasional rebar steps in the tougher sections.

After a substantial ascent , Beaker could make out the iconic brown sign he had been waiting to see since February. Some of the other members of the Fellowship were waiting for him with hugs and slaps of congrats on his back. It was cold, wet, and blustery at the summit; but, it didn’t matter. It was Mount Katahdin and Beaker was  surrounded by a bunch of thru-hikers who had become close friends over the past couple of weeks. Soon, Sitting Bull and Hoops arrived, then 4WD, followed shortly by Odin and Amy, arrived. Renewed celebrations broke out with each new arrival.

During the descent, the clouds began to disperse and the hikers could see just how exposed the rock face really was. What a visual difference to the foggy ascent in the clouds. The rest of the Fellowship was planning to head to Odin’s cabin in Maine for a day or two of post-hike celebration. Beaker, however, has a homeward-bound flight scheduled for tomorrow, so he had a hotel room in town. Their good-byes were sweet and meaningful.

I haven’t had time to fully reflect on the hike yet. That’ll come with time. Not to mention, I’m not done yet. I have 317.9 miles to complete in VA. I will be back on the AT August 27, after a couple weeks of R&R.

I will be sure and join Beaker’s blog for the final chapter of his Appalachian Trail adventure.