The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
VVS alums hiking Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail: Tom Warren, Paul Brewer embarking on fourth trip with friends, family
ALONG THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL » Tom Warren and Paul Brewer, both members of the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School’s class of 1984, spent many of their high school days on backpacking and canoeing trips to places like Old Forge and Blue Mountain here in NewYork state.
But even while enjoying that time in the outdoors together, they talked — not quite seriously at the time— about hiking the Appalachian Trail.
“It was a dream Tom and I shared for many, many years,” Brewer said. “We always said, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to hike the Appalachian Trail?’”
Themen agreed it wasn’t until their wives, in their own infinite wisdom, told them that the time to take that challenge was now that plans really came together for the start of that journey.
They made that dream a reality in the spring of 2015, as the duo began a multi-year trek across the Appalachian Trail, starting from Springer Mountain in Georgia. That year they hiked the first 40 miles of the trail, and encountered challenging terrain and a nasty lightning storm along the way.
“We planned to hike 50 miles, but ended up doing 40 because the terrain was so rough,” Warren recalled. “The mountains in Georgia have a lot of ups and downs. It’s the trail that tells us how much we’ re going to do—we don’t decide that.”
By year two, the word about their quest got around to two classmates, Scott Hicks and Amy Jo Ernenwein, who joined the pair along with Warren’s college buddy Howard Stein. They completed another 60 miles that second year.
In trip three last year, Warren’s wife Kim Miller joined them for 80 miles.
The six hikers are even now once again on the trail, planning to log another 80 miles, this year journeying through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. They headed out on Saturday, June 16 and will continue through Friday, June 22.
Warren said one of the biggest boons in the trip is the “serendipity” left by others before them. Occasionally, they will come across coolers with beverages or snacks out on the trail that had been placed there for the hikers to come.
“That might sound like a minor thing, but it’s really something when you are out on the trail,” Warren explained.
While they don’t have much interaction with others on the trail other than may be a quick hello in passing or at a scenic overlook, at nighttime they get together with other hikers in the shelters to hear their own stories. They’ve met people from all over the world who come out to brave the trail, Warren said.
“Lightweight” is the keyword for their gear, he noted, as they try to keep their packs to a maximum of 40 pounds. That includes their sleeping bags and pads, tents, stove, dehydrated food, plates, bowls, utensils and clothing that is suited to changes in weather -- everything from tshirts and shorts to sweaters for the night chill.
Six seems to be the perfect number for their group, as they try to manage everybody’s schedules so they can all get together for a week a year. Of the former VVS students, Warren is in North Carolina, Brewer is in Philadelphia, Ernenwein is in Oneida, and Hicks is in Saratoga Springs, and so far only Ernenwein has retired. All six of them move at about the same pace on the trail, Brewer said, keeping them together without the worry of someone falling behind.
Ernenwein said she learned about the initial trip thanks to an Internet post. Then she found out Hicks was joining the group, and she soon asked to come along as well.
“It was a crazy thought,” she admits, although one she definitely doesn’t regret as she is back on the trail for their latest leg again this year.
She said she is impressed by all of the incredible scenery they’ve encountered along theway, while also enjoying the physical challenge the trail offers her. But it’s the chance to get back together with her high school friends -coupled with the remote setting where they truly rely on each other for support as well as camaraderie -- that is her favorite part of the journey.
“I really like seeing everybody. It’s just a riot hanging out with them again,” she said.
Hicks said his own involvement in the hike happened pretty much by “happenstance,” as he heard about the expedition during a telephone call celebrating
his friend’s 50th birthday. He offered to join in if they ever needed an extra person, Hicks recalled, and was immediately welcomed to the group.
“This gives us all the chance to catch up on each other’s lives,” Hicks said. “It’s been a real thrill for me. It’s a hard challenge to hike the trail, but also lots of laughs along the way.”
Hicks admitted not getting much sleep on the first trip, as he neglecting to bring along an air mattress. He ended up sleeping directly on the rocky, root-laden ground, but he is not repeating that novice mistake again. Warren and Brewer have definitely been good hiking mentors to him, Hicks added.
Their final destination at the end of the trail is Maine. But Warren said he did the math one night, and figured that with the amount of mileage still to go, the sextet will be hiking the trail until they reach their 95th birthdays.
“We can’t finish if we keep going just one week at a time, so we are planning to kick up the mileage and our duration of time on the trail,” he said.
Some might think a trip out on the trail is away to get away from people, but Warren and Brewer agreed what they have found is quite the opposite.
“There is a real spirit of community out on the trail,” Warren said.
“I like meeting with everyone, especially when we are in the camp,” Brewer added. “Everybody we meet has a story.”
The group will be posting their progress on Facebook. Watch their reports -as availability of the Internet allows them, out there in the wild -- on their page “6 Appalachian Trail Hikers.”