An Appalachian Trail Meditation

Exactly 27 years ago in 1998, I was in the middle of hiking the entire 2170-mile long Appalachian Trail. For me, it was an opportunity to spend five-plus months away from the world of noise and busyness to be totally immersed in a natural world of quiet and contemplation. Again for me, it was, and still is, one of the best experiences of my life.

Every day on the trail for me was a day of adventure and new surprises. One of the biggest surprises was an unusual geologic anomaly in the far southwest corner of Virginia – a remote valley totally encircled by mountains called Burke’s Garden or God’s Thumbprint.

Looking at a Topo Map or Google Earth, you would think that Burke’s Garden could be a collapsed volcano or meteor impact crater. In fact, it’s a collapsed anticline. An anticline is an upward pointing bulge much like a rug shoved against a wall, and in the case of Burke’s Garden the upper layers of rock collapsed when the lower layers of rock eroded away.

With Covid and other projects getting in the way, I haven’t had a chance to go back to the Appalachian Trail for a hike in over ten years – not even for a short hike. Last week my little dog Sparky and I finally had the opportunity to do several short hikes on the trail including one at Burke’s Garden.

My three main objectives for my hikes last week were to check out Burke’s Garden from the ground, hike on some sections impacted by Hurricane Helene, and to talk to some long distance hikers to see how much has changed since my long distance hike.

The good news is that the Appalachian Trail is quite walkable and open for business even in sections that were devastated by Hurricane Helene last autumn. The crews maintaining the trail have done an outstanding job clearing the trail. There are plenty of toppled trees but all of the ones that could block the trail have been cleared and the overall experience is wonderful.

In short, the hike at Spivey Gap was wonderful. In fact, all walks can be wonderful when you allow yourself to see what is already there.

And as for changes in long distance hiking, I met several long-distance hikers of all different ages and different paces. One of the obvious differences is that pack weights are considerably lighter than they were 27 years ago. When Ray Jardine’s book (The PCT Hiker’s Handbook) came out in 1992, some of his light-weight backpacking techniques were already filtering into the long distance hiking community. One of the more dramatic changes from 27 years ago is in footwear. I did not see any heavy leather hiking boots (i.e., Vasque Sundowners). Almost everyone seemed to be wearing light-weight hikers or trail running shoes.

Another area of significant change is in the use of electronics. It seems that most long-distance hikers are using Apps such as FarOut rather than physical maps or printed Thru-Hiker companions. I wasn’t out long enough on the trail to learn if the reliance upon apps is bringing too much of the world into their long distance hiking experience. For me, being away from the world and being connected to my immediate surroundings is what made my hike so special. But it’s up to everyone to determine on their own on how much they need to rely upon electronics. If it becomes too much, a phone can be turned off as there are plenty of White Blazes to keep you from getting lost.

Regardless of how you hike or how much you carry, it still takes a lot of work and mental perseverance to make it to the end of the trail at Mount Katahdin in Maine. But if you love every step and every moment, it can be one of the most wonderful experiences that you’ll ever have.

In fact, when Sparky and I got back on the road and reentered the world of noise and busyness, I kept looking at the mountain that I just left and thinking about the quiet world of wonder on top of that mountain and the fortunate community of hikers that will be spending the next few months up there.

As for Burke’s Garden, I had hoped for a sunny day where I could fly my drone and show you photos of a mountain valley completely surrounded by mountains. As it turned out, I arrived on a drizzly foggy day with low-hanging clouds covering all of the mountain tops.

Unfazed, we drove up into the cloud for an amazing hike on the Appalachian Trail in the fog. Surprisingly there were two other cars parked at the trail crossing – even on day with intermittent drizzle and limited visibility. This is great news, as the trail should be for everyone and not just limited to the relatively small number people who have the time and resources to do an end-to-end hike. With the trail so long and wooded, I have never found the trail to be too crowded – even on holiday weekends. Once a fellow hiker disappears around a bend, the trail becomes all yours again.

Despite the fog, my hike at Burke’s Garden was special in more ways than I could imagine. And even better, there are almost 2200 miles of trail out there offering similar opportunities on the Appalachian Trail.