Trail Completed

[Road runner]

After 166 days, spread over 12 years, I completed the trail today. I started at Springer on May 28, 2008 and finished on Katahdin today, July 10, 2019. Thanks for all the help and advice over the years.

[Megapixel]

After 166 days, spread over 12 years, I completed the trail today. I started at Springer on May 28, 2008 and finished on Katahdin today, July 10, 2019. Thanks for all the help and advice over the years.

ConGratS Brother! Coolest accomplishment, and when's the book comin' out? Did you get to pick peak weather and seasons over that span or just as it came?

[Road runner]

I work at a school, so I went when I had time off. I went spring breaks, fall breaks, and summer breaks. I couldn’t have picked a better day to summit. It was absolutely beautiful up there today.

[One Arm]

Congratulations! Every section hiker rejoices when the dream comes true!
Best wishes on your plans for whatever is next.
I hope your plans include more long hikes, even if they take 12 years . . .

[Christoph]

Congrats!!! Quite a good feeling for sure. What's next?

[Strategic]

Congratulations from one section hiker to another!

[illabelle]

I can feel it! We're at 94.4% complete. I have a detailed plan for next year's finale (we didn't hike a continuous line like you did). It's hard to imagine what life will be like when we're done. The anticipation is building, and I've thought about how I'll announce it when the day comes. Such an epic accomplishment, and then it's over. Just like that. Done. And just like the thru-hikers, no one cares as much as you do. The congratulations, expressions of awe, pats on the back - they're just a few moments. And then it's just you with the memories you can relive long after you've moved on to something else.

So CONGRATULATIONS, Road Runner! Beep Beep!!!
:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:jump:jump

[Emerson Bigills]

Congratulations. I can only imagine the perseverance necessary to go back out time after time. Connecting the sections is always a logistical challenge. Great job.

[bamadog]

Congratulations !!! Job well done !

[Carl7]

Congratulations! Time for round two!

[RuthN]

Congratulations!

[John B]

Sincere congrats to you.

I am also a section hiker, so I hope you will talk a bit more about your hike. For example, what was the greatest number of days you were out? What was the fewest? Did you start each section where you stopped previously or did you shuffle things up for efficiency? What things or gear did you do differently toward the end of your sectioning than you did at the beginning (lessons learned, so to speak)?

Finally, now that it's done, have you pretty much had enough or do you have other long trails in mind?

All said, again, congrats!

[tiptoe]

Congratulations! I finished last year, after a similarly long section hike that included over a year and change for a broken ankle to heal. I was happy to summit Katahdin, but felt more wistful than triumphant because I had so many interesting experiences along the way. Here's to future adventures, wherever they may lead.

[Recalc]

So impressed that you stuck with it over a 12 year period. Congratulations!

[LittleRock]

Congratulations! I always love hearing when people finish multi-year section hikes. It's like celebrating someone making it to retirement - good morale boost for everyone who's still chugging along, trying to get there.

[peakbagger]

Looks like you picked a great day and place to finish. I also was long term sectioner but it ended up that my last mile was near White Rocks in VT but at least my first mile was heading up the Hunt Trail in 1970.

I hope you are staying a few days in Baxter as there are a lot of other great mountains to visit that many thru hikers don't even give a thought to as they head out the gate

[HooKooDooKu]

Congratulations Road runner.

While I haven't hike the AT, I have an inkling of what you feel like as I would have had a similar feeling when, after 20 years, I completed the task of hiking every official back country trail in GSMNP. But I would count your accomplishment to be the greater as you had to hike about 35% more trail miles to complete your task, and I think logistics of travelling to/from various destinations along a 2,000 mile linear trail is more difficult compared to my travels to the same national park over and over.

I see that you're about 5 hours away from GSMNP... if you don't have plans to tackle something like the PCT, perhaps you could join the likes of me and my son working on the GSMNP 900 Miler Club (I did it living around Birmingham, AL... and it doesn't take 20 years... my son will likely complete the task in 8 years).

[JPritch]

Great Job RoadRunner! Would love if you would share some of your experiences during your journey, any highlights, challenges, revelations, tips, etc...

[needlefish]

Congratulations!!!!!!

[Shae]

Very cool! Congrats.

[bkflex55]

Awesome! Congrats

[Praha4]

congrats road runner
I started from Springer in late April 2010, and still haven't finished the entire AT. Detoured 5 times to Vermont to do the Long Trail, and surgery for prostate cancer and a torn achilles tendon along the way. Made it as far north as Manassas, VA on the AT so far. Cancer free now, achilles surgery went A+, and happy to be a section hiker. Good for you, bet you have a ton of trail stories and pictures!

[peakbagger]

BTW, I strongly recommend a "victory lap next year to revisit various spots along the way.

[Traveler]

A great accomplishment! To me, section hiking the full trail is more difficult than a thru hike on a lot of different levels.

[Rain Man]

Congratulations! Only 12 years? Man you're fast! Took me 14 years. LOL Then again, you're a young whipper-snapper.

I relished the sense of accomplishment, but missed having a goal in front of me after finishing at the ATC HQ in Harpers Ferry in Oct 2017. So, went out west and thru-hiked the John Muir Trail in 2018. Now? I'm seriously considering knocking off the 900 miles in the GSMNP. I guess I've already done up to a third of it over the years.

Anyway, enough about me, ... good for YOU! Thanks for sharing.

[Gambit McCrae]

Envious! Congratulations! IF all goes to plan I will be finishing my first completion next year within my 7 year goal.

[u.w.]

WooHoo! HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU RoadRunner!!! Hellz Yah!!!

I completed last year on 9/8/18 Bittersweet is one of many emotions I experienced that morning... Happy to say I'm still hiking and sure don't plan on stopping - I wish and hope the same for you too

u.w. / willin'

[Berserker]

Great job!

I'm on a 13 year plan, and will be attempting to finish this year myself. All I have left is Monson to Katahdin.

[goatee]

Congrats !!!

[Colter]

Well done Road runner. Nothing like accomplishing something big under your own terms.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Congrats!!!

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Congratulations! My green eyes are blazing ;)

[Night Train]

Well done, sir!

[Toolumpy]

Congrats! I am also a section hiker and have had 3 trips to get from Springer to Virginia. Plan to complete the trail also.