Hey!

My name is Mark, I’ll be blogging my Appalachian Trail thru-hike for The Trek this season. A little bit about me- I grew up in central Maine and was introduced to backpacking on various AT sections in Western Maine, so I’m stoked about the idea of hiking all the way home and finishing on the same trails that sparked my love for backpacking. As my start date quickly approaches, I’m only growing more excited for what’s ahead. That being said, a few of the things I’m looking forward to most are going to Trail Days, getting my Trail Name, and experiencing the South for the first time! On the other hand, there are some nerves about figuring out the first few hitches and resupplies in towns, overthinking gear choices, and navigating the reroutes and damage from Hurricane Helene. 

Anyways here’s a (somewhat) brief explanation as to why I’m attempting to thru hike the AT this year: 

I remember being around 10 years old riding in the car with my parents, sister, and two dogs on our way to our first family backpacking trip to Puzzle Mountain in Maine. After seeing some particularly disheveled looking people with huge packs and scruffy beards walking down the road, I asked my parents what they were doing. My mom replied that they were thru hikers and explained they were hiking from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail, adding that “They smell really bad.”. I was enthralled by the idea of hiking all the way across the country(and equally undeterred by the idea of not showering while doing so) and knew that I wanted to hike The Trail myself one day. Aside from being introduced to thru-hiking, my first backpacking experience had a huge impact on me: I vividly remember Maine’s fall foliage, thinking that our Golden Retrievers sharing their own tent and carrying dog packs being the funniest thing ever, and cutting my thumb open on the summit while attempting to whittle a s’mores stick for later that evening.

All in all I fell in love with backpacking. 

And this relationship only grew as I got older, from weekend trips with my Dad across Goose-eye and the Mahoosuc Notch and solo trips in upstate New York- backpacking gave me an opportunity to grow connections with others as well as with myself. I knew from the moment my mom told me about those thru hikers we saw that I wanted to attempt a long trail- and that drive has only grown since. In living a stone’s throw from the AT, I’ve been fortunate to meet dozens of thru hikers while section hiking, working on an ATC crew, and in my current gig working at a ski resort. My interactions with them, both on and off trail through hearing their stories and being welcomed with humility and community has made me long for a similar experience.

Choosing my own adventure

Up until this point my life has followed a generally predetermined path. Childhood, highschool, college. I don’t know what lies in store for me in the following years or what direction to take my life, whether it be grad school or pursuit of a career- potentially in journalism, anthropology, or the outdoor industry… I’m not expecting the trail to provide me with any answers or lead me to some huge revelation on what to do with my life, but I do hope that it may help me gain a stronger sense of self that will allow me to know what path to take in the future.