Thru-Hikers Add Meaning to Their Appalachian Trail Miles

by Jedd Ferris

A Walk in the Woods is the most popular book ever written about the Appalachian Trail. Travel scribe Bill Bryson’s witty recount of his time on the trail unveiled the underground kitsch and culture of A.T. thru-hiking, and it deserves all of the accolades it has received. But two years later an equally enlightening and inspiring account was written by Ohio-based thru-hiker Jeff Alt.

In A Walk for Sunshine Alt retells the trials and triumphs of his 1998 thru-hike, a journey that he undertook to raise money for the Sunshine Home. The facility took care of his brother Aaron, who was born with cerebral palsy, and the hike raised over $80,000. Along the way, Alt found a congruent energy between the trail and the people that helped his brother. In the book he writes, “The Appalachian Trail and Sunshine Home both began with a vision to fulfill a need. The trail fills a continuous need of allowing man’s interaction with the wilderness and getting back to a simpler life. Sunshine Home provides needed services to children and adults with developmental disabilities. Both were founded by courageous visionaries who intended to increase the quality of life for everyone who became involved.”

Like any physical disability, affliction, or trying situation, hiking the trail comes with its share of challenges. To even attempt the entire A.T. requires one to make difficult decisions: Leave behind your family and friends. Quit your job. Disappear from civilization for six months to spend long days on blister-ridden feet traversing endless mountain peaks and long nights sleeping outside in shelters and tents. But that’s just what an estimated 1,000 people decided to do this spring when they set out on the trail. Hikers who take on the 2,175-mile footpath travel through 14 states, summit some of the highest mountains in the East, brave consistently unpredictable weather, and overcome the mental fatigue of a daily regimen of wilderness walking.

Like Alt, many thru-hikers make their miles even more meaningful by dedicating their efforts to a greater cause. Meet seven inspiring hikers who are tackling some of the world’s biggest problems, one step at a time.

The Hikers: Colby Young,

Joshua Vlahos, & Joe Herrity

The CAUSE: Shriners Hospital for Children

The REASON: The trio took off in mid-April with plans to finish the trail by August. Young was born with a rare right lower limb deficiency known as Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency, which led to the amputation of his right leg above the knee. He was originally told he would be relegated to a wheelchair for the rest of his life, but the Shriners medical staff performed the first of many surgical procedures that enabled Colby to first walk and later become an active teenager. He is attempting to become just the second amputee to complete the trail.

“The Shriners took care of Colby for 20 years, so he really wanted to do something to give back,” says Herrity. “The trail has been something that we have always wanted to do, so we decided it would be the perfect thing to do for the hospital.”

Herrity, too, has dealt with his share of adversity. He suffered from epilepsy for the majority of his life, but was recently able to go off medication in 2004. Vlahos is an old friend who is coming along for support. The three amigos hope to raise enough money to help one child at the hospital walk for a year, considering that the cost of a prosthetic can reach $10,000. The goal of finishing the trail in a faster-than-normal four and half months will set another example of overcoming obstacles. Young especially wants to prove that people with disabilities are capable of not just ordinary but extraordinary things.

“Colby doesn’t worry about anything too much,” Herrity says. “He’s taking precautions and training well, but he especially wants to show people that nothing is limiting him and he can do it in an above average time.” www.hikers-for-charity.com.

The Hiker: AARON FAUST

The CAUSE: Cure for Cancer

The REASON: Aaron Faust is an avid hiker who has covered countless miles from Alaska to the Florida Everglades, but currently the Chapel Hill, N.C.,-resident is fulfilling his longtime dream of hiking the A.T. to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The disease recently hit home when the 25-year-old’s uncle lost a hard battle with renal cancer.

“The fundamental concept of hiking is putting one foot in front of the other and eventually you will reach the mountaintop,” he says. “In my mind, this notion correlates well to those battling cancer.”

As an experienced hiker, Faust is planning on doing 17 miles a day, so he can reach the trail’s end at Katahdin by August. He is self-funding his entire hike, so any donations will go straight to the ACS. To date, his website’s donation meter is right around $5,000.

“I don’t know how much money can be raised, but any amount would be amazing,” he says. “My uncle lost his fight, but hopefully in the near future his fate will be the exception.” www.hikingforacure.com.

The Hiker: MONIQUE PILIE´

The CAUSE: Revitalizing New Orleans

The REASON: A native of New Orleans, Pilié completed the A.T. in 2006 to raise money to plant trees throughout the city. The goal of her nonprofit Hike for KaTREEna is to plant a tree for every mile that she hiked. Over 200 trees have already been planted, and to date she has raised about half of the $100,000 she needs to buy and plant the rest of the trees. “The tree damage was extensive all the way to the north shore, where I was staying with my family after the storm hit,” she says. “I decided that I had to do something.”

Pilie decided to incorporate her dream of hiking the trail with a way to help revive the Big Easy. Taking the trail name “Crescent City,” she made it her mission to keep New Orleans awareness at the forefront of her hike. Along the way, she talked to fellow hikers and scribbled her message in the informal journals that are left in the trail shelters. Donations soon started pouring in. “It was nice to realize that people hadn’t forgotten about us,” she says.

Even though her hike is over, Pilie’s work continues.

“We still have a long way to go down here. We see little improvements, but some people are still just getting phone lines back. We still don’t have a lot of things that other people take for granted.” www.hikeforkatreena.com.

The Hiker: MARK SHAFFER

The CAUSE: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia

The REASON: Mark Shaffer is doing what his nephew never got a chance to do-complete the A.T. Shaffer’s nephew Eric died of leukemia last year at the age of 24. At Eric’s memorial service it was mentioned that he always had a desire to hike the trail, but was never able since his diagnosis at 17. So this year his uncle decided he would do it for him in his honor.

“Mark had talked about hiking the trail in the past, but when he learned that Eric always wanted to hike it, he had to follow through,” says Mark’s wife Debby, who is at home in Somerset, Pa., holding down the fort while her husband is on the trail.

Carrying Eric’s old hiking poles, Mark, 49, started his journey on March 17, the one-year anniversary of his nephew’s passing. Before leaving he picked his trail name, Uncle Buck, because that is what Eric called him. Since the Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimates it takes five million steps to complete the trail, he is calling his hike 5 Million Steps for a Cure. He is hoping to raise about $20 a mile for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. To date he already has $34,000 pledged.

Although Mark has never been an avid hiker, he has finished three states and crossed into Virginia, despite the harsh cold spring weather. He has already withstood a night with temperatures in the single digits atop Clingman’s Dome, and according to Debby, he has no plans to stop. “When I asked him before he left what his chances of finishing were, he said 100 percent,” she says. “He’s always been the optimist, and so far he’s shown no signs of slowing down.” www.fivemillionsteps.org.

The Hiker: Peter Priolo The Cause: American Soldiers The Reason: The Staten Island, N.Y.-based Priolo is using his hike to raise funds for soldiers currently returning from conflict in the Middle East. As the brother of a New York City firefighter, he has grown to feel that the people that put themselves in harm’s way are often under-appreciated. “I see many instances where government assistance is very minimal to these heroes”, Priolo says. “First it’s the inadequate government assistance given to those firefighters who worked in the bad air over Ground Zero, now it’s the lack of financial support for our soldiers wounded in combat in Iraq. It’s time for everybody in this country, whether you are for or against the war, to show support for our troops and their families by helping to ease their burdens during and after their tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.” To do his part Priolo-a personal fitness coach-will donate 25 cents per mile to Fisher House, a non-profit organization that helps the military and their families in their time of need. Priolo has done his homework and chosen Fisher because the organization only uses three percent of their donations for administrative costs. His is hoping others will recognize the cause make per mile pledges in the name of his journey. “I know that almost all of the money will filter through to those in need,” he says. “As for others helping out, whether it’s only 1 cent per mile or $1 per mile, every cent counts.” www.ironpete.com.