Hiking in Maine

Thru-hikers can have many different reasons to attempt the Appalachian Trail (AT), whether it be the fulfillment of a dream, a personal challenge, or any number of life events, and in Hike It Forward: Hiking the Appalachian Trail Strong, Safe and in the Spirit, (self-published, 2015) David Rough recounts his successful 2014 thru-hike from Georgia to Maine, as part of an “unavoidable call” and an effort to improve tuition assistance at the Christian school system in Ohio of which he was Academic Dean at the time.  Rough blogged about his hike in the Hike It Forward blog.

Rough (trail name: Rowdy) details his preparations for the hike, and how these preparations stood up to the 2,186 mile test, including gear and clothing.  In addition, Rough’s book includes three bonus features: Trail Preparation, Trail Journal, and a State-by-State guide.  A bibliography includes everything from A Walk in The Woods to The Lord of the Rings.

Rough breaks down AT lingo, most importantly explaining the HYOH concept: Hike Your Own Hike, respecting the different goals, motivations, and methods of other hikers.  Rough also converts the “trail magic” concept to “trail blessings,” which reflects Rough’s Christian faith.  Most of the blessings involve food, which is central to the thoughts and well-being of thru-hikers.

The book reveals a daily life on the trail containing surprises, nasty falls, and unexpected acts of kindness.  These vignettes range from uplifting conversations with other thru-hikers, most of them referenced by trail name, to lighthearted musings on moose encounters, to an incident with a peeping tom at a hostel.

These stories illustrate lessons learned by Rough, and his trail journal provides a sense of scale regarding the sheer mileage of a thru-hike, and its effect on his mood.  Additionally, Rough is careful to credit his wife and sister, and the many others who supported his hike, showing that while an AT hike is inherently a solitary endeavor, the added motivation and encouragement to see it through can be the difference between success and failure.

Rough also discusses the challenges faced in adjusting to normal life again after his AT experience, and how small things like shoes, being inside, and changing his diet caused stress, and how Rough dealt with this, and how reconnecting with friends from the AT cushioned some of the loss felt upon leaving the trail.  Rough concludes:

The Appalachian Trail is forever etched into my life.  God allowed me to experience a path that few have walked.  My hike was so uniquely mine and the spiritual journey so personally embraced me that words cannot describe its intimacy.  A one hundred and fifty-two day walk incorporates 3,648 hours of experiences and people and blessing and adversity and adventure.  To capture it in a book, to recall it in words, to reflect it in pictures, or even to fully understand it myself seems to evade my abilities.

Overall, Rough’s narrative effectively describes his initial romantic view of the trail being replaced by hardship, but then re-forged, one step at a time, hiking his own hike, into an appreciation of the trail as it is.

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