ROBINSON FINISHES 3RD AT THRU-HIKE

ROBINSON FINISHES 3RD AT THRU-HIKE

Kempville resident Kirk Ward Robinson finished his third Appalachian Trail thru-hike on September 29 at 4:55 p.m. EDT after a final hike of 31 miles to the southern terminus on the summit of Springer Mountain, Georgia.

“I actually slowed down the past few days so that I would have good weather at the end,” said Robinson, “otherwise I would have finished on the 27th or 28th.” Robinson, who goes by the trail name “Solo” on the AT, hiked 2190 miles in 4 1/2 months.

“I was surprised how well I did this time,” he said. “I was really surprised that I could still pull those big 30-mile days.” Robinson turned 60 during this hike. He attributes his ability to endure the rigors of the Appalachian Trail to bicycling often and maintaining a healthy diet.

“I trained hard for this hike all winter, an hour on my stationary bicycle every day along with push-ups and so on. I began the hike weighing 175 lbs, and finished at 148 lbs.” Dramatic weight loss is common on the trail due to the strenuous climbs.

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