Around 3,000 people attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail each year. Around a quarter of them actually complete it.
That's 2,190+ miles, and every one of them taken a single step at a time.
We're not certain what possesses an individual to tackle such a bold, punishing journey, but we suppose it's different for every one.
These people encounter, in the most literal sense, hundreds, if not thousands of forks in the trail. Decisions to be made. Options to be weighed.
No one could pick the hard way every time, nor should they. On a trek like that, suffering has to be carved up into the smallest doses imaginable so as not to amount to one entirely unswallowable pill.
Every one those successful thru-hikers walked past Hay Rock in Virginia, likely stopped and looked out over the breathtaking, rolling green hills and probably felt justified in their Herculean undertaking.
Because views like that don't come at every stage of such a quest. In fact, they're relatively rare. Enjoy them, take them in, then keep going.
Glory is found at the end of the journey, not at your favorite part.
