Hiker, Ed Talone
Ed Talone is impossible to miss, even in a crowded bus station. His uniquely goofy grin notwithstanding, a vintage Kelty pack towers above him, crammed to the gills with the equipment that will protect and sustain him in the next 4 months as he hikes north from Mars Hill, Maine, following the spine of the Appalachian Mountain range along the International Appalachian Trail/ Sentier des Appalachian Internationale.
Ed’s unique countenance is well-earned though. In the last 20+ years, he’s racked up thousands of miles on the trail, putting him in the company of a very small circle of “uber-hikers” whose lifetime cumulative miles exceed 20,000.
Even for a man of Ed’s experience, this journey is a spectacular one, carrying him more than 2,400 miles through the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundaland and Labrador.
More spectacular still is that this extended journey is but the second leg in an even grander mission, Ed’s effort to walk the entire North American portion of the International Appalachian Trail/ Sentier des Appalachian Internationale – more than 7,000 miles in total.
Last fall, Richard Anderson, Treasurer of the Maine Chapter of the SIA-IAT, and I saw Ed to the border of America and Canada in Van Buren Maine, where he concluded the 4554 miles of the first leg of his grand walk, which began last winter approximately 60 miles south of Florida, in the Dry Tortugas National Park.
As Ed walks north, we’ll post periodic dispatches sharing his adventures and progress as he continues on his journey."
UPDATE 7/6/12 Ed Talone has deferred this year’s journey on the SIA-IAT this year for family obligations. Stay tuned for updates as Ed continues in the future.
