Snail makes good time on the trail

SALISBURY — Keagan Mullan, a 20-year-old from Bristol, Conn., made his way into Salisbury on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 30, ending his four-day journey from Hoyt Road off Route 55 in Dover at the New York-Connecticut state line. 

Mullan, who was given the trail name Snail for being a slow hiker, was alone for this final segment of his journey. He had started the hike accompanied by a small group of friends. 

He stopped in Salisbury to rest and get some food, and then planned to meet his friends up the road at a nearby parking lot.

He met these friends years ago at a week-long program in Cape Charles, Va., called Camp Trident. The camp is for boys from the ages of 13 to 18, with the goal of helping them develop into young men through military-style hard work and discipline. The camp was founded by Neil Guinan, a former Marine and Navy Seal. 

“It gives you good exposure to challenges and how to combat them,” Mullan said. 

Although the camp was only one week long, Mullan made friends very quickly and stays in close contact with them today.

Compared to other parts of the Appalachian Trail that he has hiked in the past, Mullan said that the section that runs through the Northwest Corner was particularly difficult. He was not expecting the intensity of the rocky, hilly terrain of this area.

While Mullan did not think the trail was easy, he did enjoy it. A highlight for him was viewing the region’s mountains and hills.

He also said that he found people in this area to be very friendly. It gave him a new perspective on the state.  

“I don’t know, out here it’s really nice,” Mullan said. “It’s really a part of Connecticut that, where I come from, I don’t really see too much of. It’s nice.”