My Three Days on the Appalachian Trail

Bucket list dreams can be tricky things. You’ve been thinking about them for so long that you think you know what to expect. Wrong! I learned that lesson last week when I attempted 100 miles along the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. I made it almost 20 miles.

What I didn’t anticipate was record high temperatures (heat advisories and 95+ degree temps), crazy elevation gains (800 feet in the first two miles) and just what a toll carrying 35 lbs of gear on your back takes on a 65+ year old body. Also, sleeping in a tent when it’s 80 degrees at night is kind of like being wrapped in plastic while being slow roasted.

Still, the experience was amazing. Shenandoah National Park is a magical place, full of lush forests, wildlife and views of the spectacular surrounding valley. The trail is also surprisingly peaceful for a park that gets more than 1.5 million visitors each year.

I slept in an AT shelter (one of hundreds along the 2,168-mile trail), saw at least a score of deer, almost touched one copperhead snake (coiled up by a spring), and met dozens of hikers, many of whom started their trek in Georgia many months ago.

What did I learn? I learned nothing we have in Ohio prepares you for climbing a hill for three hours straight. I learned how far I was willing to walk after 3 days in the wilderness for a burger, air conditioning and ice water (answer: 2.5 miles). I learned that my girl scout skills, while rusty, were surprisingly still intact.

I can’t quite cross off that bucket list item yet.

I’ll be seeing you next year, AT…in cooler weather. We have unfinished business!

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