Recent grad hikes Appalachian Trail

Myra Shanks ’10 recently completed hiking all 2,179 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Here is a brief account of the feat, in her own words:

After my graduation from the history department of PC, I embarked on a long dreamt-of adventure: thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. A thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail involves hiking the entire 2,179 miles of the trail from Georgia to Maine in a single season. I started my hike on May 17th and finished on November 12th, making almost 6 months of backpacking in the Appalachian Mountains.

The experience I had while hiking was incredibly enriching, and I believe it will always be invaluable and formative to my character. I learned so much through observation, trial and error, and by being immersed in the woods. I learned about geography, botany, animal behavior, making fires, the environment, weather, wilderness survival, and relying on the kindness of strangers.  But mostly, I learned about myself; how to truly be self-reliant, resourceful, creative, and determined.

I believe that my liberal arts education was a deep influence in my decision to undertake this challenge and life-long dream. It was at PC that I learned how to dream big and acquired the confidence to do so. My education at PC encouraged me to learn experientially, and taught me that any experience can be an educational one. I certainly see this recent adventure as such.

I am now working at a backpacking outfitter in Bristol, TN and am planning for my next big adventure! Mt. Everest, Maybe?