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Bryan Titus
Appalachian Trail "Through Hiker"
"My
2,200 mile walk of the Appalachian Trail”
June 9, 2026
During the last regular session of the year on June
9 (with new meetings beginning in September), some 37 Y’s Men of Meriden
heard an illustrated talk by Bryan Titus about his 2013 through-hike of
the Appalachian Trail. This remarkable achievement began on Springer
Mountain in Georgia and concluded about six months later (after hiking
2200 miles) on Mt. Katahdin in Maine.
The 35 year old Titus started this adventure
accompanied by his wife Katie, but she was forced to drop out in
Tennessee following a leg fracture. The trail was marked about every 300
yards by unique white blazes from Georgia to Maine, mostly painted on
trees, but occasionally on large rocks or other structures. Titus
carried his tent, food and medical supplies in a backpack, but often was
able to sleep in maintained shelters; food was replenished about weekly
at small community stores. Food at night had to be carefully hung from a
tree branch to protect it from predators.
Visibility of the skyline was limited by heavy tree
growth and was best seen by climbing intermittent fire towers. The
Trail mostly consisted of a path through the terrain, but sometimes ran
over rock formations, across streams and even through towns. Wildlife
was abundant: herds of wild pigs (boars), butterflies, giant centipedes,
copperhead and rattlesnakes, deer, bears, wild ponies and ever-present
ticks (which required removal once or more daily).
Titus began the hike weighing 185 lbs., ending at
160 lbs. During the trek, his backpack weight dropped from about 43 lbs.
to 33 lbs. His slides showed an array of mountain laurel, wild
honeysuckle and rhododendron. The hike ended by traversing Maine’s
“100-mile wilderness” leading to Mt. Katahdin. Following this
presentation, Titus, a professional musician, then performed a song he
had written, spurred by recollections of the Appalachian Trail
experience.
The beginning of the trail at Amicalola Falls State Park.
The official beginning is at the top of Springer Mountain about 9
miles from there.
Even in Georgia there is snow in the mountains in March!
The Appalachian Trail is marked by signature white paint “blazes” every
200 feet or so.
They stretch all the way to Maine!
The unofficial midway point of the Trail is at
Harper’s Ferry, Virginia.
It is the site of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy HQ.
The northern terminus of the trail is at the top of Mount Katahdin in
Maine |
On
June 2, some 39 Y’s Men of Meriden attended the weekly meeting with
speakers John Wilson (AARP Connecticut Volunteer State President) and
Jim O’Brien (AARP Volunteer) discussing “What I Need to Know About My
Electric Choices”, backed by a PowerPoint slideshow. During the program,
Wilson noted that the AARP Bulletin is sent to some 38 million
subscribers, making it one of the top publications in the country.