One woman’s 20-year mission to hike the Appalachian Trail

WRITTEN BY JOANIE RHODA

The day we had been looking forward to for 20 years was finally here — the day we would summit Katahdin. Our adventure section-hiking the Appalachian Trail was drawing to a close. Anticipation mixed with sadness filled my heart.

For the past 20 years, my husband Paul and I knew exactly what we would be doing on our vacations — section-hiking the Appalachian Trail, a week in the spring and a week in the fall. It was a journey that started at Springer Mountain in Georgia in 2005 and carried us over countless mountains through 14 states — 39 section-hikes in all.

When my husband and I were newly married almost 50 years ago, he learned that I like to hike and told me there was a trail called the A.T. that wen

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