By Kevin Coughlin
Who knew the Appalachian Trail runs through Morristown?
Well, not technically.
But Nichole Young, who has been chronicling her epic six-month AT trek for MorristownGreen.com since April, paid a surprise visit Tuesday to her former employer, SmartWorld Coffee on South Street.
Nichole resumes her hike today, Wednesday, July 20, 2016, at the Delaware Water Gap, embarking on the 70-mile New Jersey stretch of the Georgia-to-Maine trail.
For the last few days, the Morristown High alum (’04) has enjoyed a reunion with her husband (they married shortly before Nichole’s hike) and family members, and some creature comforts.
“A shower every day!” Nichole responded instantly when asked to list her favorite one.
A close second: Peace and quiet, in her own house.
“There’s no privacy in the woods,” she said. Not when nature calls.
Nichole is about 10 pounds lighter than when she started at Springer Mountain in Georgia. Her knees are a little sore, and her feet are “pretty beat-up.”
They say “You’ve Got a Friend in Pennsylvania,” but she’s glad the Keystone State is behind her.
“Pennsylvania was brutal. It was just a slog,” Nichole said, recounting intense heat, infrequent water breaks and rattlesnakes that refused to yield. One of her friends lost a bag of food to a ravenous black bear.
After an iced tea with passion fruit and raspberry syrup at SmartWorld, however, Nichole was raring to go. She aims to complete her 2,362-mile hike (that includes about 170 extra miles in Vermont) by late September. No wonder her feet hurt– she set a blistering pace in Pennsylvania, with back-to-back days of 30 miles.
“I feel really strong,” Nichole insisted.
Her advice to anyone contemplating an extended Appalachian Trail hike? Take it one day at a time. And:
“Eat as much as you possibly can. No calorie left behind!”
Stay right here for more of Nichole’s dispatches from the trail. Good to see you, Nichole, and continued good luck!
