A.T. solo thru-hiker Melanie Wood conquers Maryland in a day

By Phil Ferrara

300 million years ago in the Paleozoic era great forces of continental plates folded and thrust upward, creating what we know as the Appalachian Mountains. As time passed, huge faults fractured the earth’s crust. Blocks of mountains rose to 15,000 feet above the sea. As with all things, evolution and time humbled that giant mountain range. Forces of wind, rain, and ice reshaped majestic peaks, carving the land, creating rivers and canyons. Remaining today, after millions of years of titanic forces of erosion is the low-lying, but still rugged, Appalachian plateau. It extends from Maine’s Mount Katahdin in the north to Georgia’s Springer Mountain in the south. Within the Appalachian Mountains are rolling hills and forests carpeted by deciduous trees and dark green conifer canopies. Along the 2,000-mile region lie meadows, farms, state and national parks, and dense forests. 

Winding through this vast wilderness is a century-old pathway called the Appalachian Trail. It was the dream and achievement of many hiking enthusiasts in the early 20^th century. Now in the 21^st century it is renowned for its nearly 2,200 miles of challenging trails and beautiful scenery. It is a forested paradise, a magnet for adventure sport enthusiasts, and often referred to by its iconic title, the “A.T.”

The first woman to complete a thru-hike of the A.T. was the adventurer Emma Gatewood aka Grandma Gatewood, in 1955. Her achievement has been emulated by many men and women in the past century. Recently, Melanie Wood of Pennsylvania, embraced the adventure to hike the Appalachian Trail, answering the call from the wild.

With the pandemic and the politics of the early 2020s Melanie was seeking a new challenge and opportunity. She sought to restore her faith in people and relieve the burnout and stress of the daily running of her business.

Her love of hiking created a yearning to undertake the mission of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. With determination, she began three years of preparation, training, and planning that culminated in her solo hike departure from Mount Katahdin, Maine on June 2, 2024. 

Melanie’s plan was uncommon – starting in the north to take advantage of the spring weather there, and to allow hiking the southern states in autumn. That tactic enabled her to first complete the two hardest states, Maine and New Hampshire, and continue southbound following her own well-developed strategy. 

Melanie‘s journey is chronicled in her book, “Thou Shalt Not Shat on Bees and Other Lessons Learned on the Appalachian Trail.” It is filled with tales of incredible scenery, A.T. challenges, and includes healthy doses of humor. She provides thoughtful observations and lessons learned during her adventure. The book describes her trek through Maine as a challenging portion of the A.T., and one in which “roots, rocks, bugs, bears, and everything else is trying to eat you, the hiker.” She informs you of the beauty of the trail and how well it is maintained by the various Appalachian Trail Clubs. They support the mission of the U.S. National Park Service, which has overall responsibility for the A.T. Readers of her book will enjoy the trail humor and learn the origin of the unique title.

Melanie achieved her overall goal of seeking a deeper sense of self. She learned that, if you can survive many months hiking the Appalachian Trail, you can do anything. It supports her premise that, in place of fear, “just do it and dare to believe in yourself.” The hike showed that life has no room for small, meaningless stuff, and affirmed her desire to follow her dreams and love life.   

Of course, Melanie’s A.T. journey brought her to Maryland. This portion of the trail, through the Chesapeake Bay region, includes panoramic views of the Piedmont, along with the undulating topography of river valleys, rugged water gaps, and rocky peaks.

Melanie undertook the incredible challenge to hike the entire 41 miles of Maryland’s A.T. in one day. It’s a popular undertaking among hiking enthusiasts and well known in A.T. hiking tradition. She accomplished this in 15 hours.

Her passage through Maryland in early September 2024 provided the opportunity to experience history with monuments and battle scenes. She was impressed by the pride that Maryland has in its monuments and the trail itself. The Maryland portion of the A.T. includes Washington Monument State Park, Greenbrier State Park, Gathland State Park, and many others. 

How might we in the Chesapeake Bay region emulate some of Melanie’s impressive achievements? Many access trailheads await us along the A.T. in Maryland for day hikes and overnight treks to history and memorable scenery. They include Pen Mar State Park, High Rocks, Washington Monument S.P., and Fox Gap. One can hike to the White Rocks Overlook, or search for adventures along the C&O Canal from Harper’s Ferry. Described below is an excellent opportunity for a day hike to one of Maryland’s most iconic sights. 

Destination: Appalachian Trail at Maryland’s Route 40 intersection between Frederick and Hagerstown, M.D.

Directions to Trailhead: Take I-70 westbound to Exit 42 and proceed one mile north on Route 17. Turn left, westbound, onto Route 40. Proceed 3 miles to the parking lot on the left for the A.T.’s road crossing (located near the I-70 overpass). 304-535-6278, http://www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm 

Trail description: Hike northbound on the A.T. following white blazes. Undulating topography challenges the hiker with rocky trails. Thick forests cloak the ridges of the A.T. Hike 2 ¼ miles north, turn left onto the ¼ mile, blue-blazed trail to the Annapolis Rock overlook with spectacular vistas. Panoramic views of the Appalachian Mountains reach the horizon on a clear day with lakes, forests, and farms in the valley far below. Eagles and hawks migrate past here in autumn. Return to your car, hiking southbound.

Melanie’s adventure on the A.T. was halted in southwest Virginia on Sept. 27, 2024 by Hurricane Helene. The storm destroyed hundreds of miles of the Appalachian Trail, forcing the National Park Service to close the A.T. from North Carolina to Georgia. 

She intends to return to complete her thru-hike by starting at Springer Mountain in Georgia once trail conditions and repairs allow. With ongoing weather-related damage and no clear timeline for full restoration, her plans remain flexible, but her determination to finish remains strong. She’ll hike north to the point in southwestern Virginia where the storm interrupted everyone’s journey.

In the meantime, in July 2025 Melanie hiked the Camino de Santiago in Portugal, from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela, nearly 400 miles.

We can all experience a transcendence in ourselves, like Melanie did, by accepting a challenge in nature and meeting it successfully.

Dare to believe!

Phil Ferrara, an avid hiker and traveler, operates the Piedmont Trekkers hiking club. Interested hikers and outdoor enthusiasts with questions may reach him at [email protected]