Class of 2015 - And then there were none...

This will probably be one of my lasts updates on this year's class of Appalachian Trail Hikers that I met in January at the NoRuck.  

I plan on one more post that throws the numbers together and offers my summary of the six hikers that I followed along with this hiking season.

Previously on the Class of 2015:

Slingshot - Done

Clifford - Done

Treehugger - Done (injury)

Scoops and Iceberg - Off and on

Justin - Started, still in ME.

So just a few days ago, Justin had made his way through the White Mountains of New Hampshire and had announced that he was pretty much done.  He was able to do some awesome hiking along with several side adventures and was satisfied with what he had accomplished.  Here is his Facebook Post:

As all my friends and family know I started this amazing idea of a southbound thru –hiking the Appalachian Trail. I started at Katahdin on July 31st and have hiked through the state of Maine and into White Mountains of New Hampshire. I have met amazing people, seen beautiful wildlife, stayed at amazing camping sites, lean-tos and hostels, climbed crazy mountains, enjoyed the bonus miles (blue blazes & ‘yellow’ corridor/boundary blazes), and of course warm meals and ‘smile for miles’!

From the beginning I never really intended on hiking the Appalachian Trail in its entirety as a thru-hike, even though I stated I was. The reason I started in Maine and wanted to push through the Whites is I knew that it was the hardest 20% of the trail and I would have some of the most beautiful views and hardest mountains; thanks to the weather this has been true. Since I first had the idea of the ‘thru hike’, I always knew that the ‘thru-hike/section hike’ would be catalysis for something far greater. A journey of a life time!

I write to you now, letting you know that as of tomorrow I will take this show on the road for a bit. A fellow traveler will be picking me up and I will be heading toward Shippensburg, PA for the ALDHA Gathering next weekend. I have no clue what lines in front of me on this amazing Journey, but you can guarantee that I will keep on enjoying life, flowing with what comes my way, blazing my own trail and the white blaze of the Appalachian Trail is never too far! 

wink emoticon“Not all those who wander are lost”

I will be seeing Justin down at The ALDHA Gathering in Shippensburg, PA on Columbus Day weekend.  He did good.  Who else is coming?

Scoops and Iceberg went back out to the trail after my last update, finished NY and worked their way up into CT.  It looks like they have been back to the rat race a week or so now, as this pictures shows.

The season is turning and the leaves are falling.  There are still hikers on the trail, as there always will be.  This has been a fun ride.  I hope you all enjoyed peeking into the lives of real hikers and learning about their journeys.