When Mississippi State University student Alan Lovett fulfilled his life-long dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail last spring and summer, the hike solidified the things he thought were important in life.
“As a general rule, if something is tough you are going to get something out of it. It takes away everything that makes you comfortable, but it takes away a lot of the things that you take for granted. When you get out of your comfort zone, you are going to learn more about yourself,” Lovett, a junior mechanical engineering major, said.
He hiked the 2,160-mile-long trail which runs from Springer Mountain, Ga., to Katahdin, Maine, beginning in late February and finishing in mid July of this year.
Lovett received 12 hours of credit from the university including six hours from the University Honors Program and six hours from the department of kinesiology. For his credits from the kinesiology department, Lovett kept track of his heart rate and recorded the data.
For credit from the honors program, much of his work included writing essays during his hike, University Honors Program director Nancy McCarley said.
“In our program we have internship programs where the bulk of your credit comes from your actual experience, the hours that you log in doing something,” McCarley said.
Lovett averaged 20 to 30 miles of walking per day carrying a backpack weighing over 50 pounds. Many nights he slept outdoors on a thin bed, but he also stayed in hostels and churches that were available for hikers.
Lovett said he got to take a couple of breaks from his hike and made his way into New York City and Washington, D.C.
During his hike, Lovett faced harsh weather conditions including snow storms and hurricane-force winds.
Lovett developed tendonitis about one month into his hike. He made his way to a doctor who advised him to not continue with the hike, but Lovett said he took a couple of Advil every night until his leg was better and continued with the hike.
Once he ran out of food for nearly three days.
“Physically, it was very difficult, but I think most people quit because of mental stress,” he said.
During the hike, Lovett met many different people including other hikers and people from various towns he passed through. He said the people were very nice, some offered him food and shelter while one woman took him to buy a new pair of shoes.
Lovett started the hike by himself and hiked with different people he met along the way but never hiked with anyone consistently.
“With everyone I met on the trail there was an instant connection. It’s like they are your best friend. I was forced to trust other people but was never really let down,” Lovett said.
The Appalachian Trail goes through the neck of the Appalachian Mountains and runs through 14 different states. Almost one-fourth of the trail, 500 miles, is located in Virginia.
Lovett said only about 10 percent of the many people who attempt to hike the entire trail finish each year.
Students have received credit for many off-campus activities in the past, dean of students Mike White said.
“If students want to try any kind of endeavor such as that, they should first talk to their advisor and go from there,” White said.