While most people take a semester off to study abroad, work, or just figure things out, this CU campus cutie did something a little more innovative. Eddie Crawford, a sophomore at CU took his Fall 2011 semester off to hike the Appalachian Trail. This 2,181 mile trail stretches from Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia and took Eddie 132 days to complete.
HC: Why did you decide to take this trip?
E: I made the decision to hike the entire Appalachian Trail because I felt like I needed some time in my life to get away and learn about myself and the rest of the world. I wanted to do something different, but at the same time very progressive.
HC:What was one of your favorite memories from the trip?
E: One of my favorite memories was hiking into the state of New York where the Appalachian Trail crosses a train stop that goes into New York City. I bought a train ticket, went into the city and quickly went from being by myself, to being surrounded by millions of people. This was the most intense change I have experienced in my lifetime. Not only was this experience very overwhelming, it seemed unreal. Here I was, still walking around the streets in my dirty clothes with my backpack on in a huge city surrounded by clean-cut people. But no one could distinguish the difference between a bum and a thru-hiker… especially away from the trail.
HC: What was your favorite place along the trail?
E: My favorite place on the trail was when I started my adventure in Maine. Because of its low population and large amount of land, Maine feels like true wilderness. Without seeing roads or cars, I was living an alternate lifestyle in the woods. Since Maine was my first state tackled, it was a great introduction for what was in store.