MANSFIELD – Dave Humeston has spent nearly 16 months hiking trails throughout the country since 2013.
The 42-year-old Mansfield native recently completed the Triple Crown of thru-hiking in the United States after finishing the Continental Divide Trail in November 2023.
He hiked the Appalachian Trail, in its entirety, from April to September in 2013, followed by the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016, which took around five and a half months to complete.
“This was definitely the bucket list,” Humeston said. “These are the big three (trails), at least in our generation.”
Between the three trails, Humeston hiked 7,940 miles over a 480-day period.
He will be honored by the American Long Distance Hiking Association during a spring 2024 awards ceremony. As of 2023, the ALDHA has awarded 665 Triple Crown of Hiking Awards.
Humeston — who now lives in Columbus — said he feels “blessed” and “accomplished” with his current resume, and isn’t in a rush to tackle another half-year hike anytime soon.
“There’s lots of stuff overseas that I would love to do,” he said. “But I don’t know if I need to do another six-month one.”
Seed was planted in first grade
A 1999 Lexington High School graduate, Humeston said his interest in hiking dates back to first grade.
He recalled a classmate’s grandfather, Charles Bradfield, trail name “Grey Fox,” sharing his experience of hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) during a show-and-tell presentation.
“He got out a big map and pointed and showed us on the map, how far he’d walked. For a first-grader, it just didn’t make sense,” Humeston said.
“But for whatever reason that stuck with me … I think it was a seed planted, basically.”
Humeston’s love for hiking, camping and backpacking continued to grow during his involvement with Boy Scouts of America. He earned his Eagle Scout rank in 1997.
He said backpacking and hiking trails like the Appalachian were always the ultimate dream for himself and members of his troop.
“I think it kind of just gradually became more of a vision,” Humeston said.
Navigating life after high school
After high school, Humeston studied finance and economics at Ohio University.
Following graduation, he moved around the country, working a variety of jobs and spent time traveling internationally.
He settled in Seattle, where he worked in the healthcare industry and was heavily involved in the local music scene.
Humeston and his partner, Amy Popp, decided to return to the Midwest in the fall of 2012 to be closer to family. Around this time, he began preparing for his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.
“It just was a real transitional period,” he said.
“That’s when I’m like, ‘You know what? I’ve been thinking about this Appalachian Trail since I was a first grader.’ So I took the plunge there and that’s how it started.”
Following his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, he moved to Columbus and began a career with a local healthcare software company, as well as a part-time job with outdoor retailer REI at its Easton location.
Humeston took a sabbatical from both companies in 2016 to complete his thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), which he said can be one of the most challenging aspects of the process.
“The hardest thing really with this stuff is getting your life in order, so that you can step away for six months at a time,” he said.
“Whether that’s money or dealing with your relationships and your parents.”
‘Shouldn’t have walked away’ from 2019 accident
After successfully completing two-thirds of the Triple Crown, Humeston’s chances of accomplishing his dream were nearly taken away in an instant.
In the summer of 2019, he was involved in a serious bicycling accident when an 80-foot hickory tree fell on him as he was commuting home during a thunderstorm.
He sustained five spinal fractures, four broken ribs, a broken nose and cheekbone, multiple lacerations and a partially-collapsed lung.
Surprisingly, Humeston said his injuries didn’t require any major surgeries during his four days at Grant Medical Center’s trauma unit.
“When I was in the hospital, I was pretty concerned about what it meant for my hiking career,” he said. “I’m incredibly lucky.
“I had severe injuries from all of that, but a lot of it was good prognosis.”
He credited his luck to wearing a bicycle helmet and the team of physical therapists who helped lead his recovery process.
“I probably shouldn’t have walked away from that accident,” he said. “I’m very lucky I had a helmet on and that helmet 100 percent saved my life.”
Popp provides a ‘base camp’
In the fall of 2022, Humeston and Popp were married at Chapel Cave in Hocking Hills State Park.
He said Popp, who’s also an avid backpacker, shares an equal love for the outdoors, so the venue was a perfect fit.
“(Chapel Cave) is really this beautiful, scenic spot,” he said. “We had our friend come out and the dog, and we just did it.”
Having to leave his wife and relatives is one of the most difficult challenges to overcome when tackling a thru-hike, even more than physical demands, Humeston said.
However, Popp’s support of his dreams has made all the difference.
“I think I won the wife lottery,” he said with a smile. “She’s been really supportive as what I call a base camp.”
While Humeston was on the trails, Popp would mail supply packages, make calls when service was available and even travel to visit when he was in accessible areas of his hike.
“She’s so amazing at the support in all levels,” he said. “Logistically, yes. But emotionally and mentally, too. I have bad days or I’m homesick and she’s really helpful and supportive.”
Trail lessons translate to everyday life
Highs and lows experienced throughout his thru-hiking journeys have stuck with him upon returning to the routine of everyday life.
“I used to say, ‘the trail trains you,’ so there’s really no (physical) preparation to be hiking eight hours a day,” he said.
“I do think it’s way more important for your mental and emotional well-being to be pretty solid and try to prepare. Being by yourself can be quite an adjustment for some people.”
Those lessons have resulted in a new-found sense of confidence in Humeston’s work and social life.
“I’m a fairly social guy. I certainly was in school and college, but I’m definitely more comfortable in my own skin now,” he said.
“Understanding my determination, if I want to dedicate myself to something, I feel confident that I can do that. So that’s been really helpful in work situations and interviews and stuff like that.”