Photograph by Joel Carillet/Getty Images
Each spring, people from around the country descend on Springer Mountain, one hour north of metro Atlanta, to start a very long walk. About 3,000 hikers a year attempt the Appalachian Trail—the 2,198-mile footpath from Georgia to Maine—but only a quarter complete the entire stretch, which takes an average of six months. Some try the “AT,” as it’s known, for the physical feat; others do it as a form of therapy. Either way, it is hard on the person. Author Bill Bryson, who chronicled his journey in the book A Walk in the Woods, wrote: “I didn’t have any feelings towards the AT that weren’t thoroughly contradictory. I was weary of the trail, but captivated by it; found the endless slog increasingly exhausting but ever invigorating; grew tired of the boundless woods but admired their boundlessness; enjoyed the escape from civilization and ached for its comforts. All of this together, all at once, every moment, on the trail or off.”
Northbound hikers begin at Amicalola Falls State Park to reach Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. On a sunny Saturday in March, Atlanta met a few of them at the start of their journey.
John Carkitto, 51, South Carolina
I’m a nervous wreck, to be honest. I’m saying goodbye to my wife. I was a truck driver, and I retired two days ago. I’m excited to be in nature, and I hope the trail gives me peace. I’m hoping to lose weight, too. My friends joked about me being the only person to do the trail and also gain weight, but who knows, I could shed 70 pounds. It’s not gonna be easy at all, and it’s really emotional finally being here. I’ve never failed at anything, so I’m not going to fail at this either.
Dora Staub, 20, Massachusetts
I flew to Florida first to see my grandfather and then bused up to Atlanta to get here. This is something I’ve wanted as long as I’ve known the Appalachian Trail existed. I relish physical challenges like this. It’s also an opportunity to see places I’ve never been to, the countryside; you get it all on the trail. I feel crazy because I’m not feeling nervous. I’m so excited to do this.
Leon Berry Jr., 55, Georgia
I reached a point in my life where I could take this much time. Life got away from me, with school, getting married, having kids, who are all grown now. And I thought, Why not now? I also used to be over 300 pounds, and I lost about 150 pounds. So I’ve been planning for over a year, and now that I’m here, I’m anxious. You have to deal with whatever comes your way for months. I’m hoping to pick up a trail family along the way. We’ll be hiking the same trail, some the same speed, so you’re surrounded by others.
Shay Carter, New York
I’m an adventurer, and I used to be a travel journalist. That ended with the pandemic, and I was like, Oh sh–, I need to do something else with my life. My favorite movie of all time is Forrest Gump. And I think about when he just ran for three years. Everyone said, “Why are you doing this?” And he said, “I just felt like running.” That’s what I’ve got going on. I started to feel like I wanted to do a really long walk, and just go. If that takes me all the way to Maine, then it takes me to Maine.
Becca S., 22, California
I grew up in Cameroon and lived in L.A. for high school and some college, but I’d say I’ve been nomadic for the past two years. I wasn’t really planning on doing this until two weeks ago. It’s cool everyone is going for the challenge. [Thru-hikers] are doing something outside of the box and going through things that not everyone does. It’s a bond of like-minded people, and I’m hoping to grow on the trail.
This article appears in our June 2024 issue.
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Matt Walljasper
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