FARMINGTON — Briana DeSanctis is focused on one large goal for 2015.

“I will march forth on March 5,” DeSanctis, 31, of Farmington said, to start a 2,200-mile, solo hike of the Appalachian Trail. That’s an estimated 5 million steps, not counting trips into towns along the way, she said.

The trail will take her through 14 states from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. She expects to finish the trek perhaps as early as August.

A server at the Homestead Bakery in Farmington for the past four years, DeSanctis plans to “hang up my apron for the last time” and take an extended vacation.

Whether rafting on the Colorado River while she lived in Vail or hiking in Maine, DeSanctis has always liked doing things outdoors, she said. She grew up in Maine but moved to Colorado for a few years.

She started backpacking along the Bigelow Range last summer and spent her first overnight stay. On her first trip, she realized she liked hiking by herself.

Advertisement

She has hiked 100 miles of Maine’s 200-mile Appalachian Trail, she said. During that time she met other long-distance or thru-hikers and saw the fun they were having.

“I wanted to be a part of it,” she said. “On Aug. 27, I made the decision to hike the trail. I had an epiphany and knew I had to do it”

To seal the deal, she spray painted “walk Appalachian Trail 2015” on her wall and started telling people about her plan “to keep myself accountable,” she said.

DeSanctis started reading books about hiking the trail, purchasing gear and writing about her plans on a blog at trailjournals.com/rockymountainhigh.

The responses are mostly positive, she said. Sometimes they start out as concerns for her safety. People ask if she will bring a gun or a GPS beacon. Her answer is no.

“I don’t think it is necessary. I wouldn’t want to hike it if everyone had a gun,” she said. “My mother is not worried. Life is about taking chances. Sometimes bad things happen but I believe people are generally good.

Advertisement

“There is something about being out in the wilderness and seeing the sunrise from atop a mountain,” she said. “You see the (the day) begin and it’s all yours.”

Her biggest concern is it will be tick season from Virginia to New England, she said, bringing the potential for Lyme disease. 

But benefits outweigh concerns, she said. DeSanctis sees an opportunity “to better myself, be more disciplined and a time to quiet myself.”

There are so many people on the journey — 2,500 started in 2014 with 519 of those finishing — according to the trail conservancy website, she said. Female hikers make up about 25 percent of those.

“It’s a chance to meet new people and learn to trust people more,” she said.

Former hikers in Atlanta have read her blog and already offered to help her get from the airport to the 8.8 mile approach trail to the Appalachian Trail.

Advertisement

DeSanctis is planning a start-off party Feb. 21 at the Elks Lodge in West Farmington. It is open to everyone and she plans to display her gear and have live music, dancing, a potluck meal and a comedy show.

DeSanctis loves to write and plans to keep a journal on the trip and share her it through the blog, she said.

“It’s all I think about and all I want to do,” she said. “I plan and save for it. I’m constantly thinking about how to carry less weight.”

The backpack holds, among other things, a tent, cook stove, clothing, water and food. She has cut clothing tags and straps just to shave ounces off the 16 pounds she will carry, not including water.

She has researched possible stops and all-you-can-eat buffets along the way, she said.

“I can eat a half-gallon of ice cream and a cheeseburger and not worry about a thing,” she said.

abryant@sunjournal.com


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.