Hiking the Appalachian Trail and the Northville-Placid Trail: Opa's Long-Distance Hiking Adventures

Upon retiring from employment in 2018 at the age of 66, Opa embarked on an adventure of a lifetime: hiking the 2,191-mile-long Appalachian Trail (AT). Although ultimately unsuccessful in his thru-hike attempt, Opa did hike the entire length of the AT over a 20-month period while enduring numerous health issues and injuries - not to mention that he fell a total of 19 times. Opa exhibited toughness and perseverance (his friends would say he exhibited hard-headedness) just to complete the entire AT in view of the various health issues & injuries that he overcame. For him hiking the AT was an incredibly positive experience, in spite of all the challenges that he faced. In his book Opa will describe his daily experiences while on the trail: the great people and interesting characters he met along the way; the beautiful scenery; the variety of places where he stayed; and the climbs that took him over some breathtaking mountain summits. Most of all Opa will describe the many human kindnesses he was the beneficiary of that not only enabled him to complete his AT hike, but that also reinforced his faith in humanity.

Also included in this book is a chapter detailing Opa's thru-hike of the 138.6-mile-long Northville-Placid Trail (NPT) which winds its way through remote areas of the Adirondack Park in his home state of New York. Opa hiked the NPT in the fall of 2020, and although at 11-days this was a much shorter duration backpack than his 143-day AT hike, it was an enjoyable hike and an adventure in its own right.

There are also several appendices in the book, including one that provides some suggested tips based on Opa's own personal experience for anyone considering their own long-distance hike.

It is Opa's hope that you, the reader, will find this book not only an enjoyable and entertaining read, but also a useful reference.