Adventure, endurance, fun on the Appalachian Trail

It’s that time of year again, when fragrant hikers with long hair and large backpacks make their way through the Northwest Corner towns that have sections of the Appalachian Trail (AT). 

Of the 2,200 total miles of the trail (which begins in Georgia and ends in Maine), there are 51 miles in Connecticut, in the towns of Falls Village, Salisbury, Sherman (in the south, at the New York border), Sharon and Kent.

Much of the trail, of course, runs through forest, but there are several spots at which the hikers emerge, sometimes to walk on paved road until the trail plunges back out of sight and sometimes to stop at the post office (to pick up items they’ve shipped ahead from home), the public library (where they check email) and grocery stores and food shops (where they can often be seen eating pints of ice cream).

Compass Arts and Entertainment Editor Anne Day happened to be at Sweet William’s bakery in Salisbury when she came upon a  family of four hikers (see photo at right). 

This summer’s trio of Lakeville Journal interns was sent out on an expedition to find some hikers in Falls Village, near the hydropower plant (where there is an outdoor shower for hikers attached to one of the small brick auxiliary buildings). They found three in under an hour; here are their stories. They are all referred to by the trail names that all hikers earn or choose as they begin their trip.

— Cynthia Hochswender

Sticks and Bones

By Gabriella Collin

On a sunny July afternoon in Falls Village, on the edge of the Eversource hydropower plant, two Appalachian Trail hikers slowly packed up their gear. 

The hikers, whose trail names were Sticks and Bones, were repacking their belongings as they prepared to embark on their next leg of the trail. 

Trail names, sometimes referred to as aliases, are the nicknames that hikers earn on their journey. 

When asked about the meaning of their names, the two men shrugged. Bones simply said, “Because I’m pretty skinny.”

After some coaxing from his friend, Sticks finally explained that, “I guess I trip on a lot of sticks.”

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, the two men are “section hikers,” meaning they are only hiking a portion of the Appalachian Trail. They started in Maryland at the end of May and plan to go the distance to Maine.

When asked about Trail Magic, which is sometimes described as acts of kindness and blessings of luck, the two recounted what they called “pancake trail magic,” where a thru hiker in New York had put together a pancake breakfast for the two, complete with sausage, bacon, orange juice and of course, pancakes. 

When asked about their most memorable moments on the trail, Bones excitedly told about the time the pair saw a small porcupine family along the trail. 

Sticks shuddered as he talked about the time the two almost stepped on a poisonous copperhead snake. 

While it’s common for hikers to listen to music or podcasts on their journey, Bones found himself stuck in a less than ideal situation after his credit card was stolen and Spotify was reset.

He grimaced as he said he’s only been able to listen to Taylor Swift on his trip, as it’s the only thing downloaded on his phone at the moment. 

When asked about the weather, the two smiled, and Bones said, “I think we’ve been pretty lucky.” 

Frankentruck

By Shane Stampfle   

It is not uncommon to hear people bemoan a lack of time spent in nature. The solution to this was clear to Frankentruck: hike the Appalachian Trail. 

“I needed time to reevaluate,” he said, as he prepared quinoa outside of LaBonne’s in Salisbury, using a small portable cooking device with a single burner.

Hiking the AT had been a childhood fantasy of his, and now, having recently reached the 1,500 mile mark on his northward journey, he was close to completing that dream. 

Each hiker is given a trail name by their fellow hikers. Frankentruck earned his after telling a story about how he had built a truck using cannibalized parts from other vehicles. 

Along his way from Georgia to Maine, he has encountered what is known as Trail Magic: unexpected acts of generosity. He marveled at the hospitality displayed by people along the trail, particularly in the South, where small town businesses rely on the hikers. 

He remembered being 25 feet from a black bear in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. Another memory is of hearing trees falling in the forest and not knowing what was going on. 

On the trail, away from road noise and other man-made sounds, “your senses are heightened,” he noted. 

While some thru hikers decide to repeat the journey later in life,  Frankentruck does not expect to be among them. 

“I would want to hike a different long trail, like the Pacific Crest Trail.” 

Since beginning his trek at Springer Mountain, Ga., Frankentruck has entertained himself through long days by listening to classic rock and country music, but noted that he always keeps one earbud out, to stay in the moment. 

“I enjoy spending time in nature, and part of that is being present and appreciating what’s around you.”

Peanut

By Gabby Sartori 

Denver native Katie Clements began her journey on the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain, Ga. 

To other Appalachian Trail hikers she might be known as Peanut, but to her friends and family she is still Katie. 

She earned her trail name on her birthday, after a woman gave her some of her peanut M&Ms as a treat.

Katie became interested in hiking the trail after she had several vivid dreams and realized that, “This is where I needed to be.”

Before setting off, she wondered whether she should hike with her boyfriend or not; but ultimately she decided that she needed to do it without company. 

Katie realized the challenges that would come with being a young woman hiking alone, but understood that she needed to do it for herself. 

Her very supportive boyfriend, who offered to hike it with her, has visited her once on the trail, and remains in touch. 

Katie sees hiking the trail as a transitional period for people.

“It’s a 10-to-12-hour-a-day job, and it really challenges your mentality.”

Her biggest tip is to stay positive  through all of the hardships, and to realize that simplicity is beautiful. 

After being on the trail for a while, one develops a sense of routine. It’s important to stick to the routine and not break it, because that is how a hiker will get through the day, she said. 

It’s also important to recognize the trail and the people on it as a community. 

On the trail there’s a phenomenon called Trail Magic, which is essentially  luck and the unexpected kindness of others. 

Katie has been pretty lucky, in the sense that she has experienced a lot of Trail Magic. She often finds that when she is eating alone in a restaurant, someone will want to pay for her meal. During her brief stay in the Northwest Corner, at the local Mountainside Cafe, she was greeted with smiles and chocolates. In her time down South, she was lucky enough to take part in a massive hiker feed, hosted by the local Baptist church. 

On a trip that was a year in the making, Katie, or Peanut, has no intention of slowing down.