NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
It's something most of us don't often have the time or the courage to do, but one Middle Tennessee man gave up his job and home in exchange for a backpack, walking shoes and the open trail.
Jim Boatwright spent the last five and a half months walking along the Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada - a trip that spanned more than 2,700 miles.
"It's all about the journey. That's what makes the mountaintop or the vista at the end so rewarding - what it takes to get there," Boatwright said.
The journey started on the Mexico border and took him through five states. Most days Boatwright walked 20 miles or more, with all his possessions on his back.
"This weighed about 14 pounds, then you add food and water. At the most it was probably 30 pounds, maybe 35," Boatwright said.
Part of his belongings was a tracking device and smart phone.
"Which actually had a GPS app on it that I used. If I got really lost I could use that to find my way back," Boatwright said.
Before leaving on the trip, Boatwright even mailed supplies to himself which he then picked up in towns along the way.
That was one of the many lessons he learned during previous hikes. He has completed the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail twice.
The only hitch this time was a stomach bug that struck about 20 miles outside the nearest town.
"I actually started praying, you know, 'God help me out of this,' and I look up and here comes somebody. I happened to be on a Jeep road, and here comes somebody in a Jeep," Boatwright said.
Boatwright said after getting some medical help he was back on the trail to finish what he started - experiencing mountain peaks, valleys and wildlife few people ever see.
"For me, the rewards far outweighed what people might see as a negative," he said.
Boatwright is now among just a few hundred to finish what is known in the hiking world as the Triple Crown.
That's the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail.
As for what is next, he said for now he wants to get back to work and save up for the next hike.
For more on Boatwright's adventure, visit: http://www.boatmanwalking.com/
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(Photo courtesy: Jim Boatwright)
