A local man’s hike to faith Adena Council eyes bridge project

BY ALYSSA HOWARD Harrison News-Herald Staff Writer

ADENA—Adena Council held their monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 31, after a two-month break due to a lack of quorum during the holidays. Council quickly started by electing council member R.J. Konkoleski as president of council.

BY ALYSSA HOWARD Harrison News-Herald Staff Writer

CADIZ—In 2015, Keith Forsythe and his wife, Beverly, were riding along scenic Skyline Drive in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park when they stopped at a vista along the road. It was there that he saw a placard that said, “Look to your right, you’ll see a trail leading to Springer Mountain in Georgia. Look to your left, you’ll see a trail leading to Mount Katahdin in Maine”. He said the plaque had a picture of the Appalachian Trail running through 14 states, 2,200 miles long.

Keith said as he was standing there, the Lord spoke to him and said, “I want you to hike this trail, and I just said ‘okay.’” He got back in the car, looked at his wife, and said, “I have to hike this trail.”

Beverly knew he was going to follow through on this decision. “I don’t question him,” she said, “If he puts his mind to something, he’s going to do it.”

From that day on, he was absolutely obsessed and started training. He said it was his first time ever doing a backpacking trip, and before then, he didn’t even own a backpack. He was taking on one of the longest trails in the world.

Keith retired in 2016, and that summer, he left Beverly at home and went out. About 1,000 miles into the hike, he broke a bone in his foot, and the next day his father-in-law passed away. He went home for a week to heal and attend the funeral. He wanted to heal as quickly as possible. With a warning from the doctor that he would still have some pain, he went out and completed the last 1,200 miles in 5½ months, all with a fractured foot.

Keith said when he finally got to the top of Mount Katahdin, there were quite a few people finishing the trail on the same day. He said he sat and watched all of those who went ahead of