Hi there. Saint here. I’ve been doing some light reading today. Mummy and I have been preparing for this big hike and because we’ve been traveling all around talking about it, I decided to learn more about this thing Mummy keeps calling the Appalachian Trail.
Can you see my map? Mummy got it for me so I could read it easier. Not only is the trail huge, but my map is pretty comfy. Shhhh… Don’t tell Mummy, but I fell asleep on it a few times.
I’m actually a little nervous. I’m not quite sure what states are but this hike goes through 14 of them! That sounds like a lot to me. Look here.. It starts way down here in a place called Georgia and it wiggles and winds its way all the way up to Maine.
Maine! Hey! That’s where Mummy and I live. And look! The trail ends in a place called Mount Katahdin. I’ve been there! Mummy and I hiked it with some of our very good friends last year.
I remember that trip. It was scary. Mummy had to ride on the backs of our friends and couldn’t take her chair. She was very happy about it though and Rod, PJ and Mike kept extra good care of Mummy. I hope we have some good friends like that on this trip. Mummy is brave, but I’ll need some help to make sure that she is safe.
I wonder how long it will take us to hike 14 states. It says here that the trail is 2186 miles long. I bet that’s going to take us a while. I sure hope Mummy brings lots of carrots. I think I’m going to get pretty hungry with all of that walking.
I read about some other interesting things too. Did you know that the Appalachian Trail is the longest “hiking-only” footpath in the world and that the trail is managed and taken care of by a super large group of volunteers? This group is so big that it’s organized into 21 different maintenance clubs. I think that’s a lot. And these volunteers do everything. They build shelters for hikers. They make sure the trail is clean and free from trash and trees. Plus they also encourage students to experience the trail.
I bet these volunteers are cool. I’d love to meet some of them. Maybe Mummy and I can get to know some on our trip. In fact, I think we may have already met a few of them on our recent adventures. I wish I had done some studying before now. I learned a lot today.
Are there an
y other interesting facts or things about the trail that Mummy and I should know? Maybe you could send us some ideas on our Facebook page. Mummy says she would love to talk to you.
For now, I think I’m going to find Mummy’s lap and have a nap. Studying is exhausting.