Greetings! My name is Barry.

For now I live in Knoxville, Tennessee. I was born and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.

I have an amazing son and daughter-in-law, Chris and Jessica, and a miracle grandson, Finn, who live in Florida.

I am a retired law enforcement officer having served for 28 years as a police officer and most notably as a deputy sheriff in Polk County, Florida.

I am a bit of a mess. I often cope with the effects of years of cumulative post-traumatic stress and I am twice-divorced. But I am aware of my shortcomings and I'm working on that. Since moving to the Knoxville area from Florida in 2013 I have probably hiked over fifteen hundred miles and to date have completed 615.1 miles of the Appalachian Trail all in day hikes. I find that hiking brings me happiness and peace, satisfaction and accomplishment. You can do a lot of thinking and self-reflection during long-distance hikes.

I am about to hike the Appalachian Trail in its entirety. The footpath spans 2,194.3 miles over 14 states, from Georgia to Maine. I wanted to start this site as a way of sharing the details of my hike with family and friends. However I welcome anyone who wants to follow along with this journey.

I first stepped on the Appalachian Trail in North Georgia as a 10 year old kid at summer camp. During that week we hiked for three days and two nights on the trail. In all of the years since, the experience of those few days has never left me.

For many years it has been a goal and dream of mine to thru-hike the entire Appalachian Trail.

My tentative start date is April 8, 2022. The date has important significance for me as it is my daughter's birthday. The day in 1981 that I, as a nineteen year old, first became a father and one of several most important days of my entire life. I lost my daughter, April Lynn, on January 30, 2000, in a multi vehicle traffic crash on Interstate 4 in Central Florida. She was 18. I actually responded to the scene. It is a scene that I can still see, still hear, still smell.

It is my hope that I can help others who have been through similar experiences.

I am inviting you to walk with me both on the Appalachian Trail and in my journey beyond. I appreciate your encouragement and support.