The Appalachian Trail will play host to hikers from the Clear Fork area this summer as Deb Crunkilton leads a group on a 56 mile trek through the mountains of east Tennessee.
The group will include two grandmothers: Crunkilton and Lynne Pipes, who share twin granddaughters Shelby and Aubrey Pipes, both currently seniors at Clear Fork High School.
Jennifer Moore, a teacher at Clear Fork High School, will be joining the group, along with her daughter Amelia Moore, currently a seventh grader.
Rachel Ciminillo, Clear Fork High School physical education and health teacher, will also join the group, along with Luke Sweeney, Vanessa Skoog, and James Howard. Sweeney and Skoog are currently seniors, while Howard is a junior, all at Clear Fork High School.
Crunkilton, who is employed at Bellville Elementary School, noted this is not a school trip, but something she’d always hoped to do on her own.
“Twenty-five years ago, I met an A.T. [Appalachian Trail] hiker down in the Shenandoah National Park, and ever since then I’ve wanted to do it,” said Crunkilton of hiking the trail on her own.
Crunkilton added that five years ago, accompanied by her brother, she headed to the Appalachian Trail. “My husband said, ‘You can go. But you can’t go alone, and I’m not going with you,’” she quoted with a laugh.
Since then, she has logged over six hundred miles on the Appalachian Trail.
“Ever since that first time, I’ve wanted to take students,” said Crunkilton, noting she realized that if she wanted to take her granddaughters, the opportunity was now, as they graduate this year.
She added that Moore had been very helpful in coordinating the other teens for the trip.
“It’s a huge adventure,” she continued, “I’ve encountered bears. I’ve seen rattlesnakes. I almost stepped on a copperhead that was right in front of me on the trail.”
Crunkilton is training the rest of the crew to watch out for those hazards, as well as working with them on hiking tips and techniques. Each member of the hiking expedition is required to complete five training sessions at Mohican while carrying a twenty-five pound pack.
“She’s a great teacher,” said Lynn Pipes. “She just opened our eyes to so many things that are out here. I’ve hiked for a long time, too. My husband and I have loved it for years, but we’ve never been able to experience the packing overnight.”
The group plans to hike approximately ten miles per day during the excursion.
“When you’re alone, you can hike as far as you want, but when you get a group, you have to consider every person in the group,” Crunkilton added.
“I am so blessed, so fortunate, to be at the school, because I can do this,” said Crunkilton. “Most people you see hiking the A.T. are either young college students that haven’t gotten jobs yet, and they are doing it before they get out there into the world, or they are people that are retired. Most people my age can’t just take off the month or so and go hiking.”
Each hiker will carry food, mainly dehydrated items as well as trail mix and peanut butter. Some water will also be carried, in addition to water filters to replace what they use from various water sources.
She plans to bring the students home and return to the Appalachian Trail to hike an additional 150 miles over the summer.
“I told my husband I’m a misplaced mountain person,” said Crunkilton. “I need to be out there in the mountains.”
The group is considering a fundraiser to help offset the cost of hiking equipment. “It’s an expensive hobby,” said Crunkilton. The group would be pleased to have an offer of sponsorship from a local camping or hiking supplier.
