The Appalachian Trail has been the focus of this website. As is well-known, the AT is one of three National Scenic Trails that make up the Triple Crown of Thru-Hiking; the other two, of course, being the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. There is actually a total of eleven National Scenic Trails. National Scenic Trails are also one of three groups of trails that make up the National Trails System. The other two groups are the National Historic Trails (19 trails highlighting U.S. history) and the National Recreation Trails (almost 1300 local trails). See: National Park Service - National Trails System Living in Maryland means that many of these various trail systems are close-by and provide an interesting framework for preparing for my eventual thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Technically, a thru-hike is not possible on most of these trails since most are really just a series of historic landmarks or other points of interest. However, many provide actual trail routes that can be used for day hikes. In some cases, there are even opportunities for overnight backpacking trips such as the 26.6 mile Catoctin Trail located along the eastern portion of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western Maryland and just east of the Appalachian Trail route through Maryland or the 71 mile Massanutten Trail several miles west of the AT as it passes through Shenandoah National Park. Other aspects of the National Trails System overlap with my other interests. For example, the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail combines both my interest in boating and in history. So, I have decided to start tracking and chronicling my hikes on the National Trails System as part of my AT thru-hike journal. While not the magnitude of a Thru-Hike Triple Crown, this still feeds the thru-hiker urge to click off miles, sections, and milestones.
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Quiet Man
I don't have a bucket list. At 61 years old, I have already had the adventures of a lifetime, especially after a 30-year Army career, five years of teaching high school, and a 37 year marriage still going strong. But I still have this deep desire to complete the Appalachian Trial. Archives
February 2022
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