38,700 miles on the A.T.

With nine Appalachian Trail thru hikes and nine section hikes under his belt, Warren Doyle has hiked the A.T. again and again—and again. One obvious question comes to mind: Why?
 
Why does anyone set out to hike 2,190 miles, even one time? Perhaps would-be thru hikers want to see if they can go the distance. Probably, they’ve heard about the wonders of the trail. OK.  Do it once. But why travel the same 2000+ miles 18 times? You know you can do it; you’ve seen all the sights.
 
Ask Warren Doyle why he has walked the A.T. again and again over decades, and he’ll tell you it’s as much about all the time he’s not hiking as it is about the hours he has spent hiking. Doyle believes the Trail can "show the way." He believes hikers learn to better navigate the "real world" from their trail days in the woods. The Trail makes people “questioners, diggers, seekers of truth,” according to Doyle.
 
“I trust the Trail,” Doyle says. “I trust what the mountains have taught me.”
 
Doyle, who is believed to have walked the A.T. more than any other person, will participate in a Q&A “Why Hike?” session at the Round Hill Appalachian Trail Festival. Doyle’s 3 p.m. talk will run for an hour, with time for questions.

Added bonus: Our friends at Good Wolf Gear will be giving away more than $100 of hiking gear in a free raffle at Doyle's talk. 

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