Let’s jump right in to the questions I am most often asked…
Q: Wow, the AT! That’s so great, so exciting!…Hey, wait, that’s crazy. Why are you doing this again?
A: I am doing this because I need a change of pace in my life. I have been testing myself academically for as long as I can remember, but haven’t really tested my resolve or body in a similar way. I was inspired to hike the trail by my first grade teacher, Mrs. Allen. I remember her telling us that her son was hiking this thing called the Appalachian Trail, and that he would be living in the woods for some crazy amount of time. As a kid I LOVED movies and books that dealt with outdoor survival and adventure. I remember reading “Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen and thinking “psh…I can do that, no big deal”. While this is not really the same as surviving a plane crash or having to really go into full survival mode in Alaska, I want to see if younger me was right. I also need to take time to think about what I want the next few years of my life to look like (i.e. grad school, professional goals) and figure that there’s no better time to think about what you’re doing with your life, than after giving up the life you know to throw yourself into the unknown. I won’t lie, I am excited, but with that excitement comes the anxiety of taking on a new adventure. My goal is to lean in to the unknown and uncertainty, and embrace both of those things as part of the process. I want to return fulfilled, and an even better resource for the students and teens that I work with. I’m not saying I plan on being an inspiration to everyone I come into contact with, but I do want to show those that matter most to me, that these big and “crazy” things can be achievable and not as scary as you’d lead yourself to believe.
Q: How many miles is that?
A: The trail itself is 2,189.1 miles long, but if all goes according to plan, I most likely will be doing a little more than that. Some of the towns I plan on staying in are a little ways off of the trail, so adding 3 miles or so here and there to that overall number (I’m hoping to arrange shuttles so that I don’t have to walk crazy extra miles).
Q: Wait…but you’ve never done anything like this…?
A: Well yes and no. It is true that I’ve never really camped out or hiked for longer than a weekend at a time, but I’ve spent time away at college and summer camps, which kind of has a similar effect. After a long enough time away from home, and after wrangling kids all day, you find yourself forgetting when the last time you showered was, and you tend to lose the comforts of home (especially with the constant fear of mice, spiders, and bed bugs…no thanks). I do have experience with the outdoors, as I was a Girl Scout for a long time (but the real kind of Girl Scout, who actually learns survival and wilderness skills). I also have my Wilderness First Aid certification and have worked alongside some really trail-savvy individuals who have taught me a lot.
Q: What are you most nervous about?
A: Pooping in the woods (sorry Mum and Dad). It is the one thing that I couldn’t really practice before leaving, I mean in theory I could’ve, but like, no. Second to that, I am nervous about my knees. I truly think that if anything, my knees could be the thing that bring me off of the trail. I do feel stronger than ever after completing PT and getting cortisone shots in both of my knees, but with the weight of a pack and having them be the number one tool that I rely on, I won’t know until I’m out there how well they will hold out. I would say I’m nervous about Lyme Disease, but I really just hate ticks. I am bringing Doxycycline with me just in case I suspect I have Lyme, but again, I just hate the idea that a stupid little freeloading tick thinks it can take me down. Like, no. Get out of here.
Q: What are you most excited about?
A: I am most excited about seeing how far I can go, and seeing what “trail Hannah” is like. I am excited to meet new people, hopefully get a cool trail name, and just travel across the natural landscapes that the trail is made up of. I am excited to reconnect with the natural world and challenge myself in ways that I haven’t before. I’m sure I will also be excited to reconnect with the commodities of the developed world when I spend time in hostels and hotels, and experience luxuries like showers and a warm bed. I’m excited to really understand what I can live without and to acknowledge what luxuries I take for granted. Oh, and the wild horses! I really really want to see the wild horses in Grayson Highlands, as well as any wildlife that I will see. I cannot wait to see the night sky in different places and just feel like I can see every star imaginable.
Q: How long will that take?
A: Well I’ve already mentioned that I’ve never done anything like this, so I don’t REALLY know. But I am hoping to be at Katahdin in Maine, by July 25th, which is the date I’ve calculated as of right now, by using my resupply “check points” as a rough estimate for when I’ll be where. This really is a “Hike Your Own Hike” experience, so for some it takes 46 days (that’s the current record for fastest thru hike), for others it takes 4-6 months, and some people take up to 8-9 months. I’m aiming for late June to Mid-July.
Q: What if you can’t do it? Like…what if you don’t finish?
A: Well the short answer is, I don’t know if I CAN do it, but I also don’t know that I CAN’T do it. I’m working to take it day by day to not overwhelm myself with the “big picture”. If I can’t hack it, and don’t finish the full 2,189 miles, I will feel disappointed in myself, but only to an extent. This is my experience and I’m sure that if I truly assess things & feel that I need to come off of the trail, than there must be a good reason for it. I haven’t put this much effort into this just to give up at the first sign of “AHHHHH WHAT AM I DOING?” or the first doubtful thoughts that I’m sure will spring into my head at night when I’m alone in my tent. If I truly can’t do it, than I will feel that I have let down the people who have supported me, but I know these people to be genuinely invested in me, and know that they would still love and support my decision. I’m also kind of stubborn (or head strong, or a typical Scorpio), and while these traits of mine have been brought to my attention as negative things before, I think I could use them to my benefit.
There was also a solid chunk of time in my life when I was fully convinced that I would never make it thru middle school, never graduate high school, never get accepted to a college, never graduate from college (with highest honors I must add), never face/overcome my fears, and never be able to let go of negative people/past experiences, but hey, I’ve done all of those things. So I’m thinking that when you boil this down to its simplest parts, it is something I can and will probably do. This is a challenge by choice, and I am fully invested in seeing it thru.
Q: YOU’RE GOING ALONE??
A: Well yes and no. While I have not planned to hike with anybody that I know, this is a very popular trail within the United States, and I will be meeting all sorts of people, who I am sure will let me tag along with them and hike with during my time on the trail. I’m hopeful that when I make it to Massachusetts and New Hampshire, I will have some friends and/or family members join me for a day or two.
Q: Have you read “A Walk in the Woods?”
A: Unfortunately. Was that too harsh? Whatever, I am not a fan of Bryson’s writing style or his traveling companion. Also, the movie was “eh”. Both have their moments, but there are better books out there to ask about. (let me know if you’d like some suggestions!)
Q: Have you read “Wild?”
A: Yes, and I loved it, though the book was about more than just hiking. Also, Strayed hiked the PCT, not the AT, so it is a different animal entirely, but I do appreciate when people ask me if I’ve read this one. Even though my life does not closely resemble hers, I could relate to this book more easily, and it seemed more honest than Bryson’s book. It also helps when preparing for a long-distance hike, and I can think to myself “What would Cheryl Strayed Do?” and then do the complete opposite.
Q: Are you bringing a gun? What if you see a BEAR??
A: Oh I’m bringing 2 (flexes left and right arms). No, but in all seriousness, I can barely shoot a Nerf Gun without the foam ammo getting stuck in the barrel. I will not be using or bringing a gun. Basically I’m of the mindset that if you go looking for trouble, you will find it. I can picture the gun going off in my pack, shooting my fuel canister and then me catching fire and falling off a cliff. Again I will state that I have no clue how to use a gun properly, but even if I did, imagine the process of getting permits for each state I will be traveling through? Actually, this is the U.S. so that probably would be pretty easy (#politics). But seriously, guns are heavy (I think, I’ve never held one) and If I saw a bear, I would most likely panic and just chuck the gun at the bear, and then the bear would probably catch it and be an armed bear and we all know how that ends (a bear with the right to bear arms? what’s more American than that?) If I see a bear I will admire it from a distance as it walks away from me. If it changes its mind and wants me for dinner, I will use the proper bear fending off techniques as recommended by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Q: What about money? What about your job?
A: I will not lie and say that money is not a concern on the trail. I will be unemployed for the time that I will be on the trail, and spending the savings that I do have. On top of this, I have a monthly student loan balance that I need to pay, so that is fun. I am thankful to have been working for two great non-profit organizations (Crossroads & The Duxbury Student Union) and have been saving up my paychecks. Both of these organizations have been far more supportive than I ever could’ve asked for, and have helped me look in to ways to sponsor my hike, while also incorporating the youth that we work with into my trip.
Q: What are you going to eat?
A: Bugs, freshly caught fish, rabbits, and the dust of super fast hikers. The real answer is that I will be eating a lot of backpacking meals, dehydrated fruits, Cliff Bars, and trail mix. I am bringing a backpacking stove with me, and can eat anything that I can cook by adding boiling water to, or that doesn’t really require too much effort. There are some people who are super fancy and will bring ingredients to make their own meals from scratch (or close to scratch) but I didn’t feel like spending the energy making up these complex meal plans. For now the plan is to have a hot breakfast and dinner, while lunch is mostly snacking on nutrient-dense calories. Oh, but when I stop in towns, you can bet that I’ll be eating some massive cheeseburger & a Shirley Temple.
Q: Where will you sleep?
A: There are over 250 shelters, huts and structures along the way on the AT, and I am sure that I will sleep in at least a few of those. I also am carrying a tent with me (as well as the necessary sleeping items) for use when I don’t want to sleep in an over-crowded shelter, or for just whenever. On my day zeros (think of them like days off from hiking), I will be spending time in different hostels, hotels & motels, where I will have the opportunity to sleep in a bed, shower, and eat food that I don’t have to cook on my little stove.
Q: How can I help?
A: Hiking a long distance trail is mostly a mind over matter type situation. So, if you would really like to help me out (and thank you for being so considerate!) you can do so by sending me words of encouragement and/or snacks. Nothing helps you get through a week of crappy weather like hiking in to town & finding that you have a letter from someone! If you’d like to go above and beyond (you saint!) than you could send me something from my wishlist, which again, would most likely be food related! 🙂
If you have any other questions you would like to have answered, please complete the contact form below! I will gladly answer them as soon as I can! 🙂
Heading North 