THEY DID IT!
A thru hike on the Appalachian Trail
Five months and 23 days after launching this Goliath of a hike in the mountains of northern Georgia, Suds and Subman (above) celebrate the finish on the top of Katahdin Mountain in Maine.
That's a walk of 2,015 miles. Yup, I said two thousand and change. For a fun contrast; have any of us even walked 15 miles recently?
The trail basically follows the Appalachian Mountains along the East coast of the US.
No wonder it took 5 months. Not sure I could drive it any faster.
Those monikers are their trail names. Suds' belongs to my neighbor's daughter really known as Angela Mays and Subman is Larry LaPierre. The neighbors are directly across the road from me; John and Sondra Mays and we've both been following their hiker's journal, sometimes breathlessly.
Trail names are a treasured mystique of veteran, thru-hikers, often being proclaimed by fellow hikers after some memorable happening. Suds got hers when she was doing a 5-day tune-up hike and her shoes foamed like a miniature washing machine with toooo much soap when they encountered heavy rains and Subman, watching the spectacle, made the proclamation.
Her life's partner Subman was, you guessed it, a submariner in the US Navy and, drum-roll please, a veteran of two previous thru hikes of the AT. That's more than 6,000 miles of wandering the mountain peaks and valleys of the Appalachians. He's also fond of sub sandwiches. Very fond.
The highest mountain they climbed was Clingman's Dome at 6,643 feet above sea level. Their finish climb was a mere 5,267 feet above sea level to the top of Mt. Katahdin, the highest point in Maine. That mountain is so far north in Maine hikers are likely to see more moose in a day than humans.
Angela said, "I'm sure our hike will be the most exhilarating adventure I am blessed with."
Fogeyisms tips it's hat to these world-class wanderers for this successful pursuit of their dream.
Mt. Katahdin, Maine
