North Carolina man completes 1,175-mile, 5-month hike
Written by Angie Sharma on May 16, 2022
A man from North Carolina has completed his 5-month trek along the 1,175-mile North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Carrying trekking poles and with his signature full beard, “Trail” Marshall finished the home stretch on May 6, arriving at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, N.C.
Marshall began using the moniker Trail rather than his given name when he started hiking about two years ago, starting with a brisk 406-day trek along the Appalachian Trail in June 2020.
The North Carolina resident has documented his journey on social media, posting pictures and videos along the way.
His number of followers has grown since he first started the trek in early January in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
“I get messages from people who are sick or dying,” he told the Outer Banks Voice.
“They just need an encouraging word from me to tell them to keep fighting. A guy sent me a message last night. He’s having major surgery tomorrow. They’re taking out his pancreas and a few other things. I’ve been telling him to keep fighting. I got a message last night, ‘Congratulations on finishing your hike. I’m going to beat this just like you. I’m going to keep fighting.'”
