Appalachian Trail Announcement: Supporting Thorn's Mission

Next Spring I’ll be tackling the biggest challenge of my career - The infamous Appalachian Trail.

From Springer Mountain in Georgia all 2,000+ miles to Mt Katahdin in Maine, across the Atlantic Ocean to the now officially recognized International portion of the trail in Ireland, I’ll be covering it all. Something of this size has required immense planning, saving, and training so that when I take my first steps onto this behemoth of a trail I’ll be able to take it in stride with full confidence.

Plenty of societies have stories surrounding the importance of a great journey. Whether it’s the long walk to Mecca, a period of survival in the wilderness, possibly even the four-year detachment when one leaves for college. These journeys serve as periods of deep growth and a means by which maturation can be expedited. Steps are taken alone, mistakes made alone, and growth arises out of these periods of solitude. This growth is exactly what I’m striving for, but I don’t want to give the impression that this trip is all about me - this is an opportunity.

Since the creation of The Appalachian Adventure Company, I’ve been blessed to connect with tons of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts. I’ve shared some of my favorite locales both online and in person, led people to places where they can share beautiful experiences with friends and family alike. I’ve spread the hiking bug to close friends, made new ones that pushed my limits, stepped outside of my comfort zone in the name of exploration, and I had a realization that pulled heavily upon my heart. The fact that I can even do all these things means I live a rather extraordinary life, but it’s not just the place that I call home that allows for all these adventures, it’s the fact that I’m free to do so. Some people aren’t as free, and I don’t mean countries with less freedom, I mean actual slavery. True, genuine, horrible enslavement of people now. 2019. I speak about this more in our GoFundMe Campaign, but for now just know that Thorn is an incredible organization that works to create systems which make freeing this poor children at a faster and faster rate. They are incredible people, truly incredible.

I will be releasing more information concerning the trip as it gets closer, and I truly hope that you’ll all follow along with me. Let’s meet up for a day of hiking when I pass by your town! DM through the “Contact Us” tab on the website.

Adventure On!
-JGM