Butler man hikes Appalachian Trail
Jesse Spohn celebrated his birthday in the woods last week. And if you know the 23-year-old Butler High School graduate at all, you know he couldn't have been happier.
Spohn has been hiking the Appalachian Trail for more than three months now, on a journey that has been on his mind since he was a young boy. Back then Spohn's dream was broader — he wanted to walk across the United States — but less fully formed. He loved the idea of a minimalist lifestyle and experiencing God's presence in nature but wasn't sure how to live out an adventure that captured those ideals.
As the years went by, Spohn decided he would see more walking the trail's 2,200 miles than shuffling between towns and cities across the country.
Spohn reached his goal earlier this year, when he quit his job as a machine operator at Pittsburgh Plug and Products Corp, went on hiatus from his position as an assistant junior high wrestling coach at Butler School District, and closed out the lease on an apartment he was renting with his best friend.
For many people, those changes would signal the end of something. For Spohn, who left home on June 23 in a rented van with five friends, they marked a beginning. The group took a road trip to Maine, where they hiked to the top of Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park, which is the trail's northern terminus.
A full report will appear in the Butler Eagle.
