Alpine's A.T. Hike

On May 30th, 2012 I took the first of about 5 million steps on a life changing journey that will eventually have taken me through 14 states, 2185 miles, and likely more lessons that that. The Plan was to hike southbound on the Appalachian Trail from Katahdin Mt, Maine to Springer Mt, Georgia in about five months. I abandoned the luxuries of a warm bed, a car, my friends and family, even my name and identity (hikers assume trail names, mine's Alpine B., and get to sorta recreate themselves). Well, one of the first lessons the trail had to teach me was that just because you're plans don't work out doesn't mean that you didn't end up where you were supposed to be. I made it about 650 miles last summer, and to just shy of Manchester Center, VT. The hardest part of the trail was over, my dog was hurt (porcupines aren't as cuddly as he expected) and I needed to get off the trail. Something about the AT keeps calling people back though, and I set out this year to finish the miles that I didn't get to last year.

After a couple weeks on the trail this summer I realized I needed to complete a thru-hike, meaning hike it all in one summer. I was kicking butt and hiking faster than I ever had before- like I had something to prove. The trail reminded me that life isn't a race... by giving me a stress fracture in my foot following a 20 mile day. After medical expenses and travel to and from the trail, I find myself without the funds to get back out there and continue on this amazing journey. I'm humbly asking for your help in any way you can so that I may complete this goal and finish thru-hike. Thank you!


You can read about my Northbound Journey this year on my trail journal: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/blog.php?47209


You can learn more about the Appalachian Trail and thru-hiking in National Geographic's amazing documentary about it here: http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/National_Geographic_Appalachian_Trail/70146671?locale=en-US