Every year hikers swarm to the trail to get either that first taste of freedom that once experienced never leaves you, or they are there to get their “fix” because they have hiked every year. Once you experience the Appalachian Trail you have to get that feeling again and again. With the trend of good health and natural environments growing very quickly more and more people are hiking, walking and just getting back to nature.
This year the Appalachian Trail has seen a record number of hikers that beats its old record from years ago soon after the Appalachian Trail became popular. Books such as A Walk in the Woods and Into the Wild spawned a wave of people to head to the trails of the back country US years ago. But now more people are hiking the trail because the word is getting out and there are so many reasons to get out and just enjoy a walk with nature.
The East to West migration of more peace driven ways of life such as Sufism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Zen are bringing the ideals that good health is connected to nature. We are all connected to nature and that is where our peace of mind has escaped off too. With these great ideals it is no doubt that America is embracing the lifestyle of the hiker now more than ever. True peace of mind can be found on the trail.
Just a simple escape back to nature for a weekend even can limit the amount of stress and bad health you experience from a rushed life in the city. Today’s way of life for most people is no longer wanted and more and more are finding peace and serenity in the woods. Not just that but with the summer temperatures soaring out of control with what seems like record heat in most areas the woods can provide some much needed shade and cooler temperatures.
The clean water you will drink while on the trail cannot even be compared to tap water. One taste of the rich, cool, clean mountain water flowing freely from the rocks and you will be hooked. There is just nothing like cooking over an open camp fire after a long day walking through some of the lushest rich environment on the east coast either. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, until you have experienced the trail you cannot even began to understand.
More and more people are finding that Appalachian Trail and I suspect the other trails such as the PCT, CDT and Long Trail make you feel different. Both inside and outside it feels good to be free, healthy, in shape and no matter what age you are you can enjoy these benefits. I was recently asked, “Mr. Seeley, I am in my late 50’s do you think that I could do the trail”? My response of course was, “you sure can”.
On my first trip to the AT my wife and I met a man called “Just an Echo”. He was 75 years old and informed us that he hikes the trail every year just to get to his cardiologist! There is no age limit, no group associated with the AT’s record number of hikers that have walked through Neel’s Gap, a place where the AT winds through and hikers stop for a break. Hikers of all ages and all experience levels are hiking now, all genders too.
And in fact for the past few years more and more female hikers have been walking the trail. This year’s record number of hikers is from all walks of life, mostly American’s. But there are a few hikers that have come from overseas to hike the trail. The Appalachian Trail sees a lot of hikers from Europe just as Europe see a lot of hikers from the US. So it’s a great year to hike part of the trail.
It is too late to start a thru hike going NOBO but if you were to start at Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State Park you could potentially complete the trail before the winter weather in Georgia gets too bad. About September you won’t be able to get through Baxter State Park, but Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia never closes to hikers. If not this year than just get out and at least enjoy part of the trail. A weekend hiking the trail will do a lot for the soul and body alone. It’s never too early to start planning for next year’s thru hike!
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