A retired Air Force pilot from Texas, Boyd Clampitt moved to Michigan in 1996. Since then he has run marathons, hiked the Appalachian Trail and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. Today he took us from one end of the Appalachian Trail to the other.
 
Most hikers who take on the Appalachian Trail do so one segment at a time. Not Boyd; in 5 1/2 months he hiked all 2,168 miles of the trail from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. A critical part of such an undertaking is preparation--particularly in figuring out how to stay supplied with food.  This involved estimating how many miles he could cover each day (Boyd set 15 as his goal) and then arranging for mail deliveries of food along the way. In terms of equipment it took Boyd several efforts before finding a truly waterproof tent.  His first pair of boots lasted 91 days (with the aid of shoe goo and duct tape).
 
Boyd's photos reflected beautiful vistas as well as challenging conditions, such as snow in Tennessee in April, poorly marked trails and narrow up-and-down trails in the mountains of Maine.  In addition to other hikers Boyd encountered wild ponies, bears, snakes and a skink. He often found it necessary to cover additional miles, sometimes even backtracking.
 
All in attendance were impressed by what Boyd had accomplished.