Just walked my 500th mile on the Appalachian Trail this weekend

I was keeping a rough count in my head but didn't realize I'd crossed that number until I checked my GPS log later that night. It surprised me because I started this section hiking just to clear my head after a rough year at work. That 500th mile marker made me feel like I'd actually accomplished something real, even if nobody else sees it. Has anyone else had a moment where a mile count snuck up on you like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

masondixon1mo ago

Man, I gotta push back on this one. Counting miles like that is just setting yourself up for disappointment. The whole point of hiking is to get away from metrics and numbers, not turn it into another spreadsheet. You walked a lot of miles, sure, but 500 is just a random number. You could have walked 499 or 501 and it would mean the same thing.

ruby5611mo ago

I guess you're right, next time I'll just stop at 499 so the whole thing feels a little more organic.