On June 6, 2006, Hayden Wilson, now 66,
stands at the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail on Mount Katahdin,
Maine, at the start of his second thru-hike of the trail. Since 2001, Wilson
has hiked about 11,000 miles of trails, including complete thru-hikes of the
Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail.MOREWilson is king of American trails
Chattanooga Times Free Press features reporter Casey Phillips spoke with Dunlap resident and marathon trail hiker Hayden D. Wilson about conquering three of the longest trails in the country, eating Kentucky Fried Chicken while hiking and why the simplicity of hiking appeals to him.
CP: Why do you do these long hikes?
HW: It’s the satisfaction of putting your belongings on your back and starting out on a journey — not just a trip or a walk across the road but a journey that starts at one part of the country and takes you all the way to an entirely different part. Whether that’s from Georgia up to Maine or from the Mexican border all the way into Canada. On the Pacific Crest Trail in 2004, we actually stuck our legs under the border fence to say that we started in Mexico and walked into Canada. I think that’s just an enormous sense of satisfaction. Every morning, you get up and know what you’re doing and where you’re going .
CP: Sounds like something 9-to-5 workers would welcome, that sense of simplicity and purpose.