A Walk on the Wild Side

It runs more than 2,100 miles along the eastern half of the U.S., crossing over a total of fourteen states (from Georgia to Maine). It's maintained entirely by volunteers; in fact, it's said to be the largest volunteer-run undertaking on earth.

And if you decide to travel it end to end, you'll be traveling it on foot.

Welcome to the Appalachian Trail.

This hiking trail started life as the brainchild of Benton MacKaye. He first published the details of his idea in the pages of Journal of the American Institute of Architects, edited by his friend Charles Harris Whitaker. MacKaye actually envisioned the "AT" as much more than a hiking trail. It was to be less a simple walking path and more a network of self-sustaining communities, filled with hostels, inns, work camps, and farming villages.

While MacKaye's plans were published in 1921, it wasn't until 1930 that real progress was made. That was when Myron Avery, an admiralty lawyer and hiking enthusiast, took over the development of the AT. Avery's aim was to produce not a multi-state nature commune, but a simple (if ambitious) hiking trail.

Despite falling out with MacKaye, it was Avery who mapped out the pathways, enlisted the assistance of volunteer crews, and supervised the construction of hundreds of miles of trail. Formally completed on August 14, 1937, the AT actually received little attention or fanfare for the first years of existence. It wasn't until 1948 that Earl V. Shaffer became the first person to hike the AT from start to finish in a single summer -- bringing the AT back under the spotlight for the first time since its inception.

There are almost as many ways to hike the Appalachian Trail as there are hikers. Some hikers break the journey up into chunks, hiking a section and then leaving the woods entirely for weeks or months, returning to pick up the trip from where they left off. Others are "thru-hikers," marching their way straight through from start to finish. Regardless of how you hike, you need to carry all of your supplies with you -- and that includes water, food, clothes, a tent (for when there isn't one of the AT's handy wooden shelters), sleeping bag, cooking supplies, and a plethora of other camping equipment. (Most hikers are lucky if they manage to condense their supplies down to a 40-pound pack slung over their back.)

You can start at either end, but it's most commonly agreed upon that the sensible choice is to start in Georgia in spring (early March to late April) and make your way north, trying as hard as you can to stay ahead of the worst of the summer heat. Every year, close to 2,000 people set off from Springer, Georgia, with the intention of reaching the end at Katahdin, Maine. About ten percent make the full attempt; 20 percent drop out before the first week's up.

But, as they say: it's about the journey, not the destination. After all -- you don't have to hike all 2,100 miles to appreciate the beauty, grandeur, and adventure of the Appalachian Trail.

An afternoon stroll will do just as nicely.

Recommended Reading

Road Trip USA: Appalachian Trail by Jamie Jensen -- A brief overview of the sights, stops, and landmarks of the AT, divided by state.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson-- A hilarious (and informative) tale of two friends' attempt to hike the AT.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King -- This unusual King novel tells the story of nine-year-old girl who has only her wits and her Walkman to find her way through the woods of the Appalachian Trail.

-- Post by Ms. B