Tracking Brian

“Simplify, simplify.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

SEED staffmember and recent college grad Brian Choi is taking on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. You can find out everything you need to know about this trail and The Appalachian Trail Conservancy from their own homepage.

Suffice it to say that it’s an arduous, yet spectacular hike that stretches 2000+ miles from Maine to Georgia, and usually takes 4-6 months to complete. Here is a map of the trail and the homepage it came from.

Battling merciless storms from every angle, man-eating wolves and mischievous chupacabras… we salute him and and his determination. Why is he doing this? Is this a desperate escape from an increasingly political, corporate and silicon-driven society? Is this a symbol of his dedication to the prevention of global warming? Is he running from job interviews?

We may never truly understand, but Brian has agreed to let us follow his progress as he gets closer to mother nature. Perhaps his agenda will become clearer as he sporadically checks in at small towns and attempts to communicate with us with his crude smoke-signals (or email). Stay tuned as we begin Tracking Brian.

⇒ Date: Mon, Sep 8, 2008 at 8:34 AM

This is the first communication we received from Brian since he embarked on his trip. Here is an excerpt:

I got delayed with my trip a bit but I just made it out of the 100-mile wilderness. Most people are hiker friendly here in the town of Monson. Actual people food sure tasted great. The climb to Katahdin was great, and the view was spectacular as well. I was one of the lucky folks. However, the climb to White Cap was tough, mostly because of the wind, the heavy pack, and getting NO view at the peak. I hope all is going well on your side. So far, my total mileage is around 120 miles.

Regards,
Brian Choi

⇒ Date: Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 11:58 AM

The past week I missed about a day and a half of hiking due to the rain. It didn’t rain hard, but I just love staying dry. I climbed over the Bigelow mountains yesterday. The Bigelows, known as Maine’s 2nd mountain, Katahdin being the 1st, tops out at over 4000 ft. in elevation. It sounded tough but it was A LOT easier when I got there. I also managed to meet a North-bound Korean hiker by the name of Lee-Woon-Suk (phonetically). He told me there were corporations and charities he was walking for, and that if he finished, $40G’s will be donated to UNICEF and other charities. It might have been $4G’s but its still a lot. He told me that he will be the first? second? Korean to thru-hike the A.T. Apparently there is another Korean going Southbound, but he has not been in contact. Well, congrats to him, as I’m sure he will be finishing within the next two weeks. I am currently in the town of Stratton in Maine and will probably take a 0 day. I miss Kim-Chi.

Regards,
Brian Choi.

⇒ Date: Thu, Sep 25, 2008 at 1:16 PM

Greetings from Andover, Maine. I’ve got about 30 miles or so until I hit the Maine / New Hampshire border. The hike over Straddleback Mountain range was tough, but WELL worth the effort. The trail went over tree-line for good 3 miles. It was the best view I’ve had so far. I wish you could be here Sunny.

Regards,
Brian Choi

FINAL POST:
The rumors were false! So it turns out Brian was not molested and eaten by a rabid squirrel after all. Blah. He has been in town for quite a while now, it seems, blending in with the locals. Here is his very belated last message to us.

⇒ Date: Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 4:13 PM

Hello everyone. I’m back in the city for good for now. I’m done with the AT hike, at least for this year. Hiking alone got really lonely. One can only IMAGINE how it feels to talk and think to one self over 10 hours a day. I’ve managed to hike Maine, NY, and NJ, which adds up to around 470 miles. There were many factors that were telling me it was time to go home. For one thing, the weather was getting to me. 20-degrees mornings, frost on the walls of my tent, and numb fingers that won’t let me start a fire were just a few forecasts of my homecoming. My gears were deteriorating as well. My pack and clothes reeked of hiker stench and I could not leave them anywhere near me when I slept. My boots were leaking badly and looked as if they had been chewed by a bear. Maybe they had been when I was sleeping. Strangely enough, I had seen no bears, even in New Jersey. But I digress. The biggest factor of my return was the loneliness. During the last week of my trip, I realized how lonely I had been. A simple conversation that I had with friends and family was something I had begun to cherish and desire. So, for better or for worse, I’m back until my next trip.

Regards,
Brian Choi