Appalachian Trail thru-hikers agree that the sign on Mount Katahdin in Maine signifies the pinnacle of a journey that changes you forever.
A local couple who completed their thru-hike in 2015 found there were signs along the way that held life-altering messages too.
Nate and Sharon Harrington, known to those on the trail as “The Hiking Vikings,” started their hike on Feb. 10, 2015 and reached the summit at Mount Katahdin on July 12. That’s 153 consecutive days of togetherness that, according to Nate, “sealed the deal.”
Many AT hikers start and end each day with a group but spend much of each day hiking solo. Nate and Sharon were never more than 10-feet away from each other the entire time.
They completed the hike on July 12, got married on July 22, moved to downtown Philadelphia on July 31 and Sharon started medical school on Aug. 3. Post-hike adjustment can be difficult for many thru-hikers, but they found life was just too busy for them to not keep moving.
Nate has also found multiple ways to give back to the trail since the 2015 experience. After their return to “civilization” Nate decided to create a miniature version of the sign at Mount Katahdin where thru-hikers pose. It is designed to hold the summit photo on top. When he posted a photo of his sign on Facebook, people started asking where they could get one.
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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