Kevin and Lucy are now hiking the AT alongside Mr. DeVoe.

If you have any questions for Mr. DeVoe or questions you would like us to ask him, you can comment on this blog and ask them, or you can message one of us on Twitter. We may also feature your question in our project.

The Life and Times of Mr. DeVoe
(and Appalachian Trail stuff!)

By: Alen Q. and Jason H.

Periods 7, 8, and 9





The Appalachian Trail is one of the most well known trails in the world. It stretches over a vast path from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. The Appalachian Trail was concieved by Brenton MacKaye. The 2,178 mile long hiking trail is maintained by a total of thirty trail clubs. The Appalachian Trail was completed in 1937. In 1968, it was designated the first scenic trail in America. The majority of the trail is in the middle of the wilderness, but the trail does pass through some towns and roads, as well as going over some major rivers. Earl Shaffer was the very first thru-hiker (the name of the Appalachian Trail’s hikers) to hike the entire way. The trail passes through, in order, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and finally, Maine. A little more than 10,000 people have ever completed the colossal hike. It takes about 5 million footsteps for the average human to hike the entire hike. It has over 250 shelters for hikers.
There is also an extension to the trail, which, unbeknownst to people, called the International Appalachian Trail, that goes from Maine, up through Canada, and then it fares to the North Atlantic Ocean. The Appalachian Trail, along with the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, converge to form the Triple Crown of long-distance hiking in the United States.
There are many dangers on the Appalachian Trail, including: severe weather, the American Black Bear, tick-borne diseases, biting flies, mosquitoes, steep slopes, harvest mites, poison ivy, limited water, diarrhea from contaminated water, and venomous snakes.
In conclusion, the completion of the Appalachian Trail is a very complex endeavor to achieve.

Mr. DeVoe is a very valiant person who has decided to embark on an epic journey through the various climate zones of the Appalachian Trail on the day of April 4th, 2009. He has many motives for his decision to hike these long, grueling 2, 178 miles of the Northeast American lands. He states, and I quote, “I love nature…birds, reptiles, amphibians, trees, streams, mountains, everything about the outdoors.” Clearly, Mr. DeVoe reveres Mother Nature for her splendid benefactors that she bestows upon us humans every day. Concerning the diminishing number of children in the United States that journey and enjoy the environment, Mr. DeVoe wants to, and I quote, “share his passion [of nature]” to students who are disconnected [with nature] and to “spark an interest in being outside.” You don’t have to be an outdoorsy, tree-hugging, babbling environmental activist to enjoy nature once in a while. Speaking of which, as Mr. DeVoe saunters through the Appalachian Trail, he would not be accompanied alone. Due to recent technical difficulties, this audacious thru-hiker [Mr. DeVoe] is forced to face the perils of the trail…alone. His former co-worker, Kevin, (who’s surname is not of knowledge to myself) had a “court date” the day these men were to depart to their hazardous expedition. Unfortunately, Kevin arranged to bring his canine, Lucy, but since of his “court date”, this procedure was eradicated almost immediately. In other cases, you may ask, when did Mr. DeVoe realize he had the desire of risking his life for five months in the wilderness? When he was at the tender age of 12 years old, he learned about the Appalachian Trail and it seemed like “one of the best experiences anyone could ever do”. [in his words] When the opportunity arose, Mr. DeVoe pounced on it like a rabid tiger on a rambunctious zookeeper. After he was asked, “Do you have any second thoughts?” Mr. DeVoe replied with a fulfilling, “Nope.” He states that he will miss his friends, family, a dry blanket, a hot meal, and “a warm shower once in a while”. He also declaimed, “I’ll miss a lot of the things we kind of take for granted.” His peers are jealous of Mr. DeVoe, some believe he is off his rocker, and a lot are said to be meeting up with him [including staff from Groton Central School] some point on the trail. This Grotonian Braveheart exclaimed, “I’m sure a lot of this trip will be monotonous, doing the same thing day after day…” Albeit adhering to a routine for 5 months straight, Mr. DeVoe replied, “But I think overall it’ll still be a very rewarding experience.” This undaunted hero thinks he is ready to tackle the Appalachian Trail. He will be returning at the end of August of 2009 to prepare his classroom to educate prepubescent 7th graders.