San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
The end is in sight for S.A. vet hiking Appalachian Trail
Army veteran Carl Sevier neared the end of the day’s 15-mile trek up the Appalachian Trail Monday afternoon in the forests of New York state, looking for a relatively clean water source — something that didn’t have the color of chardonnay wine, Burgundy or brandy.
The San Antonio resident was more than 100 days into a thru-hike that will eventually cover 2,190.9 miles stretching from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Katahdin, Maine, a journey that will likely take five to six months. His final destination at the end of the day would plant him 769 miles away from the finish line.
Reflecting on the “trail magic” and the best days of his hike during a cellphone interview, he spoke about the kindness of strangers as he walked north. He recalls a Vietnam vet making him a memorable offer.
“How would you like a cup of coffee and a sausage biscuit?,” he asked Sevier, a 6-foot-1 former military intelligence NCO and software engineer with a career that included deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and Europe.
“I was almost in tears,” said Sevier, describing the chance encounter that made his day on one of the crossings that lead out of the forest to a country backroad. “It’s the nicest thing — the goodness of people. They’re so kind, good and giving.” It’s just coffee and a biscuit, but that day, it was everything.
He has had many such experiences on the trail. Like the day he and two fellow hikers filled up their water bottles in a New York state park. Nearby, a family enjoyed a picnic, and a curious man asked Sevier and the others questions about their journey.
After they mentioned that they missed good cooking and fresh fruit, the family made them a meal and handed over a
big bag of grapes for them to share down the trail. More trail magic from strangers.
Sevier records observations and scenery — most recently from a ridge with views of the Hudson River Valley — often on his GoPro camera and posts them his website, sevierconditions.com. One this month started with a shot that zoomed in on a deer staring at him through the trees.
“Hey guy. Good morning,” Sevier said to him. “You have a wonderful day,” he added before he moved on up the trail that includes rock scrambles and lots of up-and-down stretches over boulders. His trail nickname is “Professor,” given to him by a hiker called Rambo.
“It’s a good day to be hiking,” is a sentence he frequently says on his videos.
A June 15 video shows Sevier walking up on a “really big and really pretty” black rat snake sunning on the trail. Sevier stops to take a closeup and reaches down to touch the snake’s tail before it slivers off toward the trees, turning back and taking a defensive posture, looking at the hiker before they both move on.
Even though his hiking mantra is “no snakes, no bears,” the sighting didn’t faze him. The only bear he’s seen so far was in a zoo in New York.
Sevier saw a wild pony on what he describes as his worst day on the trail in Virginia. He was hiking the Grayson Highlands and snow was blowing sideways. He got to a shelter and pitched his tent, but forgot to put his shoes and socks in a bag that he tucks into his sleeping bag on cold nights.
He woke up to frozen shoes and socks, and had to hike in the frozen boots for the first 2 miles down the trail the next morning.
“Ninety percent of the trail is looking at your feet, the trail, the rocks and roots and trying not to trip,” said Sevier, who started his trek March 5. “Every day kind of blends into the next.”
He’s averaging 13.25 miles a day, making longer hikes as he nears the end of the trail, which he estimates he might hit in mid-August. He hopes to return to his job as a teacher. He was a substitute reading teacher at Jackson Middle School in the Northeast ISD before he began his hike.
Sevier is missing authentic Tex-Mex food, brisket and the ability to go inside to get away from bad weather, he said. Fellow San Antonio Appalachian Trail hiker Mark Maynard, 25, is behind Sevier on the trail. He was in the Shenandoah Mountains when they last touched base by text earlier this month.
Before the phone interview, Sevier answered a few questions by email. Here’s an excerpt.
Q: Has this adventure been what you imagined it would be? A: The adventure is harder than I could have imagined. Little things that aren’t talked about that add up, like carrying your own trash for miles. Everything you consume from foot powder to Snickers bar and wrappers, you carry on your back.
You can’t escape anything. If it’s raining, you pitch your tent in the rain. If it’s cold and snowy, you live 24 hours in the snow. If there are bugs, they follow you for miles.
Food is a huge part. I’ve lost 25 pounds. I eat constantly and burn more than 5,000 calories a day. And remember I have to carry everything I eat. I started at 195 pounds and am down to 170.
Q: Have you been able to avoid injuries so far?
A: Every day there are aches and pains. I haven’t had any blisters, but I do twist my ankle three or four times a day.
My feet hurt constantly and they’re swollen. I try to elevate them at night to keep the swelling down. My legs are a little sore every day and always tired.
I used to have pretty good upper body strength, but now that is all gone away, replaced by leg strength. In the beginning, younger people were saying they were sore all the time and had aches and pains. I told them that at 49 years old. I always have aches and pains every day so it’s something that I’m already used to.
Q: What are the staples of your diet on the trail?
A: Spam and Snickers and Knorr pasta sides. Breakfast is usually Starbucks Vias or instant coffee and oatmeal. Then snacks until lunch. Then it’s a Spam or tuna fish burrito, maybe peanut butter and Spam on a burrito.
Then for dinner it’s Knorr pasta or rice sides with Spam or tuna added. I carry a jar of peanut butter and a jar of Nutella just to spoon out and eat. Q: What keeps your spirits up? A: Everything keeps my spirits up, from the people to the views to the everyday little things that you see — from new flowers blossoming to the changing of the seasons, or just taking a break sometimes.
Q: What was your best day on the trail so far?
A: My best day on the trail so far is every day. Some are better than others and some are worse, but each day I see new things.
Right now I’m sitting on a rock overlooking a camping site that is right next to the Hudson River and there are mountain laurels blooming everywhere. All the people I was hiking around have gone on, and it’s quiet. I can hear the train off in the distance and the birds chirping, and I can smell the flowers.
Q: What was the toughest part of the trail so far physically?
A: The hardest day I’ve had physically was the climb up Dragon’s Tooth Mountain in Virginia. It was two huge mountains then the Audie Murphy Memorial up over rock scrambles to a huge rock outcropping that overlooked a valley. But then after a treacherous climb down, we were welcomed at the Four Pines Hostel.
Q: Any second thoughts about seeing this hike through to the end in Maine?
A: Second thoughts happen all the time, but I’m going to see Maine and Katahdin (the northern terminus). Never quit on a bad day. Always wait two or three days before you even think about quitting.
Usually it doesn’t take but one day of feeling kind of blue, and then people will show up and lift your spirits or someone will come and give you an orange or a beer or an apple or Pop-tarts. Trail magic.
Q: How does it feel to be so close to your goal of finishing the thru-hike, to be in the triple digits as you count down to Katahdin and pass the halfway point?
A: It was bittersweet to find out I was half way and then after celebrating only having three digits left. I suddenly realized that the trip was soon to end.
I say soon, but there was still two months to go at that point. But there is happiness over having completed so much.
Q: What’s next after you make it to Katahdin, Maine?
A: I know I’m going to come back to San Antonio and continue teaching. Maybe next year I will kayak down the Mississippi during the summer. Who knows?
It’s all a great adventure, and unless you make time to make your own adventure, you won’t have any.