By Kathy Onorato
The Kallin family, of Dresden, rests at home after their 2,185-mile hike across the Appalachian Trail, which took nearly five months to complete. (Kathy Onorato photo) |
From the time David and Emily Kallin first hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2002, they knew they would return someday with their children. On Aug. 31, the family, including 8-year-old Maddy and 9-year-old Nathan, completed the 2,185-mile hike.
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Nathan and Emily Kallin show the wear on their third pair of hiking shoes from their 2,185-mile hike of the Appalachian Trail. (Kathy Onorato photo) |
Hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, which runs from Georgia to Maine, is not an easy task for anyone, but is even more unusual and difficult for a family with young children.
According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, each year, thousands of hikers attempt the 2,185-mile through-hike, but it estimates only one in four actually complete the task.
The Kallins said since records have been kept at the conservancy, their family was only the 16th family with young children to report the completion of the Appalachian Trail hike.
Emily Kallin said it is uncommon for families to try the adventure with young children because of the trip’s intensity. Emily’s worry as a mom for the entire trip, which began on March 31 in Georgia, was making sure the children stayed happy, were safe, and had everything they needed.
“They are working hard for 12 hours a day,” she said.
The family packed light because they had to carry everything they brought along. Backpacks contained of a pair of shorts, a short-sleeve shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of long pants, and three pairs of socks.
Mom and Dad carried additional items like cooking utensils and a computer. The family dog, Orion, a 6-year-old mixed breed, completed the trek as well.
“We had less issues with mice, squirrels, and bears than other hikers,” David said.
Most of the time the weather was great, David said. They encountered some severe weather in the Smoky Mountains, where temperatures dropped down to the single digits at night. They dealt with cold rain and snow for about a 48-hour period.
The family slept in three-sided shelters and placed tarps over the open side. A big fire was used in the morning to thaw things out before heading out on the trail.
Nathan said he remembered waking up to a half-centimeter of ice that formed on his shoelaces. “Some people couldn’t tie their shoes,” he said.
Even more worrisome, the Kallins said, was the extreme heat they encountered in the mid- Atlantic states, where temperatures reached 100-110 degrees. The high temperatures dictated the number of miles they could go in the heat.
The Kallins finished the trip about two weeks sooner than expected because the children were able to hike longer than expected, their parents said. A goal of 10 miles a day quickly turned into 15 to 20 miles a day because they wanted to keep up with other hikers they met along the way.
One woman, trail-named “Wired,” was on her final leg of the Triple Crown of Hiking – the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Appalachian Trail, a total of more than 7,900 miles. With a lot of hiking experience to share, the children wanted to keep pace with her. Some days the children were able to hike more than 25 miles.
The family went through three pairs of hiking shoes each during the five-month journey.
Planning for the trip took years, the Kallins said in an interview at their Dresden home Aug. 26.
“You have to work to build to this point,” he said.
David, a land conservation attorney for Drummond Woodsum, got a leave of absence approved with the condition he keep a blog of his trip.
The blog, available at http:// kallinfamily.com, has daily postings and photos of the family’s journey.
The children, who attend Dresden Elementary, left school 2 1/2 months early but didn’t stop learning. Lessons were learned everyday from their trail experiences and from other hikers along the trail. They learned about plants and animals, memorized poetry, and wrote essays.
“The school was so supportive,” David said.
While the Kallin children were hiking the trail, back in Dresden their classmates were using maps and blog postings to track the Kallins’ journey. David said he didn’t always have reception for Internet use and some days he couldn’t update the blog.
Once he got reception, he found email reminders from teachers at the school looking for updated progress. The family would also try to answer questions from the classmates back home.
On Friday, Sept. 12, the Kallins will talk about their journey during a school assembly planned for 7:45 a.m.
Nathan shared his new knowledge of snakes as he learned from a snake-handler whose trail name was “Wrong-way.” This turned out to be helpful information as the family encountered some rattlesnakes and copperheads along the way.
Nathan said he learned the rattlesnake has a deadly poisonous venom, but the snake is laid back and will give warning before attacking. The copperhead, Nathan said, is much more aggressive.
“I got close enough to a rattlesnake to take a picture,” Nathan said.
Maddy, a little more shy than her brother, said her favorite part of the trip was meeting people along the way and finally getting her hammock in Virginia. She didn’t like putting on wet socks, but said she quickly learned if she put her shoes on right away her feet didn’t feel so cold.
“Some socks got so dirty they stood up,” Maddy said.
Most of the food the family ate during the trip was made from dehydrated vegetables grown in the Kallin garden. One pot was carried to boil water for the vegetables. Rice and pasta were purchased in trail towns and typically added to the vegetables. The family also ate at nearby restaurants a few times a week.
Nathan caught a 14-inch rainbow trout in Virginia using the collapsible fishing rod he brought along.
“We had fish tacos one night,” Nathan said.
During the five months of the trip, Emily and David lost five to 10 pounds each, but the children’s weight stayed the same, Emily said. Both children grew in height, Nathan an inch; Maddy an inch and a half.
Although Emily admits the trip had its challenges, mainly missing home and being tired, she and David agree it was a gratifying experience.
“There aren’t a lot of opportunities to spend five months together,” David said. “Going outdoors builds stronger relationships. We learned to rely on each other. As parents we got to see our kids’ thought process.”
It was an opportunity to focus on family, Emily said.
“All the craziness was gone,” she said.
As to the next outdoor adventure, the Kallin family might try another 120-mile bicycle trip or a cross-country ski trip, both the focus of recent family vacations. The next big adventure just might be the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,650-mile hike.
“Probably not for five years though,” said Emily.
