gsingjane
12-11-2008, 03:48 PM
Greeneville Sun, Greeneville, TN
December 11, 2008
Appalachian Trail Hike Completed By Local Man
By NELSON MORAIS
Staff Writer
Jon Stone, a Greeneville resident, recently completed his hike of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, a 2,175-mile trek that he began in June.
Stone, who turned 20 years old while hiking the trail in September, began his journey on June 6 at Mt. Katahdin in Maine.
He said that he completed the length of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain in northern Georgia on Nov. 16.
Springer Mountain is the site of the southern-most tip of the trail.
Stone said his last night on the trail, on Nov. 15, was the coldest since he began his trek over four months earlier. He said the temperature dropped to about 20 degrees, or maybe even lower that night, so he and his hiking partner, Nathan Karcz, were especially glad to finish their trek the next day.
"It gets pretty miserable out there when it gets cold," Stone said. "Because of the weather, I was glad to get it (the trek) done."
As of Oct. 17, when he got off the trail at Roan Mountain to rest at his home here, Stone had hiked approximately 1,700 miles of the trail, with about 475 miles left to go. An article on his trek up to that point appeared in the Greeneville Sun, on Oct. 25.
Stone graduated from Greeneville High School in the spring, where he had attended two years.
Born in Jacksonville, N.C., Stone said he has lived in Greeneville with his parents, Dr. Coy and Georgia Stone, since 1999.
Jon is now back at his parents' home on Heritage Hills Drive. He has three brothers and two sisters. His sister, Sarah, and brother, Daniel, also live with his parents.
Stone met Karcz near the beginning of his trek in Maine, and they became close friends as they hiked the trail together.
Karcz's father, Jan Karcz , flew from his home in Washington, D.C. to Georgia, where he was taken to Neels Gap in northern Georgia to join his son and Stone on the trail.
Mr. Karcz hiked the last two days of the trail with the two young men, hiking five miles the first day, and 15 the next, Stone said. The senior Karcz is a retired U.S. Army Ranger.
Stone's parents and his sister Sarah drove to Georgia and met the younger Stone at the end of his hiking trip.
Stone sprained his ankle about two weeks before his hiking finish date, at Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Despite that, Stone continued his trek, which included a few days of rest for his ankle in Towns County, Ga.
Stone has steadily readjusted to a more complex life since he finished hiking the Appalachian Trail last month.
He said Thursday, "It has been different being home, living such a simplified life, and then having friends, family, a car thrown back at you. It's a little hard to take it all at once."
He said if he were to make another long hiking trek, he has his eyes on the Pacific Crest Trail that runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington.
He also said he is considering applying at Volunteer State Community College, located close to Chattanooga, to attend next fall.
Enjoys Basketball
Stone said he works as an assistant coach for the freshman basketball team at Greeneville High School. He is also playing basketball in a church league for First Baptist Church at the YMCA.
Of his several-months-long, near-solitude hike of the Appalachian Trail, Stone said, "It's definitely good to be over with. I could only do that for so long and stay sane."
December 11, 2008
Appalachian Trail Hike Completed By Local Man
By NELSON MORAIS
Staff Writer
Jon Stone, a Greeneville resident, recently completed his hike of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, a 2,175-mile trek that he began in June.
Stone, who turned 20 years old while hiking the trail in September, began his journey on June 6 at Mt. Katahdin in Maine.
He said that he completed the length of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain in northern Georgia on Nov. 16.
Springer Mountain is the site of the southern-most tip of the trail.
Stone said his last night on the trail, on Nov. 15, was the coldest since he began his trek over four months earlier. He said the temperature dropped to about 20 degrees, or maybe even lower that night, so he and his hiking partner, Nathan Karcz, were especially glad to finish their trek the next day.
"It gets pretty miserable out there when it gets cold," Stone said. "Because of the weather, I was glad to get it (the trek) done."
As of Oct. 17, when he got off the trail at Roan Mountain to rest at his home here, Stone had hiked approximately 1,700 miles of the trail, with about 475 miles left to go. An article on his trek up to that point appeared in the Greeneville Sun, on Oct. 25.
Stone graduated from Greeneville High School in the spring, where he had attended two years.
Born in Jacksonville, N.C., Stone said he has lived in Greeneville with his parents, Dr. Coy and Georgia Stone, since 1999.
Jon is now back at his parents' home on Heritage Hills Drive. He has three brothers and two sisters. His sister, Sarah, and brother, Daniel, also live with his parents.
Stone met Karcz near the beginning of his trek in Maine, and they became close friends as they hiked the trail together.
Karcz's father, Jan Karcz , flew from his home in Washington, D.C. to Georgia, where he was taken to Neels Gap in northern Georgia to join his son and Stone on the trail.
Mr. Karcz hiked the last two days of the trail with the two young men, hiking five miles the first day, and 15 the next, Stone said. The senior Karcz is a retired U.S. Army Ranger.
Stone's parents and his sister Sarah drove to Georgia and met the younger Stone at the end of his hiking trip.
Stone sprained his ankle about two weeks before his hiking finish date, at Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Despite that, Stone continued his trek, which included a few days of rest for his ankle in Towns County, Ga.
Stone has steadily readjusted to a more complex life since he finished hiking the Appalachian Trail last month.
He said Thursday, "It has been different being home, living such a simplified life, and then having friends, family, a car thrown back at you. It's a little hard to take it all at once."
He said if he were to make another long hiking trek, he has his eyes on the Pacific Crest Trail that runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington.
He also said he is considering applying at Volunteer State Community College, located close to Chattanooga, to attend next fall.
Enjoys Basketball
Stone said he works as an assistant coach for the freshman basketball team at Greeneville High School. He is also playing basketball in a church league for First Baptist Church at the YMCA.
Of his several-months-long, near-solitude hike of the Appalachian Trail, Stone said, "It's definitely good to be over with. I could only do that for so long and stay sane."