Along with (figurative) century posts, interstate highways crossed, and National Parks navigated, checking off states is one of the main ways AT thru hikers measure their progress. Some of the associated signs, like the one which greeted me on June 8 upon entrance into Virginia, the state with the greatest mileage, are merely nondescript and
"This is 10 percent luck, 20 percent skill, 15 percent concentrated power of will, 5 percent pleasure and 50 percent pain. . ." The mental side of thru-hiking can make or break the experience. In part, it can be about summoning the will to push a 19 mile day, as I did on May 6
By Patrick Gensel The Appalachian Trail, a wilderness footpath spanning from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine is a very enticing prospect for any adventurous soul. Unfortunately not everyone is able to take 6 months off to cover the entire expanse of the trail, but traveling the hike in sections is very