In 2014, FIFTEEN Designer Tim Martin hiked the entirety of the Appalachian Trail.
Georgia to Maine. 2185.3 miles. 119 days.
Solo.
“I was not an experienced overnight hiker. I think that was helpful because I didn’t know what to expect.”
“I saw a NatGeo documentary about the Appalachian Trail. I went from not even really knowing about it to being all-in. Apparently, a bunch of Germans saw the same documentary. I met a lot of Germans along the way.”
“My best meal was at the Blue Blaze Cafe in Damascus, VA. They had an all-you-can-eat pancake buffet. On the menu, it said the record was 15 pancakes. I thought, ‘I’m pretty hungry,’ so I went for it. As I’m eating the 15th pancake, the waitress tells me the menu hasn’t been updated and the record is actually 18. So I told her to keep ‘em coming. This was also my worst meal."
“People have built some pretty elaborate privies along the trail. One was a castle, you climb up, shit like a king. But there were two holes, side by side, which I thought was a little odd. Like you could share with a friend.”
“My shoes fell apart in Pennsylvania. I got about 1000 miles out of them.”
“I have flashbacks. Specific moments. Landscapes. I’ll hear a song, and I’d heard it before the trip, but now it resonates in a new way. And I’ll be back there.”
“If I could go on another adventure and know I’d come out of it just fine, I’d like to hike the entire perimeter of the United States.”
