Day 40 - April 1 - The End

We are off trail. 

After hiking 636 miles, the path forward seems almost impossible. Due to nearly every govenor issuing stay at home orders through our current and upcoming states, paired with closures and restrictions of hundreds of miles of forests and parks, Walker and I decided to suspend our hike in Pearisburg and get off trail. 

The one organization designed to vouch for hikers completely turned their back on the 2020 AT class. The appalachian trail conservancy, recommended from the start that hikers quit no matter where they were on their journey. Personally, I suspect that the decision was probably made by a few directors at that top, who have probably never hiked before. I would love to hear the argument that people like Walker and I are going to spread the coronovirus. The week prior to us getting off trail, we went 5 days without seeing another hiker. The fact that the ATC presented us as people who were spreading disease is simply ridiculous. On top of that, we were told by the ATC that there will be nowhere to buy food when we get into town. We never experienced a problem once. 

I completely understand the decision of governors to close down the state. Whether I agree with it or not, they are acting in what they believe is the best interest of their state. Issuing stay at home orders, at a minimum, will do less harm than allowing people to spread the virus if normal life continued. What I am truly upset about, is how the ATC reacted to it all. 

On top of their betrayal, the 2020 class will remember the disgusting arrogance of the ATC. They sent out a memo that anyone who hikes after the 31st of March will not be considered a thru-hike if they complete their hike, reaching katahdin whenever they do. To even pretend that they have to power to determine who is a legitament thru-hiker is absolutely ludicrous. If you hike the trail, you hike the trail, it doesnt matter what some organization has to say about it. 

With all this said, we figured it would be better to get off trail to respect the wishes of the governors. In addition, continuing to hike the trail would have raised a number of logistical issues, since several hundreds of miles were closed down. The trail is already hard enough, adding such an additional burden would have been quite troublesome. 

Hopefully the coronovirus pandemic is resolved quickly, for everyone's sake. If it does clear up soon, we plan on starting our hike where we left off. If the virus continues, then we will forever cherish the memories we made, and appreciate the time we were able to spend on the appalachian trail. .

Until next time, 

Tyler M.