HikingTheTrail.com is a blog about the journey of one mans dream to hike the Appalachian trail.  The adventure is not just on the trail itself. This blog starts with the journey to get to the trail and will finish after the trail is over as Adam reflects back on the adventure putting together a documentary, companion photo log and trip diary. Join Adam on this epic adventure with every little step.  Want to stay updated?  Check out the facebook and twitter pages as well as sign up for the Insider Newsletter.

About the Trail.

Photo Courtesy of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

The Appalachian Trail is one of the longest continuously marked footpath in the world, measuring roughly 2,180 miles in length. The Trail goes through fourteen states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian mountain range from the southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the Trail’s northern terminus at Katahdin, Maine.

Known as the “A.T.,” it has been estimated that 2-3 million people visit the Trail every year and about 1,800–2,000 people attempt to “thru-hike” the Trail. People from across the globe are drawn to the A.T. for a variety of reasons: to reconnect with nature, to escape the stress of city life, to meet new people or deepen old friendships, or to experience a simpler life.

The A.T. was completed in 1937 and is a unit of the National Park System. The A.T. is managed under a unique partnership between the public and private sectors that includes, among others, the National Park Service (NPS), the USDA Forest Service (USFS), an array of state agencies, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and 31 local Trail-maintaining clubs.

Information Courtesy of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

About Adam.
My journey started as a very small boy with an orange shirt sporting a tiger on it.  Little did I know that I had taken my first steps in a life full of outdoor adventures. I would grow and advance from a Tiger Cub to wear the blue shirt of a Cub Scout.  Before long I would achieve the honor of Eagle Scout- the highest rank in the Boy Scouts.  In the process, I helped others along by sharing my love for the outdoors, the same way those I looked up to had done for me.

During the middle of my Cub Scout days I was diagnosed with Acute lymphocytic leukemia. At the age of 10 I was catapulted into a world that would change me forever.  Less than one year after my diagnosis, I had received the news that I defeated my cancer.  It was the greatest victory of my life to date, however, preventative treatments were still needed for several years to follow.

I have enjoyed my time working as web designer / developer but simultaneously felt that there was a void in my life. While watching a documentary about the Appalachian Trail, I feel in love with the vivid imagery of this epic 2,220 mile trek. Deep down I knew this was the challenge and adventure I had been waiting for.  I knew that Hiking the Appalachian Trail in its entirety was a huge task both physically and mentally.  I know now that my journey is only beginning. Join me as I document my entire expedition of both getting to and thru the Appalachian Trail.