“To me, a short hike is ... probably anything less than 1,000 miles.”

January 9, 2020 1:31 PM

Spend enough time on hiking trails in the United States, and you might have run into Nimblewill Nomad (aka M.J. Eberhart [old site]), from Florida to California, Quebec and beyond: The man who went on a hike – and never stopped walking

M.J. “Nimblewill Nomad” Eberhart: A Q&A with the Triple Crown Hiker, Alabama Cabin Caretaker, and Outdoors Veteran

Eberhart, now 78, is one of only a handful of people who have successfully hiked the "Triple Crown" of trails: the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide; he’s only one of two to hike all 11 National Scenic Trails; and he was one of the first to completely hike the Appalachians from Key West to Maine, a trek he later named the Eastern Continental Trail and one that he wrote about in his book Ten Million Steps. Soon after that he did the trip again, this time southbound from Canada and wrote about it in his second book, Where Less the Path is Worn. (He’s also written a book of poetry, Ditties, which is currently out of print, though excerpts are available on his website.)

After Tens of Thousands of Miles, Has Hiking Legend “Nimblewill Nomad” Finally Retired?

posted by the man of twists and turns (4 comments total)

I rememeber reading his old site twenty years ago; I'm glad to see it's still accessible.

I thought he had passed when I saw this post; I'm glad that's not the case.
posted by Earthtopus at 1:39 PM on January 9, 2020 [1 favorite]

He would walk 500 miles, and he would walk 500 more...just because, and call it "short."

Remarkable!
posted by ilana at 2:25 PM on January 9, 2020

“Eberhart has opted for the path toward maximal freedom,” Moor writes, “which meant shunning comfort, companionship, and security.”

I couldn't put my finger on why I was feeling so unable to connect with Eberhart, and then I read this. I think this is why. Comfort, companionship, and security are all things I treasure and aim for — and they represent freedom to me. Which is why he's interesting to read about. As they say, it takes all kinds in this world. We happen to be very different kinds!
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 9:06 PM on January 9, 2020 [3 favorites]

Link to the 11 national scenic trails. I was not aware of most of them!

posted by natasha_k at 10:45 AM on January 10, 2020