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Given that little Ellie Quirin took her first actual steps on the trail, it’s a pretty certain thing that this Virginia girl will be the youngest ever to complete the Maine-to-Georgia path, which she covered with her mom and dad.
About the time this magazine arrives in mailboxes and appears on newsstands, an Appalachian Trail “first” is on schedule to take place.
Ellie Quirin, along with parents Derrick and Bekah, is due to complete what will be the first baby thru-hike of the Great Trail.
The family, entering Virginia as we go to press, is projected to arrive at McAfee Knob near Roanoke in mid-October. Their home is in nearby Blue Ridge, Virginia.
And that completion of the 2,185-mile journey won’t be the only first for Ellie. Along the trail there were others.
First steps.
First fist-bump.
Along with that status as the youngest person to travel the distance of the A.T.
The journey began on March 21, and has been packed with not only firsts but also plenty of adventure.
“It’s been an amazing experience,” says Bekah Quirin. “Getting through Maine and New Hampshire was like being on top of the world. There were tears in my eyes, I was so happy. The rocky terrain and mostly exposed area without tree cover was slow, and is often noted as one of the the toughest parts of the trail.
“But some incredible views made up for it,” she says.
And along the trail in Maine is where Ellie took her first steps.
“She took her first steps literally on the trail. That was pretty cool,” Bekah says.
Ellie also has a couple of signature trail moves, including a fist-bump or high five to connect with other hikers. Because of the flip-flop route the Quirins took—from Virginia to Georgia and now walking Maine back to Virginia—they’ve had second encounters with other thru-hikers.
“Some people saw us down south,” Bekah says, noting that Ellie greets these friends with the now-famous fist-bump.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy expects more than 2,600 hikers to complete the hike this year. The organization tracks the number and starting points of hikers on the trail each year and confirms that Ellie will likely be the youngest to finish the trail. The most famous example of another child on the trail is Christian Thomas, aka Buddy Backpacker, who hiked the A.T. with his family at age 5 in 2013.
Ellie will be a few miles short of a complete hike; Baxter State Park regulations don’t allow anyone under age 6 above the treeline and the Quirins respected the rule as they reached Mount Katahdin, the northernmost point on the trail. (Thomas was granted special permission to summit the peak.)
And while a seven-month hike with an infant might seem a little crazy at first, it makes sense for this outdoors-loving family. They recently left South Carolina to move back home to Roanoke, creating perfect timing for a few months on the trail.
Ellie is young enough to help them pack light. Bekah Quirin has carried her most of the way and Derrick is carrying other supplies, noting that hiking for two doesn’t add much more bulk than hiking alone.
Plus, the flip-flop route made it a little easier for the Quirins to customize their trip with some of the most familiar terrain at the beginning (and end) of the hike, and to hit better weather conditions along the way. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy notes another bonus as well—there’s less environmental impact because all hikers aren’t going the same way at the same time.