Stories from the Trail
Why I Hike
Have you ever been asked, “Why do you hike?”
Each year, millions of visitors are drawn to the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) and come away with memories, photos and stories to tell. The answer to Why I Hike lies in individual experiences, perhaps the accomplishment of a thru-hike or hours spent in nature to soothe the mind and restore the soul.
Earlier this year, we asked our audience to share their personal story of what hiking and recreating on the A.T. means to them. Below are fourteen stories answering that question, offering a glimpse as to why so many people, year after year, seek out this meandering footpath over the Appalachian Mountains.
Why I Hike
Soren West
"Mountains have a voice: soft, powerful and compelling. The voice comes from on high. A deep inner silence hears it... Hiking is other; it takes you into a world, not of our making."
READ MORE
Why I Hike
Patty Herbst
"I hike to shed my skin and to become new again. Breaking out of my familiar, I essentially alter my reality. I curve my perspective... It’s an immediate and stark way to renewal."
READ MORE
Why I Hike
Janene Sullivan
"I want more of less. I want more living, less work, less complicated, and less of being connected. What better place to do that than on the Trail?"
Read More
Why I Hike
Preston Dixon
"The quiet of the forest and the powerful peace of a summit are nice, but the sweet slap hiking delivers to my doubts is the real prize."
Read More
Why I Hike
Steve Farrell
"I hike the Appalachian Trail because it has become a small part of who I am... because I always have and because I've always loved to."
Read More
Why I Hike
Michael Galyean
"It was my quest to complete a hike of the A.T. in memory of my good friend who had introduced me to the Trail in 1969."
Read More
Why I Hike
Nina Krauss
"I hike because when you travel across an entire state with everything you could possibly need strapped to your back, the world feels smaller, and I feel stronger."
Read More
Why I Hike
Alicia Labuski
"When I reflect on what I have accomplished on the Trail, I’m reminded that I’m capable of achieving anything I put my mind to. I no longer wait for permission to chase my dreams..."
Read More
Why I Hike
Kerry “Scribbles” Smithwick
"I’ve walked down the path singing, crying, dancing, and oblivious at times. The act of walking is so natural for our bodies that the mind is freed by the motion and creativity comes alive."
Read More
Why I Hike
Kristine Villatoro
"Trails have seen many tears and heard many sorrows. The Trail is always here for those of us who need it, not only in our grief but also in the everyday life of just living."
Read More
Why I Hike
Allison Rahmlow
"Whether you are a thru-hiker, section hiker, or day hiker, everyone might have a different reason why they're hiking the A.T., but we're all there to enjoy the Trail."
Read More
Why I Hike
Kenny Seagren
"Wandering through the refreshing air, I can reconnect with nature and really achieve an open-mindedness while getting in several hours of exercise."
Read More“Life for two weeks on the mountain top would show up many things about life during the other fifty weeks down below… There would be a chance to catch a breath, to study the dynamic forces of nature and the possibilities of shifting to them the burdens now carried on the backs of men.”
-Benton MacKaye, 1921