Appalachian Trail Thru Hike: Part 17 | The END

Well, this is it. The final leg of the journey. Maryland all the way to Katahdin. Unfortunately, my microphone and camera died during a week of heavy rains in and around Maryland. Since I was unable to repair the camera or get a new one, I decided to finish the hike without it. While part of me then was excited to devote my time to living in the moment, being satisfied with the trail, and celebrating life with the amazing people around me, part of me now wishes I had found a way to document the second half of my amazing journey. I was concerned that filming on my phone would have created a product that was sub par, but I can see now that I was able to string together something that could be considered passable.

In this final episode, I pass through the states on the second half of the AT: Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. We hit some highlights, including Great Falls, NYC, Mahoosuc Notch, and the White Mountains. We experienced record high rain in Connecticut and Massachusetts, Hike Naked Day on June 22, heat, mud, contracting Giardia, and the meanest climbs and descents the AT has to offer. I forged new lasting friendships, preserved older ones, and continued hiking on to the last mountain: Katahdin.

2193 miles of walking across the eastern US can hardly be summed up by a few videos. If you ever have the inclination, I recommend that anyone take a crack at a thru hike. It will teach you lifelong lessons you didn't think you even needed to learn, broaden your experiences with people and nature, and give you confidence you never thought you could have. If you ever have any questions about how to tackle such a beast, what it was like, or gear, please reach out and I'd be happy to let you pick my brain about it.

Thank you all who have watched these videos, and look out for the next adventure. Lord willing, there will be many more to come.

-Lil' Otter | AT NOBO 2021 | March 14 - September 19

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