Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy Quotes

“hiking the Appalachian Trail is 100% about the journey and experience, and not just saying that you did it.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“Few things in nature can compare to the long, mournful wail of a loon echoing across water and through the forest. It’s an evocative sound that will stick with you for the rest of your life and make you nostalgic for things that never even happened to you. Eerie, yet beautiful, the sound will conjure up images of solitude near mountain lakes and ponds, shrouded in fog during the early morning or late dusk, surrounded by the silhouettes of pine trees. It’s a sound that relaxes and submerges you into the tranquility of nature. I don’t think there is another sound in the world that reminds me of the wilderness more so than the wail of a loon.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“I knew that the feelings they got from providing the kindness was stronger than the gratitude I got from receiving it. It was on this day that I realized I wanted to experience that feeling as much and as often as I possibly could. I wanted to do good things for people I didn’t know and watch the surprise and appreciation wash over their faces.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“I finally began loving every last bit of the experience; the good, the bad, and the ugly. The indifference, acceptance, disdain, and hate for all the obstacles and challenges I encountered out there had all but vanished. Now, all that was left was this crazy maniacal love for all of it… the mud, the rocks, the cold, and the terrible weather. I was done trying to ignore or curse them, and instead embraced all of it. I finally realized that it was an attitude such as this that set thru-hikers apart from every other person that couldn’t or wouldn’t complete this adventure. Aristotle said, “Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility, but through greatness of mind.” That quote pretty much sums up the state of mind that you have to adopt in order to overcome the challenges of the Appalachian Trail.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“I periodically scanned the sides of the trail with my headlamp looking for eye shine. As a loose rule, the eyes of non-threatening animals reflect green in false light, while predator’s eyes reflect yellow.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“It was moments like finding coolers full of drinks and snacks left out in the middle of nowhere that made me appreciate the little things in life. Allow me to try and put this into perspective. When I ran into trail magic like this, or when I was in town for the first time in nearly a week and about to have a sweet tea, a slice of pizza, or any one of the small things that we would normally not think twice about in daily life; a special feeling would wash over me. I can only describe that feeling as being exactly like the feelings you would experience as a child on Christmas morning or waking up on your birthday, except stronger. Out here you don’t get that feeling only twice a year. You get it every time someone performs a simple act of kindness, or when you get a dose of something that you otherwise could’ve had at any time back in the “real world.” It’s addicting, humbling, and eye opening. It makes you appreciate what you had before the trail and makes you want to never take such simple things for granted ever again. ”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“On this road I found two large coolers and a short note explaining that it was “Trail Magic” left by a thru-hiker who completed the trail in 2012. I opened the first cooler to find that it was full of Gatorade.  It must have been left the day before, because the ice had turned to slush and those babies were as cold as Antarctica! I can say with complete honesty, that the blue Gatorade I consumed at that spot was the single greatest drink of liquid that I’ve ever had in my entire life. Never had a cold drink tasted so good to me before. The positive psychological affect this had on me was unbelievable.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“We don’t give our animal friends enough credit for the lives they lead until we try to imagine ourselves in their position. Only then will you find the respect for these creatures they undoubtedly deserve.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“Out there in the woods, there’s no one to impress and no one to judge you. The only people you’ll see are your fellow hikers, and they don’t care what you look like, or what you wear. It’s when you get past this attitude of judging people by their surface appearance that you’re able to genuinely get to know someone on a deeper, more personal level. This is why relationships formed on the trail are so strong. In”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“This day and age, so many people over-complicate their lives to the point of ludicrousness.  I couldn’t see myself ever going back to my life of over consumption and over indulgence with the ambition to acquire “more.” When you simplify, you learn to be happier with less. It’s a happiness that trumps every other happiness I’ve ever experienced thus far in life.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“I think “adaptability” is one of the most important qualities an individual can possess, especially when it comes to hiking the trail. If you don’t know how to adapt, then you better learn to adapt! Bend and flow with your circumstances, don’t let them break you.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“You don’t often find trusting and kindness like this in the world anymore. Strangers inviting strangers into their homes to have dinner with them is practically unheard of in this day and age. It felt amazing to be on the receiving end of such kindness, but somehow I knew that the feelings they got from providing the kindness was stronger than the gratitude I got from receiving it. It was on this day that I realized I wanted to experience that feeling as much and as often as I possibly could. I wanted to do good things for people I didn’t know and watch the surprise and appreciation wash over their faces.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“If only I would’ve known that Virginia was going to chew me up and spit me out onto the rocks of Pennsylvania, I might not have been so excited.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“I believe the ability to view the agony and discomfort of a miserable and painful situation as a character building and physically strengthening experience. It is what separates the mentally tough from the mentally not so tough. The ability to recognize that in the long run, one’s suffering can be nothing but beneficial in the future when confronted with similar situations. Where many might crumble and quit, others see the bigger picture, persevere, and ultimately become stronger. That’s”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“Misery only added to the cumulative experience of the adventure that would ultimately sculpt me into a stronger, more resilient human being.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“In later days, I would always tell south bound hikers not to miss out on the Holy Cow Burger at Bob’s Dairyland in Roan Mountain, Tennessee.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“I went out there to live on a whim and have the freedom to stop whenever I got tired, or whenever I reached a place that was so beautiful that I couldn’t possibly pass it up. You don’t have that freedom when slack packing.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“I wanted nothing more than to yell at these people, “SHUT UP! I’ve been traversing cliffs, creeks, mud, jagged rocks, drop offs, bug hoards, and hellish inclines all morning and all I had to eat before all of it were skittles wrapped in a tortilla!” This”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“The unwritten rule for hikers is to take one of whatever is provided. If there is a large selection or quantity, then you might take one of each or one of a couple things, then move on. You have to be considerate of the people hiking behind you that haven’t arrived yet and give them a chance to get in on the magic whenever they get there. ”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“I even found a Marijuana joint that was taped to the inside of a shelter log that had “Cheers” written underneath it. I left it where it was, but that’s the sort of crazy random things you could find in one of these journals… not just signatures. ”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“At around 8 pm we heard the sound of sirens. As the sound drew nearer and nearer, we caught sight of a fire truck. As it reached the hotel, the truck pulled into the parking lot with emergency lights shining and horns blasting. It came to a stop in front of our congregation. We didn’t see a fire or any other emergency in the immediate vicinity, so this was quite unexpected. Perhaps our smell had been reported as some kind of toxic leak or spill? Firemen began to pour out of the truck carrying different trays covered in foil. I could hardly believe my eyes. The local Franklin Fire Department had brought us all a spaghetti and meatball dinner! They also brought salad and pudding for desert. This was an example of trail magic at its finest.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“Try to imagine the helplessness you might feel if it were you that was stuck in that spot, completely exhausted and in pain with steep 1,000 foot climbs on either side of you. Imagine how defeated you might feel if you knew that you had to climb one of them in order to reach any kind of decent cover for camping.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“Any question or piece of advice you needed about the trail, he had an answer that was spot on. Probably the greatest advice he gave was that it wasn’t a “one size fits all” answer. He encouraged and gave you the confidence to trust in yourself to figure things out on your own and find out what works for you, while simultaneously dropping little hints to help you along.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“I will say that the experience would lose something if you spent all of your time out in the woods and not in towns having some fun, as well as a reprieve from the elements. The small towns that reside along the trail are as much a part of the experience as the mountains and forests.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“A good rule to follow is to keep the price of your current resupply at or under the number of miles you’ve hiked since your last resupply. I’d hiked more than thirty miles of the trail up until this point and my resupply cost me $28.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“Dreading and complaining wasn’t going to make the mountains disappear.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“A word to the wise, NEVER try and push bigger miles when you begin a long distance hike without any prior experience or conditioning. Listen to your body, and unless you absolutely have to go further due to water or an emergency, stop when it tells you to stop. It will save you a tremendous amount of pain and heartache. I can’t tell you how many people I saw quit the trail due to overdoing it in the beginning and hurting themselves or causing themselves more pain than they could tolerate. There is no harm in going slow and building yourself up gradually. You have plenty of time and distance to grow stronger, and believe me, you will! I”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“In the early days, avoiding immediate misery usually trumped proper judgment, which almost always resulted in prolonged misery. ”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“I had come to realize that this whole place and experience is what you make of it. Your attitude and frame of mind determined everything.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy

“The snail goes up Mount Fuji, slowly… slowly.”
― Kyle Rohrig, Lost on the Appalachian Trail (Triple Crown Trilogy