Evan’s SOBO hike of the Appalachian trail.

Hello, my name is Evan. I am an 18-year-old Eagle Scout from rural southern Virginia. I was in Cub Scouts since I was 4, then got my Arrow of Light and crossed over into Boy Scouts. About that same time, I moved from Oak Ridge, NC to Stuart, VA. I continued to go to Oak Ridge to be a part of BSA Troop 139 for a while as I searched for a troop in VA. When I moved, I got involved in a local FIRST robotics team that was starting up. It was team FTC#14597 named PC Rocket Robotics. We made it to the state competition 3 times over the course of 8 years. I learned so much from my time in robotics and I stuck with it until I aged out, but eventually, I got more into Scouts at 12 when I joined BSA Troop 168 in Ridgeway, VA. They were small at the time, only having 6 scouts, and all of them were older than me. I learned a great deal from them and their mistakes as well as my own. Later down the line, some more scouts eventually joined and I got to learn how to lead. I was the senior patrol leader after the older ones aged out for almost 2 years. While the senior patrol leader, me and my troop went to Philmont Scout Ranch after a little over a year of preparation. During this time, I was on track to graduate high school at 16, so I decided to try to apply for MIT. I did not get in because of my age, but I did make it to an interview. I later continued my studies at the local community college and now hold an associate's degree in general education.

I am now attempting to southbound thru-hike the entire Appalachian Trail while applying for the Air Force Academy. It would be so helpful to even get a few small donations. Here’s what the most common numbers can do for me:

$15 - This could buy me dinner in a town.

$30 - This could get me food for a whole day in town.

$50 - This could get me a night's stay in a hostel.

$70 - This could be my entire first night in a town.

$110 - This could buy me a rest day in addition to the initial day.

Any and all funds are very much appreciated and helpful. So far, I have funded this entirely myself, but money is very tight. I worked doing landscaping since I was 13 under the table, then I worked at a BSA summer camp for a year when I turned 16. I then continued some more landscaping until I got a job at a nearby Taco Bell. I bought my own car; it is a cheap '07 Prius. Then I started to save up for this trip. I have attached pictures from my journey so far, but there’s so much more to see than what I already have. As of the time of writing this, I am about the 2000 miles to Georgia mark, meaning I have already hiked about 200 miles. I started this trail weighing 260 lbs and my pack weighing 50 lbs. Now I have lost 27 lbs and my pack is now 40 lbs. I am about to enter the White Mountains in northern NH and southern ME.