From 9am on May 10 to 9am on May 11th, I walked the entirety of the Appalachian trail in the state of Maryland.

Easily the best and worst stretches of trail I have hiked to date were contained within this weekend. On the first day, a Friday, I started in Harper’s Ferry, WV and immediately crossed the Potomac River into Maryland. The first 3 miles of Maryland are continuously at sea level and so are the flattest 3 miles of the entire trail. They also follow the C&O canal along the banks of the Potomac and are incredibly well kept and nice to walk on. The first day contained a 16 mile hike with probably less than 500ft of elevation gain to the new Rocky Run shelter. This walk was very enjoyable, and was my first time hiking an entire day in the rain. After the initial flat bit, there was a sharp incline that ended, literally, inside a storm cloud. From then on I walked on a ridge and in a cloud. No vistas, not a dry spot on my skin or clothes. I thought that an experience like that would pretty just suck, but it was actually some of the most fun I have had on the trails. There were a couple people also braving the elements and our sharing of the struggle made it a lot easier when we would convene at resting spots, just us, and our ponchos, and the woods. The rain, while you’re walking, is very calming too. I quickly became aware of the soft heartbeat of the rain that would come and go, strong then weak throughout the day. The birds would sing in the rain’s lulls then quiet just before it picked up again. So too the squirrels would maximize their efforts between squalls. Overall the first day, without soreness or any lacking food or water that comes with a few days in the woods, was wonderfully peaceful. At the end of the day I shared a quiet campsite with “The Bavarian” and “Lambchop” who were wonderful company.

On the second day, I found myself passing well over 100 people headed south while I continued north. I was pushing to do my first 20 mile day on the trail so I was ready to be locked in, on my own, but by 8 am, more than 5 miles from any road, I had already seen 10 people wearing race bibs. Turns out it was the Maryland Mountain Club’s annual race across Maryland where about 150 people come to run the 41 miles across the state in just one day. Because of this, the second day had almost an opposite feeling as the first. It was a nice balanced weekend where I got both solitude and many connections and great conversations. The first 15 miles of the day were still just as flat and easy but never saw a 10 minute stretch without passing multiple runners and hikers. The day ended with 5 miles of jagged rocks and inclines, and less people. That is, until I made it to the Raven Rock shelter. I again camped with Lambchop, as well as “Deliberate” and “Trouble”, and a whole family who had come out for Mother’s Day. The second day in all was marked by the most miles, and most people I have ever seen on one day on the trail. And with only the beginnings of chin splints, a mildly rolled ankle, and lots of comradery, I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.

On the final day I took my time walking just 6 miles to the Pennsylvania-Maryland border where I spoke with the wise and kind park worker- Dennis- until my parents arrived to take me home.

Over the course of the weekend I was focusing a lot on the athletic nature of hiking and its similarity to other athletic things I have enjoyed doing in the past, mainly basketball. I know a lot of high level athletes who were converted to endurance events after finishing college. Many of the other student-athletes at Stevens I know now love to run or hike, and I think it makes a lot of sense as a way of continuing to compete. Only instead of competing with other teams, the drive is converted to a competition within one’s mind. For me, although I have always enjoyed hiking, since leaving Hoboken, where I could play basketball with high level players everyday, I needed to find new ways to push myself and get my hear rate up. It didn’t even feel like a conscious choice, more like a way to satisfy an innate desire like eating when you’re hungry. Although I love to take my time in the woods and soak in the serenity, I can’t help but keep trying to go a little farther than I had planned at the start of the day. I think this mindset is another reason that section hiking is better for me, because I can give my body time to rest before pushing it again.

Besides the urge to push myself, I thought a lot about the similarities between hiking and other sports as a form of education as well. I always talk about how much athletics has shaped me, and its only natural considering how much time I have spent with various teams in practice and games since I was 9 years old. Basketball is an especially good teacher. It, along with the many great coaches and teammates I’ve had, has taught me how to build and maintain relationships, how to be ambitious and confident, and even creative and quick thinking. Hiking, and I did find this slightly shocking or unintuitive when I thought about it, is a very similar and complimentary teacher. It teaches one how to be content in just their own company. Or how to push through pain and fatigue in a way that is different than basketball. Hiking teaches one to slow down and think before acting. To me, it seems that I learned everything I needed to be a functioning adult through sports in my youth. And now that I’m grown I hope to continue learning from basketball of course, but I can also use those teachings to reflect against while doing new things to challenge myself. Overall I am incredibly grateful for the many great teachers I have throughout my life, and am grateful to become aware of this new teacher that has been showing me its wisdom. I feel in just these 150 miles I have done so far, the AT has helped me be more patient and appreciative of the moment and the path that has led me to today.