Point Pleasant Register (WV)
2,000 miles of memories
Point Pleasant resident hikes Appalachian Trail
Hope Roush
[email protected]
Published: December 27, 2008
POINT PLEASANT - An adventure to remember. That's how 26-year-old Point Pleasant resident Josh Burris described his six-month hike on the Appalachian Trail.
Prior to hiking the trail that extends more than 2,000 miles through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, Burris said he had very little hiking experience.
"I had always been an avid outdoorsman with hunting and fishing, but never really backpacked," he said. "But I knew I could do it."
Burris said he had always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail, but he was further inspired after reading Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods." Burris said he only prepared for his hike a month in advance and decided to embark on the adventure alone.
In addition, Burris said he decided to hike the Appalachian Trail after he realized he was not enjoying his former job.
"Around March 1 I was at a job and was not having fun. I had money so I decided to (hike the Appalachian Trail). The hardest part was figuring out how to get to Georgia (to start the hike,)" Burris said.
The adventure was certainly a learning experience.
"When I started (the hike), I knew some things. It was a learning experience as I went," he said. "My backpack weighed 47 pounds (at the start), and by the end it weighed between 28 and 30 pounds."
He added that he found himself carrying less weight at the completion of his hike as well. According to Burris, he lost 70 pounds over the course of the hike and went from being out of shape to very physically fit.
"I started out doing five to 10 miles a day, and at the end (of the hike) I was on 20 to 25 miles a day," Burris said. "Your metabolism gets so high that you can eat between 8,000 and 10,000 calories a day and still lose weight."
Before starting his hike, Burris said he was not scared but excited. He attributed his excitement to helping him get through the beginning stages of the trail.
"I was not really scared but pumped to do (the hike). My excitement helped me through the beginning part.
The only scary part of (the hike) was when I almost walked into a moose in Maine - I think we both scared each other."
Although Burris started the trail hike alone, he came away with many friends.
"I went out by myself but met a lot of people out there. I made some lifelong friends," he said.
He added that two of the friends he made along the way started the trail at the same time he did and finished with him.
As for the trail experience itself, Burris said it was interesting to see the seasons change during the six-month hike.
"We started March 28 at Springer Mountain, Ga. It was very cold with rain and snow for that part. It was still cold all the way through the Great Smoky Mountains," he said. "It started to warm up in Virginia where the season changed and went from cold to hot and muggy - that was probably the worst (part of the trail) with the extreme heat."
Burris added that the Tennessee terrain was particularly rugged and steep. However, he described the Virginia section as feeling easier.
"In Virginia (the trail) gets easier - by that time you are in shape," he said. "Pennsylvania becomes easy (because) it is somewhat flat but rocky."
Burris described New England as the difficult area of the trail due to the rugged terrain. In addition, he said he was excited when the trail went through Harpers Ferry but wished that it would go through more of West Virginia.
Burris finished the hike Sept. 27 after finally making it to Mount Katahdin in Maine. He described feeling a sense of pride after completing the trail.
"The number one thing (after finishing) was a sense of accomplishment. I know I can do anything I set my mind to," Burris said. "The physical battle took a month, but the mental (battle) took longer. It was a hard thing getting motivated to walk. If it wasn't for the friends I made, it would have been a lot harder - the hikers, we feed off each other and motivate each other."
According to Burris, the experience of completing the Appalachian Trail was unforgettable and enabled him to form lasting memories. However, his fondest memory of the hike was when his cousin paid him a surprise visit. Burris said his cousin, Brahm, hiked with him for a month through Virginia.
"He came out and surprised me. We hit some really cool parts (of the trail) in Virginia. We did a five-day canoe trip and floated down the Shenandoah River," he added.
In addition, Burris described crossing the Maine state line as another fond memory of the hike.
"There are only 270 miles left (at the Maine state line), and you know you are almost done," he said.
As for favorite parts of the trail itself, Burris said he really enjoyed New Hampshire. In fact, he said he would love to move there someday.
"I fell in love with the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It was a beautiful place - you are above tree line for that section. The views were beautiful," he added. "I am hoping to relocate to the New Hampshire area. I really fell in love with that (area)."
After Burris finished his long hike across the Appalachian Trail, he took a well-deserved break with the new friends he acquired throughout the adventure.
"The day we finished it was pouring rain and so cold. We couldn't really see. I celebrated with friends and then went to East Port, Maine, and rented a cabin, ate lobster and did nothing for a week," Burris said.
During his six-month adventure in the wilderness, Burris said he missed his dog, mother and grandmother the most. He also said he missed his nice comfortable bed, as all he carried with him on the trip was an extra set of clothes, sleeping bag, bag of food and a shelter.
However, despite not having certain luxuries, Burris said he would do it all again. In fact, he described future plans to do another extended hike across England.
He encouraged others to be adventurous and strive to do something such as hike the entire Appalachian Trail.
"Just set your mind to it and do it. You don't accomplish anything by intending to do it - you have to do it," Burris said.
Josh Burris stands atop McAffee's Knob in Virginia with his cousin, Brahm. Burris said his cousin surprised him and hiked for several miles in Virginia with him. He described the surprise as one of his favorite parts of the hike.
Josh Burris diligently hikes a section of the Appalachian Trail during his hike. Burris recently completed the 2,175-mile trail, which goes through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Submitted photo Josh Burris takes a moment to pose at the Tennessee/North Carolina state line during his six-month hike across the Appalachian Trail. Burris described completing the hike as giving him a sense of accomplishment.
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