Teaford completes hiking Pacific Crest Trail

Robert Griffin

AMERICUS — George Teaford was looking for something to do. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in psychology, the 23-year-old knew he had to find something to occupy his time.

Teaford was born in Americus, but grew up in Gainesville, Ga. He had heard rumblings from friends, and through his own research, about a trail in California called the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The PCT s a 2,650-mile national scenic trail that runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington. “For a long time I looked at doing the Appalachian Trail,” Teaford said, “and a few summers ago I went to Alaska to do some mountaineering courses, and there was a guy that was in one of my courses who did the Appalachian and the Pacific Crest Trail. He just got done with the Pacific Crest Trail and was telling me all about the Mojave Desert, the Sierra Nevadas and it sounded like their was more variety in the scenery. So I looked it up and did some research and got some gear together for the next two years and flew out there and did it.”

Teaford started his journey in San Diego, where a host family met him at their airport and gave him a meal and a place to stay for the night before he started his trek. He started his journey on May 10. “I was definitely nervous,” Teaford said. “I had done a lot of backpacking, but I had never done it in the desert before, so I didn’t know what to expect. So I was anxious.”

According to the Trail’s website (www.pcta.org), each year an average of 300 hikers attempt to cover the full length of the PCT. Thousands of other hikers enjoy this national treasure each year, some traveling only a few miles in the course of a day hike. “I started the trail later than a lot of the people, Teaford said, “so for the very beginning I was by myself a great deal, but after I caught up with some people I was with a group for the rest of the way.”

While walking the trail, Teaford recalled the people he met. “There was this one guy I met on the trail, whose trail name was ‘fox-trot.’ He hikes every year, and spends a month hiking through the Brooks Range in Alaska, where there are no trails at all, and no civilization for miles. I had never heard of people doing that before so it was really interesting to meet someone who had lived it.”

One part that Teaford found less enjoyable about his trip were the sections of wilderness that were giving in to human interference. “There were a few sections in Northern California that I didn’t like too much because they were clear-cut areas,” said Teaford. “Lumber companies had come through and cleared acres and acres of trees, and it took away from the wilderness aspect of the trail.” After going through five pairs of shoes, and a plethora of dinners of instant mash potatoes, Teaford finally completed his trek on Oct. 3. “The very end was one of my favorite parts of the trip,” said Teaford. “The last three days of the trip we got caught in a snowstorm and had about a foot and a half of snow dumped on us. It was like nothing else I have ever experienced. Everything was covered in snow, and I have never seen that much snow in my life. It was thrilling because we didn’t know if we would be able to get back on the trail, because it might not be visible.”

In thinking back on his trip Teaford said, “The experience of hiking the trail was like nothing else.” This will not be his last trek down a trail either. Before Teaford starts medical school, he plans to conquer the Appalachian Trail.

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