Everyone has a story...
Journals are a great historical testimonial of what happens day by day on the trail. But just like the trail itself, a journal covering months of hiking can become monotonous at times. Some days it seems all we do is walk, and walk, and walk. So, below is a collection of short stories categorized into areas of interest that will represent the best the trail has to offer.
If you have a great story from the Appalachian Trail and would like to be included in any of the listed topics, please email us and include your name, the story, a title, category and date of occurrence. We will consider posting it for everyone to read, and preserve the tale as part of the Appalachian Trail experience in the archives of the Appalachian Trail Museum.
Hopefully, this section will become a great place to find out what to expect on the trail, or perhaps just read about and reflect, bring back memories, or just be entertained. Now we even have a shelter register online for your enjoyment!
click on categories:
'83 Don Nelan Shelter log
First exposure to the Appalachian Trail
Trail names/ origins of trail names
Hitch Hiking Adventures
Unexplained happenings
Questionable Campsites/lodgings
Favorite shelter journal entries
Gastronomic delights/prowess/experiences
Trail Magic
Pets on the trail
Weather stories
Wild animals
Workin' for Stay
Fanciful Tales
River crossings
1956 Boy Scout Challenge
A.T. Journeys
As I See It - By Edward "Walkabout" Herod
Video Documentary on Kay Wood, a long time trail volunteer in Massachusetts
We still need stories in the below subjects. If you have one, please submit it to info@atmuseum.org with the subject name "AT Stories Submission"
Starting out on the Appalachian Trail
Equipment experiences
Shelters and shelter life
Town happenings
Wild rides
Ranger encounters
Ingenious improvisations
Illness/injuries
Above tree line
100 mile wilderness
Finishing the Appalachian Trail
others
What the Appalachian Trail means to me
By “Jack the Shark” Donohue
I thought that an AT thru-hike
Was about slogging out the miles
No matter the terrain or weather
Or the number of puncheons and stiles.
But as weeks turned into months
My weight rapidly diminished
And as my appetite began to increase
All I wanted to do was finish.
But as I neared Mt. Katahdin
I didn’t need to consult an attorney
To tell me it wasn’t about the finish
It was all about the journey.
Then the night before my summit
I sat thinking about my travels
And my proud singular accomplishment
Slowly lessened, and then unraveled.
Though I had hiked for months alone
I could not have done it by myself
Fellow hikers, trail angels, town folk
And numerous strangers gave me help.
So what I’ve learned about the AT
Which I’ll believe till I’m old and feeble -
“Though the journey is very important,
The trail is all about its people.”
By “Jack the Shark” Donohue
I thought that an AT thru-hike
Was about slogging out the miles
No matter the terrain or weather
Or the number of puncheons and stiles.
But as weeks turned into months
My weight rapidly diminished
And as my appetite began to increase
All I wanted to do was finish.
But as I neared Mt. Katahdin
I didn’t need to consult an attorney
To tell me it wasn’t about the finish
It was all about the journey.
Then the night before my summit
I sat thinking about my travels
And my proud singular accomplishment
Slowly lessened, and then unraveled.
Though I had hiked for months alone
I could not have done it by myself
Fellow hikers, trail angels, town folk
And numerous strangers gave me help.
So what I’ve learned about the AT
Which I’ll believe till I’m old and feeble -
“Though the journey is very important,
The trail is all about its people.”