GHS NEws

GHS Alumni Successfully Hikes The Appalachian Trail

Reporter Caiden Stone

John Walsh, a Gloucester High School Alumni and resident, began on a very difficult journey this past spring, to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, which starts from Springer Mountain in Georgia and stretches into Mount Katahdin, Maine.

Given that the Appalachian Trail is extremely long and difficult, it was bound to be explored by a Gloucester man.

The dedicated 19 year old started venturing the hike at around 10 miles per day, maybe even 15 miles if the day was what he considered to be a “good day”. The trail was also apparently “very Appalachian-y”, Walsh sarcastically stated.

After about three weeks into the hike, (or around 300 miles), Walsh said he began developing his “trail legs”. This is what happens when your body becomes known to the terrain of hiking and creates a pace. This helped Walsh kick out about 20 miles a day without that much of a problem. “Some parts of it, you’d literally be climbing boulders, and other days would be a walk in the park” he said, describing how tricky the trail really is.

It’s no surprise that someone could get lost on the Appalachian, with it being over 2,000 miles long with bipolar terrain transitions. There are surely difficult parts, the most difficult part is arguably said to be the southern Maine are; the trail literally goes along ridges of eroded rock. It’s a tough section and a rough trail.

The achievement proved to be a huge accomplishment for Walsh, his family, friends, and even others who are inspired from his adventure. Walsh even claims as looking back on the six month trip that some of the relationships he built with fellow hikers are some he will cherish forever. There were many other hikers out on the trail, before then Walsh was hiking alone, there were people of all ages, most of them had never done anything like the Appalachian Trail.

It is really awesome how many people actually hike the portion of the trail yearly, and especially for somebody in Gloucester, is truly crazy. So for all us Gloucesterians, and especially those who are considering taking on the fierce Appalachian themselves, Walsh completing this trail is nothing but honorable.