Alumni Profile: Mackenzie Kynoch ’11

MACKENZIE KYNOCH ’11

Trailblazer

Back in the fall of 2015, when Mackenzie Kynoch arrived in Hanover, New Hampshire, for her first year at Dartmouth College, she became enthralled with the Appalachian Trail, a footpath that runs from Georgia to Maine and bisects Dartmouth’s campus along the way. Two and a half years later, in the spring of 2018, this avid backpacker, outdoor enthusiast, and lover of big challenges placed her foot on the trail as hiker #619 and didn’t look back for 2,190.9 miles.

When and where did you start and finish?

I started at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia on March 28. I finished on Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park in Maine on September 2.

Did you have hiking companions?

I started the trail alone, but luckily was surrounded by other thru-hiking hopefuls. I had a “tramily,” a trail family, for about a month while I was in North Carolina and Virginia. A trail family is a group of people who decide to stick together, share motel rooms, and generally just work together. I ended up having to hike faster, as I had a strict deadline to finish before my school started again. Afterwards, I employed the strategy of hiking with a family or group of people I liked for 4-5 days, and then I would hike on and make up miles for 2-3 days before temporarily joining a new family.

How did you prepare physically and mentally?

To be completely honest, I didn’t do a whole lot of preparation outside of logistics. I remained relatively active at school, but knew that the only way to truly get

in shape physically for the trail was simply to start hiking. Before starting, I removed quitting as an option.

Were you prepared?

I walked in assuming I knew what to do and what I needed, since I’d done backpacking trips before. I was totally wrong. A two-week backpacking trip and thru-hiking are completely different, which I learned very quickly. I replaced a lot of my gear as I hiked north, swapping out heavier gear for ultra-light gear. I also assumed that Georgia would be warm. Georgia in March in the mountains is not warm. At all. In fact, it was absolutely freezing. It frequently was under 20 degrees Fahrenheit at night, and I was in a hammock with a summer-weight sleeping bag, a mid-weight merino wool shirt, and a thin synthetic down puffy. I quickly learned my lesson about being prepared for unexpected weather, and about not underestimating how cold it can be in the mountains, regardless of the season.

Most difficult moment?

July 4 in Pennsylvania, during that horrible heat wave where the heat index was above 110 degrees every day for five days. Pennsylvania is known as “Rocksylvania” because the trail is littered with rocks. It’s almost impossible to set up a comfortable stride, and any time you break focus, you trip or fall. There were rattlesnakes everywhere, tons of bugs, and almost every water source at the time was dry. It was the fourth day of hiking in the oppressive heat, with gnats in my ears, eyes, mouth, and nose, and with bruises and cuts all over from numerous falls. I had a moment where I swatted away gnats for what felt like the millionth time, just to have them return again, and then tripped over a rock for the thousandth time, and I totally broke down. Luckily, there was a bed and breakfast only ten miles away, so I treated myself to a shower and air conditioning for a night, and was back on trail the next day with much higher spirits.

Happiest moment?

The day I entered the 100-mile wilderness, near Monson, Maine, the weather was absolutely perfect. It had been raining for weeks prior to this day, so the sun felt incredible, and it was my first day with dry boots basically since Massachusetts. There were very few people on trail with me at this point, since it was within 120 miles of the end. I happened upon a bench near a beautiful river, so I stopped and sat in the sun and sang along to my favorite songs for a couple hours. That’s the beauty of the trail—you can do whatever you like, whenever you like, and you find pleasure in the simplest things.

What did you miss the most?

Sweatshirts and heavy ceramic mugs with non-instant coffee.

The term “trail magic” is used to describe random acts of kindness experienced along the trail. Did you find magic along the trail?

There was a ton of magic on trail. Every state had at least one. In New Jersey, I had at least one trail magic every day I was there. Every time I crossed a road or a parking lot, I would hold my breath in the hopes that someone would be there with a pick-me-up. On trail, you have to carry everything you eat, and your food options are quite limited. After a month or two, you really start to hate your trail food. You’re also always at a caloric deficit, usually a pretty significant one. This is all to say that being brought real, non-trail food by a stranger is absolutely one of the best things imaginable when you’re on trail.

Of the 2,000 or so people who voluntarily register as thru-hikers each year, only about 20% will finish. Why do you think you’re one of the 20%?

I think what set me apart from those who did not finish was my love of a challenge and my drive and determination. I walked onto the trail knowing it would be the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I was eager to face that challenge. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I didn’t consider quitting an option. I frequently argued with myself to stop hiking for the day, or to spend an extra day in town, but I never considered stopping for good; it simply wasn’t an option.

How will you apply the lessons learned on the trail?

I had a lot of time to learn about myself on trail. It’s a hugely introspective journey, and I had the chance to catalogue my strengths and weaknesses. My most important takeaways were about what I need to be happy and healthy. My goal as I reintegrate into the “real world” is to maintain the mindfulness that I developed on trail. To that end, I’ve given myself what I call “daily minimums”: the list of things I need to do every day to serve as a sort of health and wellness foundation, so that I can remain healthy, happy, mindful, and present. I learned that I need very little to be happy, and that having less actually makes me happier, so I’ve worked to reduce my belongings to only those things I love. I learned that I perform best when I have concrete objectives in mind, so for every assignment and project, I’ve broken it down to concrete goals. Finally, I learned that fun and enjoyment are the necessary foundations of success, so I’ve endeavored to find ways to love what I’m doing, and to stop doing what I cannot find a way to enjoy.

What advice do you have for Norwood students who are thinking about taking on something new and challenging?

You cannot know what you are capable of until you take a risk and try. The most incredible and enriching experiences come from pushing yourself to failure.

What’s your next challenge?

Right now, my focus is on graduating. Beyond that, I’m planning my next thruhike on the Pacific Crest Trail.