Sewanee Elementary School second-grade student Madeline Sumpter (trail name “Flower”), and her father, Joseph, (trail name “Deep Woods Dreamer”), hiked 18.7 miles on the Appalachian Trail (AT) from north to south through the Bigelow Mountains in central Maine, Aug. 3–Sept. 2.
Sumpter began the nearly 2,200-mile trek on the AT as a through-hiker on April 15, 1995, at Springer Mountain, Ga., but heavy snowfall in late October forced him off the trail.
“I always wanted to finish the portion of the trail I missed,” he said. “Now I know it was God’s plan all along to save the finale of this lifetime goal to be able to share with my daughter. Madeline shares my love of hiking, and the time was right for us to complete this adventure together.”
Sumpter spent much of the last six months preparing for the trip, researching hiking with children, planning what to pack, fitting Madeline with appropriate gear and lots of preparatory hikes.
“I knew hiking with Madeline was going to be different, and I wanted our adventure to succeed no matter what. I couldn’t afford to leave anything to chance,” he said.
They had five gorgeous days of weather and enjoyed gazing off the many view points, quenching their thirsts from the cool mountain streams, meeting other hikers, playing games, journaling and eating Madeline’s favorite backpacking foods.
They also left messages at shelters along the trail for Sewanee resident Bruce Baird (trail name “2:30”), who was in the vicinity of the Bigelow Mountains on his own AT journey.
Joseph presented Madeline with a medal she could wear around her neck when she made it to the two highest peaks.
“To say this trip was a success is a huge understatement,” Sumpter said. “Madeline knows the joy of accomplishing a physically and emotionally demanding challenge. Alyssa and I can hardly wait to experience the next family adventure and little sister, Julia, is ready to join in the fun.”
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