They Did It! Hikers Become First to Complete Trail

November 26 2014
First published June 21, 2013
by Tom Prigg

UPDATE: The Allegheny Front's Jennifer Szweda Jordan caught up with Joanna Swanson a year and a half after the end of the big journey she took with Bart Houck. Swanson says she and Houck hit the trail again this summer. This time they took the western route to familiarize themselves with the whole network of trails that make up the Great Eastern Trail (GET) network. 

"It was extremely hot, and extremely rocky, and we had an incredible time," Swanson says. "We really enjoyed being back out on the trail and visiting old friends, and meeting some new ones."

Swanson says the encounters the two had with people along the way are waht really stand out about their adventure. She says hiking a trail is a great way to restore your faith in humanity. Her advice for people thinking about hiking the GET?

"Go for it," Swanson says. "It's going to be a lot of work, and there are going to be bad days...but it's an experience that will change your life, and you'll be very glad that it did."

ORIGINAL POST:

“We made it!"  That's how Joanna Swanson updated the June 19 blog post documenting her 1,800-mile journey to become one of the first through-hikers of the Great Eastern Trail (GET). She and Bart Houck began their trek on January 10 this year, and finished six months and ten days later, traveling through nine different states.  The completion of the Great Eastern Trail makes it the East Coast’s second long distance trail after the Appalachian Trail.

The Allegheny Front followed the hiking duo through their blog posts and phone interviews on our show. Along the way, we heard stories about playing with black bear cubs, making new friends, and acquiring sore backs and feet.  This was Joanna “Someday” Swanson’s second long distance trail hike, and Bart “Hillbilly Bart” Houck’s first.

Swanson and Houck also added this postscript to their blog, proving they haven't lost their sense of humor: "Thanks to all that helped along the way—trail volunteers —people who followed us on our blog and our feet, backs, legs and other body parts for putting up with our constant abuse."