I slow down when hiking. The rhythm of nature is more leisurely. The sun comes up, it moves across the sky, and you begin to synchronize to that rhythm. ~ John Mackey
A Happy Little Announcement
While I have mentioned it in other posts, including my recent post on turning 60. So I won’t leave anyone in suspense, I’m planning my second attempt at thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) in late March or early April of 2025. This is partially a celebration of my semi-retirement and also a way to “walk-off” the stress of the ridiculous job I’ve been working for the last six years. This is going back to a long tradition related to the very beginnings of thru-hiking the AT. You see, back when the AT was first put together, a lot of soldiers returning from World War II used the trail to “walk-off” the war.
When I did my first attempt on the trail ten years ago, I met and hiked with a number of guys who were walking off their experiences in Afghanistan. Even though you fall into groups on the AT, you can spend a lot of hours walking alone in the forest, as well as long nights in your tent or hammock. This is a lot of time to get into your own head, have a million conversations with yourself and come to terms with things that are deep and complex. There are rarely opportunities for this level of introspection in life and it’s one of the huge benefits of the trail.
As I’ve been talking with people about my plans I often get the same question, if you’ve already done half the trail (1000 miles), why would you re-hike the entire trail? The funny thing is, when I was on the trail I often wanted to ask the same question of people in that exact situation. What I discovered and the answer to the question is that it’s all about community. While I’m an introvert, and wasn’t really looking for a group to hike with, you just kind of fall in with people on the trail. The thing is, people on the trail, are a lot like me. Everyone out there is at least a little bit adventurous, willing to take risks and often a lot more comfortable in wilderness than they are in society. Everyone attempting a thru-hike has put there life on hold for six months. They’ve planned for drop boxes across the trail, given up their housing, jobs and other commitments, or at least put them on hold. These are my people.
I’m a slow hiker, and I may in fact jump around a bit instead of doing a straight thru-hike. So I likely won’t be hiking with a single group throughout the trail. If I just jump in and hit the sections I haven’t done, I’ll not know any of the hikers I encounter and that means an entire hike of making new connections and that’s not the most comfortable or enjoyable reality on the trail for me. By starting out in Georgia and being in the bubble for a time, when I do jump around, I’ll almost certainly be running into hikers I know at least part of the time. This will make the hike a lot more enjoyable. I’m also hoping to have friends and some AT alumni join me on sections of the trail. The thing that breaks most folks on the trail is not the physical aspect. Make no mistake, this is one of the most physically challenging endeavor most folks ever do in their lives. But it’s actually the mental challenge that causes people to quit the trail.
People leave the trail often because they miss aspects of their default life. Sometimes it’s a spouse or partner and at times it’s often their pets or some other aspect of their life. Sometimes it’s the mental aspects of the trail itself. The trail at times can get monotonous, but even more so, being tired, sore and wet for days and even weeks at a time can really wear you down. That’s what almost broke me the first time, just two weeks into the hike. What kept me going? Well for that you’ll have to read my book, Appalachian Trail Happiness, available on Amazon or as a signed copy direct from me, you can email me at happinesskane@aol.com.
On the trail I’ll be reporting out as often as possible, daily photos on Instagram, posts on Threads if I can get a signal and a blog post once or twice a week. Last time I did most of my posting out on Twitter but this time I’ll be utilizing Instagram and Threads as well as the blog, and so if you want to follow along on the daily journey, or if you know friends who might enjoy virtually hiking with me, send them to @michael_rev_kane on both sites.
Below are a few posts from my last hike to give you a taste for what’s to come, have a happy day my friends. ~ Rev Kane
On Burning Man and the Appalachian Trail
Remembering the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail: Acceptance is the Way
Happiness, the Minimalist Mind and Hiking the Appalachian Trail
The Ministry of Happiness 