The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately 2,181 miles long. The path is maintained by 30 trail clubs and multiple partnerships,and managed by the National Park Service and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The majority of the trail is in wilderness, although some portions do traverse towns and roads, and cross rivers. The Appalachian Trail is famous for its many hikers, some of whom, called thru-hikers, attempt to hike it in its entirety in a single season. Along the way, the trail passes through the states of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

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Saturday, October 1, 2011

Congratulations, Ryan! 10/1/2011


I received a call from Ryan at 10:10 this morning from the peak of Mt Katahdin.  He was exited and emotional.  He summited with 6 other hikers.  He only spoke for a moment and promised to call back when they got off the mountain.   I’ll post his comments when he does.

Congratulations, Ryan, you’ve accomplished something few have.  You’ve gambled everything you’ve done up to this point in your life on a dream. It was a roll of the dice where the odds were dictated not by the house but by you.  You can now say you’ve completed the entire 2,181 miles of the Appalachian trail, not almost, not nearly, but completely.   One thing is clear; regardless of your reason or motivation you have won a great victory of the spirit and mastery of the will.
  No matter what you do with the rest of your life you will have this one 6 month period as testament to your conviction, strength, and commitment.  It’s hard to imagine any tribulation that would come close to the effort required to conquer this feat.  
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 2, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    Spork- give a holler when you come through Tucson. Maximus. Max9071641 at yahoo.com

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  2. Oliver TaylorOctober 7, 2011 at 10:39 AM

    Hey Sporc! Congratulations, it's nice to see that you made it all the way!
    It's me, Bearbait(since McAffee knob known as Handstand). I finished the trail on sept. 23rd.
    I want to thank you for sharing the first 4 weeks of this journey with me, I really enjoyed hiking with you, it was good to have some hiking companions at the beginning, it made the adaptation phase a lot easier...
    Ever since i left you in hot springs I regularly checked your blog to see where you are...
    Well, I know how you feel now after completing the trail...
    We lived a dream and it became reality...
    Take care...
    http://rootmypc.net/at/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/DSCF9637.jpg

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