An Appalachian Thru-Hike story as told by the Hiker with lots of photos and info

Compliments of a Hiker named Heike (pronounced Hi-Key)

Hello Norwich and beyond the Upper Valley residents and readers

A couple of months ago, I chatted with a AP thru-hiker in the parking lot at Dan and Whit’s and asked how his journey was going. The first question I asked him was is he heading north or south. He replied that he started in Georgia and was now heading to Maine. I asked if he would be willing to share his story with me, the community at large and my readers. He said yes. Heike said he would send me a few photos that he had already taken and when he completed his trek he would send me the rest of the photos and additional information on his journey. We had a nice conversation and parted ways after of course exchanging our contact information.

Here are a few photos that were sent over the next few days followed by photos that he sent after his trek was over. They are all in chronological order highlighting the stops along the way.

Check out the photos as they are breathtaking and they go well with the story as only he can tell it. In the story there are questions that you may have that may be answered for example: What inspires you to do a hike like this? What preparations do you make? What if something doesn’t pan out the way you figured it would. What contingency plans do you have in place and then the last one in my mind would be is how would this hike affect your life after the hike. I believe that Heike did a great job of answering his own questions and concerns that he may have had.

Enjoy it and you might want to settle in for awhile as it is pretty detailed.

It all starts here at Amicalola Falls State Park on February 16

Mom, Dad, Fiance -Amicalola Falls February 16

Ellijay on February 16

Hayesville on February 24

Hayesville on February 24

Franklin on February 26

This is at Stecoah Gap on March 3 after leaving the NOC that morning.

Hot Springs on March 7

Flag Pond on March 12

Roan Mountain, Tennessee on March 17

Roan Highlands on March 23

McAfee Knob, Virginia on April 4

Troutville, Virginia on April 7

Fontana Dam, Smokey Mountains on April 21

Mom and I - Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome) Smokey Mountains on April 23

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia on May 9

Dad and I in Carlisle Pennsylvania - on May 16

Sunrise at Riga Shelter in Connecticut on June 6

My Brother in Law Jerry at the Mark Noepel Shelter in Massachusetts on June 15

Hexacuba Shelter on June 29

Mount Washington Sunset on July 5

Lakes of the Clouds- Mount Washington on July 5

Avery Peek New Hampshire on July 18

Mount Katahdin on July 27

And now for the rest of the story and what a story it is!

Heike’s Hike

Quick Facts:

• From Indianapolis, IN - Lives in Philadelphia, PA since 2014

• Start Date - February 16th, 2025 (Amicalola Visitors Center - GA)

• Finish Date - July 27th, 2025 (Mt. Katahdin - ME)

Where did the name Heike (Pronounced ‘Hi-Key’) come from? Well, I brought this name on Trail with me. I never intended to bring my own Trail Name to Trail, however, my first night on Trail included meeting two other Thru Hikers (Tuck and Critter) who both brought their Trail Names with them, so I figured since I had the best nickname/Trail Name for a Thru Hike that I should honor my longtime nickname of Heike and go by that. Origin Story: When I was still in my Mother’s womb, my older brother (3 years old at the time) for no apparent reason decided to start calling her pregnant belly Heike. From that moment on, and once I was born, Heike was my nickname. When I was old enough to ask him how to spell it, he produced the creative way you see me use.

What lead to the Hike? After 10 years in the Financial Services industry, I knew I needed a change and felt that some time off work altogether was warranted. I was burnt out and found myself working a job that wasn’t giving me joy or satisfaction - I was lacking excitement and needed to resolve it. I began searching for what to do between jobs/careers, as I knew I didn’t want to jump right back into another long-term job immediately, and somehow or another, I saw a random Appalachian Trail video on YouTube and thought, “Wow - This is it!”. Once the idea entered my head, there wasn’t much doubt in my mind that this was exactly what I was looking for. This idea came to mind in March/April of 2024 and after spending a little time every day researching (reading articles/blogs, watching videos, etc.) I initially believed a SOBO hike was what I preferred (wanting to avoid a bubble). Due to timing, and still needing to work through September, a SOBO hike meant I wouldn’t be able to start until the following summer (early June), which was a bit too long of a wait for me, so I decided that a NOBO hike would be my plan. Not wanting to be a part of any bubble, I knew I needed to start early. Landing on a Mid-February start date gave me a good chunk of time to continue to research, amass the required gear, and hopefully get some much needed prep-hiking and camping under my belt. As the days, weeks, months went on, I started to have the majority of my gear sorted out. I wanted to attempt to save as much money as possible (when and where possible), so I limited purchasing some items that I easily could have (i.e., used my old accordian-style foam pad instead of a new lightweight inflatable pad). While I tried to limit my purchases as much as possible, I still needed to acquire several items; Backpack, Trail Runners, some clothing, headlamp, stove, etc. Before I knew it, September came and went, now I was full-time able to think about the hike. I had some trips planned with friends and family throughout the end of the year (Scotland, China, Mexico), so I figured I would sprinkle in some camping and hiking between trips to ensure I got the prep I needed. This never happened, but thankfully I did do some small day-hikes on a couple of the Trips, they just weren’t with any pack, so the benefit was rather limited. Before I knew it, 2024 was in the books and January 2025 (a month and a half away from my start date) was here…… Throughout the remaining weeks leading up to my start date, I combed the list of items I still needed and made sure to get them purchased and tried to find a place for them in my pack. While I chose an Osprey 65 L pack, I managed to pretty quickly overpack it, leaving very little space for anything extra. One of the reasons I think the pack was overpacked was due to my choice to go Hammock vs Tent. While my Hammock setup was a pretty small kit, I also chose to carry a Top and Bottom Quilt instead of a singular sleeping bag. On February 14th, Valentine's Day, my fiancee, Pat, and I left Philly and began our drive South, stopping in Asheville, NC for the night. The next morning we finished the drive to Amicalola State Park where we met up with my Parents, who had driven from Indianapolis, IN to see me off on my Journey. We all stayed at the Amicalola Lodge that evening, and after breakfast at the Lodge the following morning, we made our way down to the Visitors Center to take some pictures at the arch and to say our final goodbyes. Believe it or not, I never found time to get any prep hikes or camping in before I started, so this was going to be a true cold-turkey start. Physically I was a little concerned that I hadn’t prepped, but mentally I wasn’t. I wasn’t scared of camping or staying in the woods, etc. I had many years of camping experience being an Eagle Scout, so I was ready for the challenge.

To the Hike:

It was surreal to be there, standing across the Trail from my Fiance and Parents as they prepared to see me off. This thing that I had been thinking of non-stop for nearly a year was finally here, but was I ready for it? Any doubts I had I compartmentalized and stuck them in the back of my mind - I needed to start walking and the rest would sort itself out along the way. One thing that was harder to stow away and not be constantly reminded of was the sheer weight of my pack. My goal was to be as close to 30 pounds as possible, but instead I was at 45 pounds… This was mistake number 1. It was what it was - My Hike was to begin regardless! After many hugs and kisses and goodbyes, I started walking and the Journey of my Life was underway. I started with the approach trail from the Amicalola Visitors Center, so the beginning of the Hike was a large stair climb up Amicalola Falls, with the Goal for the day being to stay at the Springer Mountain Shelter, about 9 miles away. This sounded great since I planned to follow the advice of the Park Rangers at the Visitors Center that recommended taking 5 days of approximately 8 miles a day to get to Neel Gap, since I was coming into this Hike without any legitimate prep. After tackling the stairs, I was quite winded, but I was rewarded with a beautiful view from the top. I caught my breath and continued the hike - My poles were tucked away in my Pack since I couldn’t use them on the stairs, and I felt good without them, so I continued without them for the remainder of the day - This was mistake number 2 (not using my poles!). The weather for the day was cool and damp, having rained throughout the night before and early morning, but thankfully the rain had stopped by the time I set off. Being alone in nature felt incredible, I was so excited and thankful to be there. Several hours later, as I made my way up Springer Mountain, the weather started to get colder. Nearing the summit, I began to get a bit cold, as the wind picked up and only increased the higher I climbed. By the time I got to the summit, I was legitimately cold and decided I didn’t want to stay at the Springer Mountain Shelter, fearing I would be too cold there to sleep, so I opted to climb down a couple more miles to reach the next Shelter, Stover Creek. I arrived with an hour or so of daylight left, enough time to settle into camp and prep some food before experiencing my first night on Trail. It was there that I met Tuck and Critter, two other Thru Hikers who I caught up with and discussed my plans to arrive at Neel Gap in 4 more days. I was thankful to have met them since they seemed to be much more prepared than me and showed me atweather.org and explained that I should consider making it to Neel Gap in two days as opposed to 4 days since a bad winter storm was expected to roll through. As I contemplated this thought, I was also deciding whether or not to stay in the Shelter or attempt to set up my Hammock (which I hadn’t ever set up at that point). I decided to stay in the Shelter since it got dark rather quickly. While attempting to get warm in my 30-degree rated quilts, I pondered whether I would push to make Neel Gap in 2 days with Tuck and Critter or not. I tossed and turned all night, as the weather was in the mid-20’s - Without handwarmers (which I used for my hands and chest) I wouldn’t have gotten through the night. I woke up the next morning eager to get moving so I could warm up and decided I would attempt to join Tuck and Critter in their mission to hike to Neel Gap in two days to beat the storm. As I began to get up I noticed how torched my knees were from my first day of hiking. Having not used my poles the day prior and the combination of a very heavy pack and all of the stairs involved with climbing Amacalola Falls, my knees were on fire and didn’t want me to continue. I had two options - hike or don’t hike, so I made sure to use my poles and to take things slow. The next two days felt like a war of attrition, at least my mind was in a constant battle of trying to sort out between a whirlwind of positive and negative thoughts spinning through my head - What was I doing out here and did I bit off more than I could chew? Having the companionship of Tuck and Critter was extremely helpful and their motivation to make the miles was what I needed to persevere and make it to our destinations each evening (Gooch Mountain Shelter about 13 miles away for night 2 and Mountain Crossing Hostel at Neel Gap about 15.5 miles away for night 3). The winter storm rolled in shortly after arriving at Mountain Crossing (we made it there at 4:50pm, just 10 minutes before they closed!), much relieved to be off Trail and sheltered from the piercing frozen wind that evening. Because Mountain Crossing only lets hikers stay one night, and due to the storm lasting several days, we decided to take 2 Zero’s in Blairsville, GA the following days. I desperately needed these two Zero’s - In town I sent 5.5lbs of gear back home and purchased two knee braces and some pain medicine at the local pharmacy. Tuck, Critter, and I stuck together and hiked for the next two weeks to Fontana Dam, the Southern start of the Smoky Mountains. Another Winter Storm was forecast to hit the following days, which led me to opt to skip the Smokies for the time being, as I was not confident that my sleeping setup would keep me warm at those elevations. Tuck also skipped the Smokies since he had family visiting in Gatlinburg in a couple days and didn’t want to miss them if the Park decided to close the access roads, so he and I shuttled to Hot Springs, NC and spent another few days together hiking SOBO to Davenport Gap (North End of the Smoky Mountains). It was during these few days together that I had my first scare with hypothermia - thankfully I was able to make it to our targeted Shelter (Roaring Fork Shelter) for the evening and began to try to warm up! A third hiker arrived soon after Tuck and I and he noticed how cold each of us appeared. He introduced himself as California and offered me a nip of some Moonshine, which I happily welcomed and enjoyed. The Moonshine coated my innards and gave my body the comfort of what felt like a warm blanket being wrapped around me. When we made it to Davenport Gap the following day, we stayed at Standing Bear Hostel (RIP to Standing Bear Hostel!) for one evening before Tuck was picked up and taken to Gatlinburg to spend time with family before tackling the Smokies and continuing NOBO. I shuttled back to Hot Springs with a driver named Hydro (who shuttles starting in GA and follows the pre-bubble North all the way to Maine) and stayed one night in town at Elmer’s SunnyBank Inn) before setting off the following morning continuing NOBO. While my knees still hurt every day, I was making progress and was simply just happy and proud of myself to still be on trail and pushing forward. I was sad to no longer be with either of my two hiking companions, but I was equally happy to experience some solo-hiking. The solo-hiking was short lived, as I quickly linked back up with California, whom I had recently met a few days prior on trail and who gave me the Moonshine. We didn’t plan to hike together, and we really didn’t hike closely for the first few days, but we kept ending up at the same campsites/shelters, so we pretty quickly began to plan/prep our hikes together as we appreciated each other's company. California and I hiked together for the next two weeks to Damascus, VA. We separated after Damascus, and I predominantly hiked solo for the next few weeks until I made it to Waynesboro, VA. From Waynesboro, I rented a car and drove to Indianapolis, IN where I spent a week with my family catching up and celebrating Passover/Easter. Sunday April 20th, my Mother and I drove from Indy to Fontana Dam and stayed at The Hike Inn. I set off the next morning bright and early to start the Smokies, while my mother stayed in Gatlinburg. The plan was to knock out the Smokies in 4 days and drive back to Waynesboro, VA so I could keep moving Northbound. I was thankful to have my Trail Legs at this point, as I was flying by every other hiker and was able to make it to Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome) mid-day day 2, where I met my mother and she was able to take me off trail for the night to celebrate my 35th birthday together in town. She dropped me off bright and early the next morning to knock out the remaining two days of the Smokies and I met her in Davenport Gap as planned, two days later. Once reunited, we drove back to Waynesboro, VA and I was to take off the following morning. My body, however, had different plans, as I got sick as a dog for three days (not sure if it was Noro-virus or food poisoning) and was in no shape to be on trail. Able to keep food down, but nowhere near 100%, I decided to give it a go and get back out there. I was amped to start Shenandoah, but struggled for the first couple days with the heat and from not being 100%. I pressed on and continued to improve each day. Before I knew it, I was getting ready to leave VA (a state I had been in for well over a month) and enter West Virginia, Maryland, and then Pennsylvania…. My home!!! Having countless hours of being in my head each and every day on trail, I regularly questioned myself and wondered about where I was mentally and emotionally with how things were going and how I wanted them to go moving forward. What was my goal with this Hike? Have I accomplished what I had set out for? If I chose to, would I regret ending the hike before reaching Mt Katahdin? Every day these thoughts circulated my mind and the answers to these questions seemed to change throughout the day. I was certain that I was proud of what I had already accomplished and made a plan that when I got to PA, I’d take some time off back home in Philadelphia to ponder whether or not to get back on. My plan was to take a week off over Memorial Day, so I continued to enjoy every day and depending on where I was around Memorial Day, I would sort out my way home from there. It was in Northern VA where I encountered my first Ticks, which was my biggest fear of the Hike - more than encountering Bears or poisonous Snakes. By no means did I want to contract Lyme Disease or any other illness from Ticks. While I treated my clothing about once a month, I still regularly would find Ticks attempting to climb up my legs nearly every single day. Thankfully I would catch them before they would bite into me - only a couple of instances that I would find one that was in the process of burrowing into my skin. While the constant site of Ticks became a norm, I was diligent with checking for them throughout the day and post-hike each evening. I made it all the way to Port Clinton, PA before Memorial Day and was able to catch a ride to Reading, PA and then a Bus from there to Philly. I was relieved to be home and happy to spend time with my Fiance and two Cats (Mochi and Mango), but rather quickly (a matter of a couple days) I was already telling myself in my head that I was going to get back on trail and was going to try to finish the Hike in its entirety. I wasn’t yet sure if I would make it, but I knew that I was going to give it a go. After a week at home in Philly, my Fiance drove me back to Port Clinton and I set back off Northbound. Before my break in Philly, whenever I’d meet strangers/day-hikers that were excited to meet someone hiking the the AT who’d started in GA, that would ask me if I was planning to hike the whole thing, I’d always answer, “That’s the Plan” or “That’s the Hope”, but I was never confident with whether I’d stick it out or not. Once I got back on Trail, post break in Philly, my attitude changed and my answer to that same question quickly turned to, “Yes!” and “Absolutely!”. I continued to hike solo but met many amazing folks along the way, many of which I would cross paths with multiple times throughout the remaining months on Trail. Notable folks included, Skywalker, Slingshot, Pancake, Zepp, Straps, OG, Boston, Critter (another Critter), Resilience, Jeremy (never wanted a Trail Name), Flow, Poptart, Baby Steps, Not Yet, Kaleidoscope, Rain Dance, Smiles, and countless others. It was amazing meeting so many brilliant folks on trail, but I always wanted to catch up with Tuck and Critter - The goal was to always link back up with Tuck and Critter and to finish the hike that we had started - together. Critter had taken several weeks off trail to work and make money once he made it to Damascus, VA, so he was always several hundred miles behind me. Tuck, on the other hand, was never more than a few days in front of me, but sadly I was never able to catch him. I ended up taking a few additional days off trail once I made it through North Adams, MA, as my Sister’s Family recently moved to Stamford, VT (just over the Massachusetts border and only a few miles off trail). Having made it to her house, I knew I was going to finish the hike, barring any significant injury of course. By the time I was in Vermont, I was more than ready to finish the hike (mind and body exhaustion, etc.), but was also extremely excited to have what many folks consider to be the most beautiful sections in front of me. I knew the north was supposed to be a challenge, but I kept reminding myself that I was ready for it - it was what the first few months had prepped me for. Vermont was muddy as expected, but thankfully the northern half was more manageable than the southern half. While the mud wasn’t as bad as it could be, the mosquitos and biting flies started ramping up and getting tough to manage. I continued to tell myself that every step I took was one step closer to Mt Katahdin, so I kept moving and continued to crush the miles. I was excited to make it through Vermont and into New Hampshire, but I had no clue, until the day before entering NH, that the White Mountains pretty much span NH in its entirety, and even crossed into Maine. I was getting a bit overwhelmed with trying to sort out the logistics of how to handle the Whites, since this section in particular seemed to be the primary section other hikers would state are the hardest of the entire AT. Were they wrong? - Not really, but was the fear-mongering of the Whites accurate and justified? - Also, not really. While the Whites are definitely (in my opinion) the most challenging section, collectively, I would say on the whole AT, when you break it up into bite-size chunks, and especially for a NOBO hiker (having spent 4-ish months on trail by this point), they weren’t all that bad. Don’t get me wrong, the Whites were no joke, but I was ready for them and enjoyed the challenges they presented and the sheer beauty they possessed. I did have my second hypothermia scare in the Whites, when I got caught in a storm near the summit Mt. Zealand. It was day 1 of a 2-day SOBO section (I was hiking SOBO for 2 days so I could end back up at a Hostel I liked; The Notch Hostel in North Woodstock, NH) and I was a half-mile away from the summit when I found myself at a bald section, exposed to the elements, when it began to hail, pour rain, and thunder/lightning directly above me. I had very little time to think and without ample opportunities for shelter from the weather, immediately decided to retreat down the mountain and wait for the weather to clear a bit before continuing the day’s hike. I waited about two hours before being able to set back off. Soaked and concerned that I wasn’t going to be able to warm up if I slept outside that evening, I was blessed when I was able to land a work for stay opportunity at Galehead Hut that night. From that moment on, I was no longer going to risk hiking in inclimate weather when the day’s hike included summiting any bald peaks - it simply wasn’t worth it. One of many highlights of my hike happened to be how I got to experience climbing Mt. Washington. Hydro, my shuttle driver who I had used many times throughout my hike at this point, told me he was planning to drive his car to the summit to watch the sunset. Typically cars need to leave Mt. Washington’s summit before sunset, but a few times a year they sell tickets for a Sunset viewing. The day I intended to climb Mt. Washington was coincidentally the same day that Hydro was going to watch the Sunset from its summit. I set off early that morning and made it to the summit a little after 4:00pm. I met Hydro when he made it to the top shortly after 5:00pm and he and I hung out at the summit for the next few hours enjoying the views and were lucky enough to have rather clear skies to experience a sunset! Typically Thru-Hikers won’t spend much time at the summit of Mt. Washington, since there is no place to stay up there overnight and since the wind and elements are very unpredictable and can get dangerous fast. It was such a great experience being able to relax at the summit as opposed to rushing to get down to wherever I intended to camp that evening. Hydro drove me down that evening and back up to the summit to pick my hike up the next morning. After we said our goodbyes at the top of Mt. Washington, I didn’t see Hydro anymore for the remainder of the hike. After navigating through the Whites and crossing my final state border into Maine, I was finally able to produce a date which I believed I could finish by. I landed on the 27th of July and provided it to my Fiance and Mother, as they were both going to fly from Philly and Indy, respectively, and meet me in Baxter State Park after climbing and descending Mt. Katahdin. Being able to give them a date was exciting, but it also put the pressure on me to perform and get the miles in, as I didn’t want to fall behind and keep them waiting. Over the next week I took a couple weather-related Zero’s after the Whites, in Southern Maine, sticking with my plans to not attempt to summit over anything that could be exposed during risky weather. My first glimpse of Mt. Katahdin came on July 18th from Avery Peak in the Bigelows. It was breathtaking being able to lay eyes on her, something I had imagined day in and day out for more than five months straight. I was on track to make it to Mt. Katahdin on time (by July 27th), but knew I needed to crush the 100-Mile Wilderness, which I planned to knock out in 4 days. Weather was possibly coming in on what would be my third day in the Wilderness, so my goal was to at least make sure I got through all significant climbs in the Wilderness by then. My first day of the 100-Mile Wilderness was a marathon day (26.2 Miles), and I reached my intended target for the evening, Chairback Gap Lean-To, with little sunlight to spare. My next three days consisted of 20.7 miles, 24 miles, and 28.7 miles, which delivered me out of the 100-Mile Wilderness to Abol Bridge, where I stayed at the Campground that evening. It was July 25th and I was one day away from crossing into Baxter State Park and just two days away from summiting Mt. Katahdin and winding down this once in a lifetime adventure. I shared a campsite at Abol Bridge Campground with Sailor (another Thru-Hiker I had befriended over the past couple weeks) and made sure to get up bright and early to check in at the Ranger’s Station first thing in the morning to try to get a reservation at the Birches. I was in line an hour early, with no other hikers in sight. I secured my spot at 7:00am, when the Ranger arrived, and went back to break down my hammock and set off for the day’s hike to the Birches. Not Yet (another Thru-Hiker planning to stay at the Birches) and I bought some hotdogs, buns, and condiments at the Abol Bridge Store that we could cook later for dinner before setting off to the Birches. We didn’t hike together, both had our separate paces, but I really soaked in this roughly 10-Mile easy-going hike and took my time while reflecting on all that I had experienced to get to where I was currently standing. I was in Baxter State Park and nearing what would be my last evening on Trail - it was hard to take in and process - it was hard to believe. I was the first to arrive at the Birches that afternoon and got started on building a fire. When Not Yet arrived, I was ready to throw the dogs on, so we ate and relaxed and caught up with a couple more hikers who arrived soon thereafter. Steeped in anxiety, I was ready to call it an early night so I could wake up and get to climbing Mt. Katahdin asap. The Birches site has two small 4-person Shelters as well as a couple tent pads. Since Not Yet and I were the only two Hikers not pitching tents, we each got our own Shelter, which helped ensure a great night's rest (minus the mice scurrying around). I woke up around 5:00am and quickly packed up and headed to the Trailhead, stopping at the Ranger’s Cabin on the way. I dropped gear I deemed unnecessary for the day’s hike at the Ranger Station and filled my water before setting off a little before 7:00am. I saw on the register log that a good amount of folks (at least 10-20) had already started the climb that morning - motivation for me to see how many hikers I could catch before the summit! I quickly passed several small groups of hikers, all of which appeared to be day-hikers and made great time to the Alpine-Zone. It was here where the hike became rather insane - I knew that Mt. Katahdin was going to be intense, but there is never a good way to prepare for certain things other than just needing to experience it. Well, there I was, the majority of the way up Mt. Katahdin, and not by any means planning on surrendering to fear or difficulty at this point. My entire 5+ months of hiking had led me to this magical place, this incredible moment in my life - I was prepared to continue hiking up to the summit, tackling each obstacle in my way cautiously and methodically. Near the summit, about 30-minutes out, I was caught by the lone person that caught me that day, Sugar. Sugar was climbing Mt. Katahdin, not to end her Thru-Hike, but to begin her Self-Supported Thru-Hike FKT (Fastest Known Time) attempt. She had already Thru-Hiked the AT before, and clearly was a Hiking Pro, so it was incredible being able to hike and converse those final 30 minutes to the summit with her. It was symbolic for me, like passing a torch - I was honored to have her presence during the end of my hike, and to be a presence for the start of her incredible journey. When we reached the summit we found Not Yet who had been there 15-20 minutes enjoying the views and waiting for someone to take a photo of him. We all relaxed a bit at the top and took turns taking photos of each other atop the Summit Sign before preparing the descent. I took some time on my own to stare off into the beautiful distance and to study the views from Mt. Katahdin’s perspective. I was standing exactly where I had hoped I would be about a year and a half prior when I first got the idea to hike the AT. I soaked in the moment and was so thankful for everything I experienced, everything I felt, and everything I learned on the journey to this very place, all the way from Amicalola Falls back in Georgia. We did a countdown for Sugar and sent her on her way, watching her make quick time down from Mt. Katahdin’s summit until she was out of sight. Not Yet and I took off shortly after. About 15 minutes into my descent, I snagged my foot on a rock, which catapulted me forward and flat onto my chest on the rocky trail in front of me. I thankfully got my hands underneath me to help cushion the fall, but my right knee took a nasty bang from one of the rocks and was throbbing. I immediately jumped up and dusted myself off and started to bend my leg to make sure I was mobile and able to get myself down the Mountain on my own. Last thing I wanted was to require a rescue on my last day! I was able to move the knee, but it was very painful and applying significant weight felt horrible. I took it slow and steady. We descended via the Abol Trail (having climbed up the Hunt Trail). The descent was steep and sketchy, made more difficult with my newly acquired bum-knee, but I was making progress, and after an hour or two, made it back below the Tree-line where the trail became a bit easier. Soon enough, as the Trail continued to level out, it opened to the Abol Campground. This feeling was surreal - As I stepped out of the woods and into the Abol Campground, I was officially ending my Thru-Hike, it was complete! I filtered water one final time from the stream in the Campground and waited on a picnic table for about 30 minutes for my Mom and Fiance to arrive and pick me up. Reunited, we stayed the evening in Millinocket before driving back to Philadelphia the following day. Arriving back to Philadelphia, I felt a bit out of place, but certainly expected that to be the case. Hiking the AT taught me countless things, but one key thing it taught me was to slow down and enjoy as many of the little things you can along the way. It feels like we generally try to speed through life, trying to get from point A to point B, or to whatever the end goal is as quickly as we can. Hiking the AT taught me that while challenging yourself and setting goals are important and necessary for personal growth, the accomplishment of reaching said goal is worth so much more if you can find a way to acknowledge and appreciate the effort it takes throughout the journey itself. Embracing the Suck, while in the midst of any challenge, is difficult, but key to unlocking the most rewarding feelings of accomplishment. Not taking any moment for granted and enjoying even the little things is what my Thru-Hike taught me, and what I want to guide and shape the remainder of my Life.

Thanks to Heike for sharing this wonderful story with us and thanks to my readers for reading and supporting my Newsletter about Norwich