'Nimblewill Nomad’ Becomes the Oldest Person to Hike the Appalachian Trail

M.J. Eberhart, an 83-year-old retired oculus doctor, had a strenuous weekend.

On Sunday, helium pushed done the last fewer miles of a hike connected the Appalachian Trail, becoming the oldest known idiosyncratic to implicit the astir 2,190-mile way from Georgia to Maine.

It was an odyssey that started successful January from his location successful Flagg Mountain, Ala., with a bid of time hikes that gradually took him to Georgia. From there, helium started the travel on the Appalachian Trail. He carried a six-pound pack, with a tent, sleeping container and different cogwheel (not including nutrient and water).

Known by his way sanction “Nimblewill Nomad,” Mr. Eberhart hiked the region successful segments. Sometimes friends and supporters hiked with him oregon picked him up for overnight breaks of a lukewarm furniture and meal, driving him backmost the adjacent greeting to wherever helium had dropped disconnected the trail.

And helium came “face to face” with himself, helium said successful an interview. Every day, helium said, helium overcame the temptation to quit.

“I knew what was coming,” helium said. “And time to day, the challenge.”

But helium pushed on.

“Every ft of that trail,” helium said.

At the end, Mr. Eberhart hiked the past limb of his trek connected Sunday into Dalton, Mass., and into the grounds books.

On Depot Street, Mr. Eberhart was greeted by Tom Levardi, known by insiders arsenic a way “angel” who for decades has supported hikers.

There, a celebratory handover took place, wherever Dale Sanders, 86, known by his way sanction “Grey Beard,” handed Mr. Eberhart an engraved hiking instrumentality successful a symbolic transportation of the record, and past toasted him with Champagne. Mr. Sanders had held the rubric since 2017, erstwhile helium hiked the full way astatine property 82, and had driven from Tennessee to locomotion the last miles with Mr. Eberhart.

“An incredibly affectional time, arsenic I again interruption down successful tears,” Mr. Eberhart wrote astir the hike successful his online journal.

“He stole my grounds from me,” Mr. Sanders, reached by telephone, said, laughing. “I americium not astatine each disappointed that helium took it. I really beforehand older radical to get retired and interruption my record.”

On Monday, Mr. Eberhart was connected the determination again. He acceptable disconnected successful bully spirits, this clip successful a car with a driver, for location successful Alabama.

The Appalachian Trail, nicknamed the A.T., stretches from Springer Mountain successful Georgia to Mount Katahdin successful Maine, crossing 14 states implicit mountains, woods and roads. About 3 cardinal radical hike the trail, either for a fewer miles oregon successful multiday segments, oregon persist on its full length.

People who hike the Appalachian Trail person go a close-knit assemblage online and connected foot, referring to each different by their way names and exchanging tips, warnings and different information.

Mr. Eberhart thanked immoderate of them successful his blog, including those helium hiked with connected his last day: Slim Jim, Kitchen Sink, Pooter Scooter, Mayor, Slider and Neighbor Dave.

Jordan Bowman, a spokesperson for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the enactment that leads absorption of the trail, said connected Monday that helium was informed of Mr. Eberhart’s accomplishment by a newsman connected Sunday.

The conservancy does not verify log books oregon hostel visits oregon different written documentation that idiosyncratic has completed a thru-hike, helium said. Instead, helium said, determination is simply a strict grant code.

“We are not monitoring to marque definite you touched each achromatic blaze,” helium said, referring to the overgarment markers connected trees that fto hikers cognize they are connected the close path.

It was the 3rd clip that “Nimblewill Nomad” had hiked the way successful a thru-hike, which is erstwhile idiosyncratic goes the afloat region wrong a 12-month period. The different 2 times were successful 1998 and 2001-2, erstwhile the way was portion of longer hikes of thousands of miles, helium said.

After adding hundreds of miles to his hike by starting successful Alabama, Mr. Eberhart said, helium enactment his battalion connected and acceptable disconnected connected the Appalachian Trail itself connected March 1. He averaged astir 10 miles a day, helium said.

By July, helium was connected the New York-Connecticut authorities enactment erstwhile a person took him disconnected the way and drove him to Maine to debar atrocious weather. From there, helium hiked south.

“Once you get into it, it helps alloy you,” helium said. “The much you get into it, the much committed you person to be.”

The trek requires mental, arsenic good arsenic physical, resolve. “Eighty percent of it is intelligence grit,” Mr. Eberhart said. “And that is wherefore truthful galore radical fail.”

In 2016, Mr. Eberhart was surviving mostly retired of a pickup truck, utilizing a relative’s location successful Missouri arsenic a mailing address.

“Put maine successful the large outdoors, preferably the mountains, and you’ve got a blessed camper,” helium told The Times successful an nonfiction profiling adventurous retirees.

The way was closed during the coronavirus pandemic successful 2020, but the numbers of hikers person travel backmost to prepandemic levels this year, Mr. Bowman, of the conservancy, said. Mr. Bowman said that the registrations for attempts to hike the full way successful 1 12-month play were 3,107 successful 2019, but that the strategy for registration, which is voluntary, was halted for overmuch of 2020 erstwhile Covid-19 was surging. There were 3,763 registrations this year. “There were a batch of radical who had postponed their hikes,” helium said.

He said helium had known astir Mr. Eberhart’s hikes for months, but helium had not spoken with him aft helium made the record.

“I anticipation helium is doing good and soaking his feet,” helium said.

Mr. Eberhart said helium overcame symptom each day, including ft symptom that brought him to tears. But helium often thought of Lance Armstrong, the cyclist, who erstwhile said that symptom was impermanent but that quitting lasted forever.

He mislaid 15 pounds, but said helium would not chopped his hairsbreadth oregon shave. “The aged antheral connected the upland has got to person a beard,” helium said.

After a hike of thousands of miles, Mr. Eberhart did not hesitate erstwhile asked what helium planned to bash next.

“I don’t know,” helium said. “I americium 83 years old. I conscionable anticipation I americium present tomorrow.”