Hawk, also known as David Maynor.

Hawk left Springer Mountain, north of his home in Marietta, Georgia, on March 25, arriving at the peak of Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, just short of six months later. While he had done some section hiking before, this was his first attempt at a thru-hike.

His favorite part of the trail was the Thomas Knob Shelter, about a half mile from the summit of Mount Rogers, the highest point in Virginia. The shelter itself is a large shelter, complete with an enclosed second floor accessed by a small ladder through a hole in the floor. There was a cold water spring nearby, and a double rainbow in the sky while he was there. "The Grayson Highlands were nice, too," he added.

The most difficult was the stretch between Gorham and Andover, in Maine.

He left Georgia carrying 43 pounds in his pack, and used a tarp/tent arrangement for most of the trip. He changed some of his equipment out in Damascus, Virginia, sending some of it home as changing weather conditions made it unnecessary.

Along the way, he got a lot of help from friends and family.

"You can't do it without a good support team," he said.

Asked what the town or people of Millinocket could do to be more friendly to hikers, he suggested an outfitter store.

"This is a perfect place for it," he said, pointing out that this is the end of the trail for those going northbound, but that it's the beginning of the trail for southbounders. "I think that's a good idea," he said.