October 3, 2024
Tragedy on the AT: A Rare Cautionary Trail
by Hal Wright

The death of a 67-year-old thru hiker in Virginia reminds us to keep track of our health before and during long distance hikes.

Tragic incidents on the Appalachian Trail are rare indeed. Over three million people set foot on the A.T. every year. Thousands of these visitors hike the entire trail or large sections of it. While few of these hikers experience serious health-related issues, we've learned of the recent death of 67-year-old thru hiker Thomas VanEtten, apparently of natural causes, along the trail in Virginia. VanEtten's obituary states that completing a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail was "something he had wanted to do for years." We can at least take solace in the knowledge that VanEtten passed on doing something he loved.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy offers much advice for staying safe while hiking a long-distance trail. Equally important is having an awareness of one's health before starting to hike. For older hikers, an assessment of one's heart health and general fitness is especially important, given that the rigors of a long-distance hike are difficult to replicate in life off the trail. Also, it's important to plan a hike which respects one's limitations in terms of miles walked per day, pack weight, and terrain. Better to be prepared to hike 10 miles per day and to experience the delight of learning that it's possible to hike farther, than it is to extend a hike for one or more days without the food needed to stay on the trail.

Contrary to some comments of some younger hikers on social media, hiking in one's 60's and beyond is not too dangerous to attempt. If that were true, many of us in Allentown Hiking Club would have been off trail for a long while!