Survival

About halfway through our trip, I was solo hiking when I must have stepped onto a game trail. I don’t remember the moment, but I remember stopping and allowing the severity of my situation to sink in. I had no idea where I was.

The blazes guiding hikers along the Appalachian Trail help most people, but not me. I can’t see them until they are a foot or so away because I’m legally blind. I have one eye and can’t make out details a few feet away without a monocular. Still, I live to explore new places and enjoy rare experiences just as much as the next hiker.

There were seven of us setting out in April on a 60-mile backpacking trip along the Appalachian Trail from Petite’s Gap to Peaks of Otter Lodge in Virginia. It was something of a homecoming for me. Even with my vision as it is, I’ve hiked almost 1,700 miles of the AT—and even completed this section before, only south to north. This trip was also a test run for an even bigger adventure—the 180-mile cross country Great Outdoor Challenge that I would be doing in Scotland in a month.

I had everything I needed to hike independently: my backpack, 30°F sleeping bag, a mountaineering tent, several layers of clothing, a map, and dehydrated food to last me the week.

I met the other hikers in an online hiker’s forum, and our loose relationships led to a loose dynamic on the trail. The group ebbed and flowed in size as we meandered through the dense hardwood forest. Some days I walked with the others, sometimes I went alone. Because of my blindness, every step was cautiously placed, especially when on rolling, rocky terrain. Going at my own slower pace suits me, but our group always agreed to meet at the end of the day.