Mary Ann, My Hiking Inspiration

Surrounded by fellow club members and hiking enthusiasts, long-time Allentown Hiking Club member Mary Ann Nissley recently celebrated a milestone birthday on the Appalachian Trail by hiking the Pinnacle and Pulpit loop.

Mary Ann started hiking later in life but started with gusto! Never having hiked a step previously, she reached out to the Appalachian Trail Conference (now Conservancy) to understand where to begin. It was suggested that she reach out to and join a local trail club and the rest, as they say, is history ... hiking history, that is. Mary Ann went on to hike the full length of the Appalachian Trail twice, once as a thru hiker and once as a section hiker. She has also completed a long list of other trails throughout the country; the list is several pages long!

I first really spoke with Mary Ann about ten years ago, shortly after she hiked the Pulpit and Pinnacle loop with her family in celebration of her 80th birthday. I was so in awe. After all, I had only just started hiking and knew that trek was quite the challenge. But she seemed unfazed and proudly told me that she would be making the same trek in ten years for her 90th birthday. I think from that moment forward I have always told her that I want to be like her when I grew up ... and that’s true even more today.

The day of the hike we could not have asked for more perfect weather, warm but not too warm and with minimal humidity. Mary Ann arrived at the hike start having already completed her 6 mile bike ride for the day. She was smiling from ear to ear and was ready to go! She was joined by 21 hikers, mostly club members but some who wanted to come along because they saw her on a segment on WFMZ News the day before. We couldn’t let the occasion pass without cake and before we started hiking there was cake with candles and a Happy Birthday banner. Everyone there joined in singing "Happy Birthday" and shared in the cake to help power us up the mountain. And then we were off...

Slow but steady we trekked up the almost 1000’ elevation gain to the Pinnacle, one of the most beautiful vistas on the Appalachian Trail, stopping only to drink some water or admire the flowing waters of Furnace Creek and an abundance of mushrooms along the way. And then before we knew it that big pile of rocks was in sight (if you know, you know). The Pinnacle was just ahead. Mary Ann picked up a rock and tossed it to add to the pile, a long-standing tradition, and then settled in for a snack and a surprise birthday cupcake. She truly was beaming with happiness that the club helped to make her birthday trek happen. There were lots of pictures taken up at the top. Mary Ann was a celebrity, after all, with an entourage, and everyone wanted their picture taken with her.

After another slow and steady trek back down the mountain, with Mary Ann "putting on the brakes" in the steeper spots, we made it back down to the Hamburg Reservoir and then the starting parking lot. Along the way we told every other hiker we saw about this milestone birthday and made sure Mary Ann got lots of Birthday wishes throughout the day ... and with the beautiful weather there were several dozen people out on trail that day so there were a lot of well wishes! Honestly, my face was sore at the end of the day after smiling so much, watching Mary Ann enjoy her day doing what she so loves to do.

They say age is just a number and I believe that even more now. I wouldn’t doubt we will be making this same trek in ten years for Mary Ann’s 100th birthday ... I truly would expect nothing less. And it just goes to show that hiking is indeed just one foot in front of the other, over and over, until you reach your goal. If this doesn’t give everyone the needed inspiration to get to on trail, I don’t know what does.

Happy Trails!