Three years ago today I summited Katahdin and concluded my Appalachian Trail thruhike. While my life is now much different than it was before and just after the thruhike, the desire to get back out for another long distance hike is still there, especially when I read others' stories or run into thruhikers when I am out for a weekend hike. That isn't to say that I haven't had plenty of adventures since the thruhike though. In 2011, I changed jobs, moved to Boston, and adopted a puppy. Last year I got married to Spidey, my best friend who I met during the thruhike in the White Mountains. Spidey and I also climbed the 48 four thousand footers in the Whites last year. Now Spidey and I are training for a marathon this fall. A marathon is a much different type of goal but the fact that we are used to hiking continuously for long stretches of times has been helping with the psychological hurdles of distance running. However, even with all these adventures and goals, Spidey and I still eye another thruhike (PCT/CDT/AT again?) at some point in the future.
For those that are considering a thruhike attempt, I can say that it has definitely changed my life. Sure, not everyone on the trail enjoyed the trip and very few people enjoyed every moment of the trek, but it yielded so many experiences that cannot be obtained doing anything else. A thruhike is a challenge, but one that I want to attempt again.
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