Hiking the Appalachian Trail

Hiking the Appalachian Trail. Written by Ben Gaddis. Focus Question. What are the challenges and rewards of hiking the Appalachian Trail?

徒步阿巴拉契亚小径 作者：本·加迪斯 思考问题 徒步阿巴拉契亚小径会遇到什么挑战，又能收获什么呢？

Introduction. My name is Ben. In 2015, I decided it was time to fulfill my childhood dream and go on a very long walk along the Appalachian Trail or AT. The AT connects the Appalachian mountains in the eastern United States along their highest points. Completed in 1937, it was and still is the world's longest hiking -only footpath. The AT begins in Georgia and travels over 2 ,000 miles, 3 ,000 kilometers, north.

介绍 我叫本 2015年，我决定实现儿时的梦想，去阿巴拉契亚小径（简称AT）完成一次超长徒步 AT沿着美国东部阿巴拉契亚山脉的最高峰，将整条山脉串联起来 这条步道1937年修建完成，从过去到现在一直都是世界上最长的专属徒步步道 AT起点在佐治亚州，一路向北延伸超过2000英里，也就是3000公里

Hiking an entire long -distance trail in one year is called thru -hiking. Thousands of people try to complete an AT thru -hike each year, but only a few hundred, like me, succeed. Most thru -hikers begin in spring and hike north, as I did, since it's already warm down south.

一年内走完整条长途步道叫做“全程徒步” 每年都有成千上万人尝试走完全程AT，但只有几百人能成功，我就是其中之一 大部分全程徒步者都和我一样，春天从南部出发向北走，因为那时候南部已经暖和起来了

Preparation is key. I spent several months preparing for my thru -hike. I practiced hiking while wearing my heavy pack, even in poor weather. I got a job at an outdoor store to learn about hiking gear and tried to save money. I took my first step on April 4th, 2016 from Springer Mountain, Georgia. The next few days were some of the hardest. My body and mind had to get used to the daily challenges of hiking.

准备工作是成功的关键 我花了好几个月筹备这次全程徒步 我背着沉重的背包练习徒步，哪怕天气不好也坚持练习 我去户外用品店打工，既能学习徒步装备知识，还能攒钱 2016年4月4日，我从佐治亚州的斯普林格山迈出了第一步 刚开始的几天是我行程里最艰难的一段日子 我的身体和心灵都得适应每天徒步的挑战

The Trail Community Ever since I heard about the AT as a child, I wanted to be a part of its trail community. People of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities hike the AT each year. Many people hike to help them recover from sad events. I even met families hiking the whole trail together. Everyone was on the AT for a reason. Some thru -hikers hike with a group, but I hiked alone most of the time. I enjoyed meeting different people and keeping my own schedule. Whenever I felt lonely, I could always find friends and other hikers.

步道社群 我从小听说AT的时候，就想加入这里的步道社群 每年都有不同年龄、不同背景、不同能力的人来走AT 很多人通过徒步走出伤心事的阴影 我甚至遇到了全家一起走完全程的家庭 每个人来AT都有自己的理由 有些全程徒步者结伴行走，但我大部分时候都是独行 我很喜欢认识不同的人，也喜欢按自己的节奏前进 每当我觉得孤单，总能找到其他徒步者和我做朋友

Daily Challenges One of the most difficult parts of hiking every single day was just that, hiking every single day. Most days on the trail, I woke up at sunrise, hiked until I reached my daily goal, and got to camp just before sunset. Like most thru -hikers, I ate food that was lightweight, It was easy to prepare and didn't spoil. The number of miles I hiked daily depended on the weather and terrain as well as my personal goals and how tired I felt. I tried to stay at campsites with a lean -to shelter, a water source, and an outhouse. Otherwise, I set up my small tent.

日常挑战 每天都要徒步，最难的部分恰恰就是：每天都得徒步 在步道上的大部分日子，我日出起床，一直走到完成当日目标，日落前扎好营 和大多数全程徒步者一样，我吃的都是轻量食物，方便准备，还不容易变质 我每天走多少英里，取决于天气、地形，还有我的个人目标和当天的疲劳程度 我尽量选有斜靠庇护棚、水源和厕所的营地扎营 如果没有合适的营地，我就搭自己的小帐篷