Hold My Beer While I Hike The Appalachian Trail

When I tell people I’m going to attempt to thru-hike Appalachian Trail next year, they either say “That’s awesome, I’m so jealous!” or “Josh, when did you start experimenting with PCP?” It is kind of a crazy notion to think in less than a year my girlfriend, Michelle, and I will attempt to walk 2,181 miles from Georgia to Maine. Even though I live less than an hour from Springer Moutain, we’ve decided to mix things up a bit and flip flop the trail instead of a traditional NOBO route. We will start in Harpers Ferry, VA and head north to Katahdin, then return to the half way point to complete the southern half of the trail.

Now let me go ahead and answer the three questions you probably have.

Why Are You Doing It?

Everyone asks this question, like I’m some kind of lunatic for leaving my friends, family, job, and Jojo* behind for a six month camping trip. Well why not do it? I want an adventure. I want to be free of real world responsibilities. I want Adam Sandler to stop making movies. I want to spend more time with Michelle. I want to know if a bear does indeed shit in the woods and I want to make my high school bully jealous of the awesome life I’m living.

What it all boils down to is I just want to have fun in life. Nobody ever sat on their deathbed thinking, “damn I wish I had worked a little bit more.”

Think You and Michelle Will Make it All The Way?

Shit yeah we will.  Next question.

But, Like, What If You Don’t?

Probably one or all of the following:

• Cry
• Tell my employer I was just kidding about quitting
• Laundry
• Guilt eat my weight in white cheddar popcorn
• Tell my friends the reason I didn’t make it was because of  bear attack, even if it wasn’t

In all seriousness I would be really, really disappointed in myself. Then I would start working out the logistics of my 2017 thru hike.

I want to say thank you again to the Good Badger at Appalachian Trials for the opportunity and I look forward to sharing my adventure with everyone!