You’re told from a young age to achieve your goals. Christopher Babb had a specific goal in mind ever since he first stepped foot on the Appalachian Trail at the age of eleven. He wanted to hike the whole thing; all 2174.6 miles of it. From a very young age, Babb enjoyed the outdoors. Whether he was backpacking, hiking, or continuing his journey to achieve the prestigious rank of eagle scout, he was accustomed to the outdoors. Newly graduated from James Madison University, Babb began to prepare, focusing on the “logistics” of his trip. Most of his effort in this preparation was focused solely on condensing and lessening the weight he would be carrying with him, while still having all the necessary supplies to last the entire journey. Babb and a collegiate friend and fellow math teacher, began their expedition on May 18th of 2006 at the southernmost point of the trail in Georgia. Between them and the finish line of Mount Katahdin, Maine was 2174.6 miles and 139 days of trekking.

Each day usually consisted of the same tasks: wake up, walk, set up camp, sleep and repeat. These tasks were blended with the variability of mother nature, the trail itself, and human error to result in the challenge Babb had always desired. One week into the hike, Babb said he “realized what gear was important and what wasn’t”, removing what was unnecessary to lighten his load. He also began to understand how he would obtain food and water. A drought was in full swing during Babb’s trip, making it increasingly difficult to find water from streams or rivers to purify. The alternative was hitchhiking a ride into town. Once in a town, Babb would find local supermarkets to purchase food, and use a phone to contact family and friends. He also used computers at public libraries to keep a blog throughout his endeavour. Babb’s first hitchhiking experience resulted in a ride from someone who didn’t speak English.

Besides not being able to understand his impromptu chauffeur’s native tongue, mishaps were few and far between. A fall resulting in a cut on his hand and blistering on his feet were the only injuries worthy of recognition. However, saturation of his whole being was a constant nuisance. “You’re either sweating, or it’s raining,” Babb recollected, seemingly annoyed at the memory of being soaked, sopping, and soggy throughout his hike. Virginia is known as the Virginia Blues on the trail, because of its 400 plus miles of seemingly endless footpath. But this only increased Babb’s feeling of accomplishment once he emerged from the lengthy state. Checking each state off his list always boosted his spirits, as well as the ever changing views, and being able to have the company of his college friend.

Once in Connecticut, Babb’s hiking partner had joined Peace Corps and Babb was left to hike the last 750 miles by his lonesome. “You’re just walking and thinking,” Babb reminisced. Although Babb’s partner had gone, Babb wouldn’t finish his hike alone. Babb finished his hike with “a group of 6 or 7 people who I hiked some of the final days with.” Babb finished his hike October 3rd of 2006, and began working at Tuscarora High on October 26th of that same year.

Whether it was the first step in Georgia, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the “crazy wilderness up north”, the long stretch of the Virginia Blues, or the final push up Mount Katahdin in Maine, Babb “enjoyed every moment.”  The only aspect Babb said he would change was his sense of urgency. “I would have taken it a lot slower. Like if I roll up on some lake, to just stay for a day or two and then keep moving.”

“Hike your own hike.” This  saying hit the nail on the head for Babb. “You meet so many people with so many stories. You meet 90 year olds hiking three miles a day, and it really helps you to see and respect diversity,” Babb said. He realized this saying also related to life outside the trail as well, “Everyone doesn’t do the same thing and that’s ok.”

“Keep with the smiles and doin’ the miles.” -Mr. Babb