Hikers can technically start their Appalachian Trail “thru-hike” — the 2,180-mile journey from Springer Mountain, Ga., to Mount Katahdin, Maine — at any time of the year, but many choose to head north in the spring. This would bother many hiker/hunters because it overlaps with spring turkey season, but one man is forsaking this year’s hunting to benefit the birds he pursues.
The National Wild Turkey Federation’s Brandon Jacob is setting out in April to hike the AT in an effort to raise $250,000 for turkey restoration. The journey will take him from Georgia through North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York (tired yet), Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire before ending in Maine.
He estimates the journey will take five months to complete, falling in the middle of the expected 4-6 months the average hiker requires to get to Maine.
“I looked at the physical challenges of walking 2,180 miles, and I felt I better do it while I still have the ability to endure the hardships,” said Jacob, who turns 50 later this year. “When I started planning in early 2015, I thought about how I could make this journey bigger than me. That’s when I thought about the NWTF.”
A Texas hunter and member of NWTF’s Houston chapter, Jacob will be matched by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for every dollar he raises. TPWD will put up $4 for every $1 Jacob does, up to a total of $200,000. The money will go toward Eastern wild turkey restoration efforts in East Texas.
According to the NWTF, Jacob had raised $7,500 as of late December 2015.
Part of the romance of an AT thru-hike is to choose a trail name, a nickname that allows hikers to fully immerse themselves in the experience and leave the real world behind for a while.
It can be anything at all, with most hikers choosing something they are passionate about as an alias. Jacob chose “Jake the Fake” as his moniker.
Jacob does plan to slip in one turkey hunt before heading to Georgia to start his hike. He’ll stay connected to the outside world via occasional journal entries at trailjournals.com/jakethefake. He began chronicling his preparations in January 2015, detailing his gear selections, physical preparations, and mental state heading into his 2016 hike.
The Appalachian Trail is one of the most famous hiking routes in the world. It was first proposed in 1921, with the footpath from Georgia to Maine completed in 1937. It was envisioned as a recreational retreat for city dwellers — a weekend getaway for day hiking and the like.
WWII veteran Earl V. Shaffer became the first hiker to travel the entire length of the trail in 1948. Since then, untold thousands have completed their own thru-hikes — some northbound, some southbound, and others completing their hike in sections over an elongated period. Those who reach the end of the AT are eligible for a “2,000-miler” certificate and an A.T. patch to solidify their accomplishment.
Actual mileage figures for the trail vary. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, tasked with maintaining the trail and celebrating its history, puts the AT at 2,190. Other entities put it at 2,174 miles; others still at 2,180. Most just round it to an even 2,200 miles, although most thru-hikers would point out that 26 miles is a major difference when you’re walking every one of them. Regardless, Jacob will be in for a long walk when he sets out in April.
To support Jacob’s conservation efforts, visit the NWTF donation page set up in his honor.