Hike the Appalachian Trail

Mark Kelley, aka Wayward, at the Appalachian Trail signpost at northern end of 100 Mile Wilderness on June 11th. (That clean blue jacket, hat, white pants, and new pair of boots would soon get a lot dirtier.)

Appalachian Trail southbound thru-hiker — Standing on Max Patch in October 2006.

Thru-Hike Finish and Champagne on Springer — After 165 day, on November 23rd, popping the cork to celebrate the completion of an AT southbound thru-hike. (The blue jacket and hat survived. The white pants, hiking poles, and boots did not.)

AT Adventure By The Numbers

Before we were a family, one of my adventures was thru-hiking the historic Appalachian Trail. The AT stretches about 2,160 miles from Mount Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia. The path crosses 13 states as it winds up, down, and around the Appalachian Mountains.

Here are some quick facts about my adventure:

Hiked in 2006. Trail name “Wayward”.
Hiked 2,175 Appalachian Trail miles from Maine to Georgia.
Started at Mount Katahdin on June 11th and finished at Springer Mountain, Georgia November 23rd.
Journey lasted 165 days total.
Averaged 13.2 trail miles per day.
The first 275 miles of Appalachian Trail in Maine took 39 days (crawling at 7 miles / day).
550 miles of Appalachian Trail in Virginia took 30 days (cruising at 18.3 miles / day).
Finished the trail with 10 consecutive marathon days (blazing at 26+ miles / day) I was ready to be done with it all.
About 250 hikers to attempt the southbound thru-hike that season. I was the 65th hiker passing through the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) in Harper’s Ferry, WV, and about the 16th to finish at Springer.
Cost for the trip, including airfare to Bangor, ME from Raleigh, NC, was about $5,500

Thousands of adventurers attempt the thru-hike adventure each year, and millions more hit the Appalachian Trail for day hikes and shorter camping trips each year.

I was fortunate to complete the journey, and I’m always eager to share my knowledge and passion of the Appalachian Trail to help others plan and experience the AT adventure. Here’s every blog post from my Appalachian Trail thru-hike.

Below you’ll find backpacking tips, budgeting calculators, and checklists related to hiking the Appalachian Trail.