Time for another installment of "Cool People I Know!"  Peter is raising money to restore the Shuckstack Fire Tower in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  At Peter's website, www.PeterOnTheAT.com you can donate a penny for every mile that Peter hikes.  All of the donations Peter Raises will go to help restore the Shuckstack Fire Tower.

    Here's a quote from Peter's website to tell you a little about him ,"
It has been a dream of mine since I was a small boy to hike the Appalachian Trail. With the desire only increasing and the time in my life never more opportune than now, “the mountains are calling, and I must go.” The next five months will be an adventure of a lifetime. Yet my hiking the Appalachian Trail won’t simply just be an outdoor journey, but will represent a significant transition in my life – both in priorities and values. Hiking the trail is the start of living a life dedicated to both pursuing adventure and dedicating myself to my love of the outdoors, mountains, and history. While my thru-hike will be an adventure, another exciting adventure awaits when I return home where my wife and I will be moving to Asheville, NC. We will be in a new town, new home, and I will be attempting to start a new career pursuing my passions.

My trail name is “Whippersnap” – a name affectionately given to me by my Smokies hiking friend Gretchen Kirkland (Slowalk) when we first met. When I began hiking in college, I was a bit wet behind the ears – to say the least. I sought advice from many older, experienced hikers – many of which became my close hiking friends. Still at a young age, I covered a lot of peaks and trails and even wrote a book, so the name stuck. Admittedly it is a name I will outgrow, if I haven’t already. But it is a reminder of the enthusiasm with which I started hiking, something I’ve never lost since."

    Peter has also written a book about his passion for Lookout Towers.  I hope you have an opportunity to check it out.

    How Can You Help?  Here's another quote from Peter, "The single greatest act that someone can do to help me during my hike is to contribute any amount to my efforts to raise money for the restoration of the Shuckstack lookout tower on the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I am hoping that those interested in my thru-hike will be willing to contribute $21.78, or one penny for every mile that I hike. I ultimately wish to raise $2,178, a dollar for each mile hiked for this project. To find out more about the project and help out, visit my Save Shuckstack website. In generosity I receive along the trail, I’ll recognize everyone who helps me with this project so dear to me."



    Thanks Peter, Have A Great Hike!