F E /-\ T U R E  
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i
g The prospect of a nine—to—five most solitary individuals  
  job, bills, diapers and a mort- out of their tents to dis- i
_ . V  gage provided a small window cuss gear, food, weather, i
V i  to fulfill my post graduation goal of jokes, and hilarious sto- r j
 I having a real adventure with my ries of corn-liquored hill-     ~
'i brother Vinnie. While many of my billies. Along the trail,   I   *``    I
fellow 2002 University of Kentucky hikers referred to each   °   _
i graduates dove into the crowded other by trail names — " ~· M _,,, ,
  _·  journalism job pool, Vinnie and I monikers received from ‘ "il § l
  took advantage of our youthful free- fellow adventurers as a i ~ § I
  Y;   dom delaying the burden of life’s re- result of a striking per- V V · ’  ’ Lg i
  - Q sponsibilities. Armed with a point sonality trait or funny in- \ C   j
fi.;   and shoot camera, four days of food, cident witnessed by jg  
`JV  y and my overzealous project-planning others. . °*
  I brother, I set off to Amicalola Falls One hiker named mjQ(d?]t;%Ti%C§/lkaiggegsiéggsauknoélaig%g|2i§3dm%baCk  
    State Park in Georgia to tackle the "Scorch" received her ` l
  L full length of the legendary Appala— name while cooking dinner with her alcohol stove early in her hike. When she  
I ·,VV Q chian Trail. blew on the flame, it sprayed other hikers and their stoves, engulfing the gear
  =  The AT, as most hikers call it, is a and table in a fireball.That one instance branded her with the trail name ij
  f national footpath created by the Scorch, and she never ate a hot meal for the rest of the hike to Maine. My i 
`   backbone of ancient Appalachian brother and I were named the "Blues Brothers" because we inevitably had  
ridgelines that stretch 2,174 miles cigarettes hanging from our lips, blue bandanas, and sunglasses on our faces. i 
{ from Georgia to Maine. "Thru-hik— We were also one of the few teams of brothers that completed the trail to-  
. i ers" earn the title by finishing the en- gether. 3
..   tire trail in one calendar year often  
` taking five to six months for the • .
l daunting task. Maintained by count- Mental and Physlcal Hurdles _  
V- L;   less Volunteers and hiking ClubSV the Completing the trail was on our minds from the very first step; however, we i
QI%_._§ trail Offers au 3 chance to Seek f€l_ soon realized that we would have at least another fourmonths on our lease  
_;  V é lowship with the Wild€m€SSV and the with the AT and better get used to roughmg it and get intoa routine.  
{   V; unexpected Social Opportunities V Every day began the same way. The cacophony of chirping birds, screech-  
iIV_·_··j   along the trail engaged us with ing squirrels, thirsty mosquitoes, ordreaded raindrops reverberating off the V
  V V people from all Walks Of me r€mmiS_ tm roof would start the morning. Vinnie awokebefore me, grabbing the toilet I
, 1 Cem Of Charles Kumlps Video GSSQYSV paper and galloping to an Appalachian Trail privy, or a sturdy tree to lean .
_     =. against. By the time he returned from his morning ritual, my gear was packed g
 j? Camaradcnc On the Tuul Vince Tomecek soaks his blister-ridden feet in Epsom salts in the sink at a hotel in i
f "ff*‘  KVI}; gggl;E;uaE?k;;“;gEgi$g§jV$;‘;f Pearisburg, Va. Such stops were a welcome respite from the trail. ;
° end warriors, and numerous section   ` I V V. I I j
"   hikers all instantly members of a   — r·-.i . I" I »  
i _i tight fraternity temporarily inhabit- V . , j e   i
l ‘ ing this thin strip of land. All thru-   V" j 1 i
I ‘_ j hikers would reach out to help one V       I, I i
I" ._ another, whether with food, medical   V  I.   j  
V V ` help, money, or simply company. i V I I. `. _   if I ' _ l
I   Even hikers labeled "jerks" back     V I g  Vi" `   Qi _i__ V    
gl.], XV il home underwent a transformation   V i’‘i · i   j'‘“     I   EV? `i·p .
  ii on the trail shedding the attitude in i II I.   V _ _             f? _ V V . I
' f‘     trade for ubiquitous understanding I I   ` I            I I ' . T
_‘~`.I`V     and companionship. We all had ih€ I   2*   "U ii .       A. I A . i
    same goal, similar daily trials, a com- cg.: ._* Q   ENT].     V q_'j,_    
. VH mon path, and something to talk   ` T I   `     Ig   _,_V   f2VV_
  about: the AT. I 0  ·         ·V· "V:VV·2; l2   é
if Conversations and social opportu- jV A V _   V' Wj»,\   I     E
r C I nities emerged every 10 to 15 miles   ` i ‘ ¥  *  V ,   B
  `  at three-sided shelters strung to- ,V ~ V`V_;"M I VV     .»p..     V_  
` . J gether like beads along the footpath, · >~¤~I Q-   V  VV VVVV          E
V An evening fire would draw even the ._ _` I    if · ··       g
A V V KENTUCKY Atuivirvi 19
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V A { V VV VV V VV VV#VVV__ _ _ V_V_V #_._____1 M., ...... F_.d-. .