>>> HI, I'M ERIC FORD, AND IN 1992, DIRECTOR, THOMAS, FROM HARDWICK,ERE, VERMONT SHOT "NORTH TO KATHERINE FORD ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL" ON A FILM CAMERA SHOWING THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE FOOTPATH OF 14 STATES.

IN THE FILM, WE HEAR FROM SEVEN HIKERS WHO EXPERIENCE MOMENTS OF ULTIMATE CHALLENGE, BEAUTY, TRIUMPH, AND QUIET REFLECTION.

THIS PRESENTATION FEATURES A BRAND NEW HIGH DEFINITION TRANSFER OF THE FILM MADE FOR JUST FOR "MADE HERE," AND YOU CAN WATCH THIS AND IN OTHER MADE HERE STORIES ABOUT THE REGION STREAMING ON PBS.ORG AND ON THE PBS APP.

ENJOY THE FILM AND THANKS FOR WATCHING.

♪ >> THERE'S SOME DRIVE IN THERE THAT SAYS, GET OUT THERE, YOU CAN'T STAY COOPED UP ALL THE TIME.

>> AT TIMES, I FELT THAT I WAS JUST ANOTHER ANIMAL IN THE FOREST, THAT I BELONGED HERE.

>> I COULD SAY IT'S JOY, DEPRESSION, HAPPINESS, LAUGHTER, PAIN, HUNGER, HURT, I COULD SAY IT IS ALL OF THESE, BUT IT IS REALLY THAT AND MORE.

>> THE WHOLE THING IS JUST AN ULTIMATE CHALLENGE.

>> THE CHALLENGES ARE ENORMOUS, AND IT IS MORE THAN JUST CLIMBING MOUNTAIN AFTER MOUNTAIN.

THE CHALLENGES OF PLANNING PROPERLY, KEEPING WARM, KEEPING YOURSELF FUELED.

[BIRDS CHIRPING] >> STANDING ON TOP OF SPRINGER MOUNTAIN AND LOOKING AT THE TRAIL AND THINKING OF IT AS BEING A 2,100 PLUS MILE LONG STRAIGHT LINE IS ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE MENTAL PREPAREDNESS HIT ME, AND I REALIZED THAT CHALLENGE THAT WAS AHEAD OF ME.

[FOOTSTEPS] >> I'M THINKING ABOUT KATAHDIN AS I LEAVE SPRINGER.

I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET KATAHDIN OUT OF YOUR MIND.

IT'S WHERE I'M GOING.

I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT'S LIKE CLIMBING KATAHDIN AND SEEING THAT SIGN, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO LET THAT VISION OR THAT THOUGHT LEAVE MY MIND.

I'M GOING TO TUCK IT AWAY IN THE BACK, AND I'M GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON TODAY AND THE GOAL I HAVE SET FOR TODAY, AND THEN GET UP AND CONCENTRATE ABOUT TOMORROW AND DAY AFTER DAY, ONE STEP CLOSER TO KATAHDIN, AND, HOPEFULLY, IT SNEAKS UP AND SURPRISES ME.

[THUNDER ROLLING] >> I WAS LOOKING TO GET OUT THERE AND RELAX A LITTLE BIT, BUT I FOUND OUT THERE WAS MORE STRESS, NOT AS MUCH AS DAILY% LIFE, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF STRESS OUT THERE, LOT MORE THAN I WAS COUNTING ON.

[THUNDER ROLLING] [RAIN FALLING] [BIRDS CHIRPING] [BIRDS CHIRPING] [FOOTSTEPS] >> I REALLY THINK THE ROW WAS RIGHT TO ADVOCATE A SIMPLE EXISTENCE BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO FEEL INNER PEACE UNLESS YOU FREE YOURSELF FROM THE NITPICKING DETAILS THAT CLUTTER YOUR MIND, ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S SOCIETY.

THE TRAIL TOOK ME RIGHT BACK TO AN ERA WHERE PEOPLE WALKED IF THEY WANTED TO GET ANYWHERE, THEY COOKED OVER WOOD FIRES, AND MAYBE TOLERATED A LITTLE MORE DIRT UNDER THEIR FINGERNAILS.

AFTER A LONG DAY OF CLIMBING AND DESCENDING A NUMBER OF MOUNTAINS, IT'S USUALLY NOT MUCH OF A PROBLEM FINDING A PLACE TO SLEEP.

YOU EITHER SET UP YOUR TENT OR YOU AIM TOWARDS ONE OF THE TRAILSIDE SHELTERS.

I ALWAYS LIKE THE SHELTERS BECAUSE I KNEW I WOULD HAVE A ROOF OVER MY HEAD, AND MAYBE A FEELING OF SECURITY, AND IT IS ALSO A GOOD PLACE TO MEET OTHER HIKERS.

>> THE TRAIL HAS SHOWN ME THAT I AM A PERSON OF GREAT STRENGTH, OF GREAT CAPABILITY, THAT I HAVE A LOT MORE INNER STRENGTH THAN I EVER DREAMED POSSIBLE, AND I DON'T NEED OTHER THINGS AROUND ME TO FEEL GOOD.

I DON'T NEED TO HAVE A DRINK.

I DON'T NEED TO TAKE DRUGS.

I DON'T NEED ANY CRUTCHES BECAUSE ALL MY POSITIVE FEELINGS ARE COMING FROM WITHIN MYSELF.

I RELY ON MYSELF.

IT IS JUST ME.

I'M THE ONE WHO CAN MAKE THE MILES.

I'M THE ONE WHO CAN PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER.

I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT'S GOING TO GET ME TO KATAHDIN.

>> THERE'S NO WAY I CAN PUT INTO WORDS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SWEAT AND ACHE AND CLIMBING UP A MOUNTAIN, AND THEN TO REACH THE SUMMIT, TO REACH THE PEAK, AND TO HAVE A VIEW OVERLOOKING WHERE YOU'VE BEEN IN THE LAST FIVE DAYS AND WHERE YOU'RE GOING IN THE NEXT THREE DAYS, AND TO TAKE THAT ALL IN.

[RAIN FALLING] >> THE TRAIL IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE TO FIND OUT JUST WHAT THEIR LIMITATIONS ARE, HOW FAR CAN THEY WALK?

HOW MUCH WEIGHT CAN THEY CARRY?

HOW MUCH ALONENESS CAN THEY TOLERATE?

HOW CLOSE CAN THEY BE TO OTHER PEOPLE?

THERE'S SO MANY WAYS TO LOOK AT THE TRAIL.

ITS BEAUTY.

ITS REWARDS.

MAYBE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, IT CAN BE DEFINED BY THE PEOPLE YOU MEET ALONG THE WAY.

WITHOUT THEM, THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL WOULD HARDLY BE WORTH WALKING.

>> YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.

YOU GOT PEOPLE WITH A VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS FROM HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS TO Ph.D.s, AND I REALLY ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW THE VARIETY OF PERSONALITIES.

THERE'S ALWAYS A BOND AMONG A GROUP OF PEOPLE, I THINK, WHENEVER YOU SHARE A COMMON EXPERIENCE, AND WHEN YOU SHARE SOMETHING AS EXTENSIVE AS HIKING THE TRAIL WHERE YOU'RE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR UPS AND DOWNS, PITFALLS, SUCCESSES, FAILURES, EMOTIONS, IT BRINGS YOU THAT MUCH CLOSER.

I WAS JUST SO HAPPY TO HAVE A FELLOW BUDDY TO SHARE A FEW WORDS WITH, EXCHANGE MEMORIES WITH.

[WIND BLOWING] >> SINCE I WALK AT A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PACE THAN ANYBODY ELSE, I NEVER FIND MYSELF ALONE AT TIMES.

BEING ALONE TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE, I THINK.

I WAS AFRAID OF BEING BY MYSELF MORE THAN AFRAID OF PEOPLE OR ANIMALS HURTING ME.

I THINK THAT THE VALUE OF THAT SOLITUDE, THE TIME I HAD ALONG THE TRAIL CERTAINLY HELPED ME TO LOOK INWARD AND CHANGE THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT MYSELF SO I COULD ENJOY BEING BY MYSELF.

I SPENT SO MUCH TIME JUST LISTENING TO NATURE SOUNDS.

IT'S MADE ME A BETTER LISTENER.

[WOODPECKER] >> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET OUT IN THE WILDERNESS BECAUSE WE SO OFTEN TAKE OUR IDENTITIES FROM WHAT WE DO AND NOT WHO WE ARE.

WE OFTEN LOSE SIGHT OF WHO WE ARE IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY, AND YOU NEED TO REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THE STRESSES OF THE DAY, LOOK INWARD, AND REMIND YOURSELF OF WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOUR VALUES ARE, WHERE YOUR PRIORITIES LIE, AND TO BEGIN LEADING THE LIFE AGAIN BY THOSE SET OF VALUES.

AND I THINK THAT GOING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS IS ONE WAY THAT YOU CAN REFOCUS.

[FOOTSTEPS] [BIRDS CHIRPING] [NATURE SOUNDS] >> THERE WERE PERIODS WHEN THE BUGS WERE VERY, VERY BAD.

THEY GET IN YOUR EYES.

THEY BUZZ AROUND YOUR HEAD.

THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S GOING TO CURE YOU.

BUG REPELLANT DOESN'T HELP.

WIPE THEM OFF.

THROW THEM AWAY.

YOU HIT AT THEM, AND YOU JUST KEEP GOING.

I'M ALWAYS, "WHAT DID YOU EAT ON THE TRIP," AND IT'S "EVERYTHING I COULD POSSIBLY GET INTO MY MOUTH."

SO, BASICALLY, EAT ALL OF THE TIME, EVERY MINUTE OF YOUR WAKING HOURS IS SPENT THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO EAT AND HOW MUCH YOU'RE GOING TO EAT, AND YOUR BODY USES ABOUT 7,000 CALORIES A DAY, AND THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN REPLACE THAT.

JOURNAL WRITING WAS A BIG PART OF OUR TRIP, AND I TRIED TO PUT IN MY JOURNAL NOT SO MUCH WHAT I ATE, WHAT TIME I SLEPT, OR WHEN I GOT UP, BUT MORE OF WHAT I FELT EACH DAY.

IT COULD HAVE BEEN EITHER SOMETHING IN NATURE THAT STRUCK ME AS BEING BEAUTIFUL, OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING PHYSICAL.

THERE WERE CERTAIN DAYS IN MY EXPERIENCE THAT WERE HARDER THAN OTHERS.

THERE WAS NOT ONE WHAT I CALL "GIVE ME DAY" ON THE ENTIRE TRAIL.

YOU WORK FOR EVERY MILE THAT YOU PUT BEHIND YOU.

YOU WORK FOR EVERY MOUNTAIN AND EVERY DOWN AND EVERY UP THAT YOU DO.

YOU WORK FOR IT.

AND I WONDERED LOOKING AT THE SMALL ROOTS PROJECTING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROCKS, HOW MANY PEOPLE ASSISTED IN GETTING OVER THESE CERTAIN ROCKS, AND THEY SEEM TO ALWAYS BE THERE WHEN YOU NEED ONE, A HOLE, A ROCK, OR A ROOT TO GRAB ON TO TO HELP YOU TO GET TO THE TOP.

I REMEMBER GOING TO A LOT OF THE SUMMITS AND THEN NOT REALLY REALIZING ON THE CLIMB UP TO THE TOP WHAT MIGHT BE THERE FOR YOU TO VIEW.

BUT THEN WHEN YOU GOT TO THE TOPS OF EACH CLIMB AND YOU LOOKED AROUND AND REALIZED WHAT WAS BELOW YOU, IT'S REALLY BREATHTAKING.

I READ A LOT OF STORIES ABOUT THE WEATHER ON THE TRAIL.

[WIND HOWLING] I THINK WHEN YOU FEAR NOT SO MUCH FOR YOUR LIFE, BUT FOR AN ACCIDENT THAT MIGHT BE FALL YOU, YOU LEARN HOW TO ADJUST AND MAKE DO ON YOUR OWN WITHOUT THE ASSURANCE OF OTHERS AROUND AT ALL TO BE WELL.

FEAR IS NOT SOMETHING THAT REALLY YOU CARRY WITH YOU.

YOU'RE MORE CAUTIOUS THAN YOU ARE ANYTHING ELSE, AND FALLING AND HURTING YOURSELF WOULD BE UNTHINKABLE SO YOU JUST KEEP GOING.

>> I REMEMBER AS A KID WATCHING TELEVISION, OLD COWBOY SHOWS AND WONDERING WHY THESE COWBOYS MADE SUCH A BIG DEAL ABOUT GOING TO THE SALOON AND GETTING A BATH UNTIL YOU'RE SO DIRTY THAT YOU SMELL YOURSELF, JUST TAKING YOUR SHOES OFF ABOUT KNOCKS YOU ON YOUR BACK.

WHEN YOU FINALLY DO GET TO A SHOWER, YOU FIND YOURSELF INSTEAD OF THE USUAL FIVE MINUTE SHOWER, BUT YOU'RE IN THERE FOR 45 MINUTES.

THERE'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THE TRAIL JUST THE LENGTH OF IT, I GUESS, A NUMBER OF STATES THAT YOU TRAVERSE.

MAYBE IT'S THE MYSTERY ABOUT THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL.

WHAT'S BEHIND EACH BEND?

HOW DOES ONE STATE DIFFER FROM THE OTHER STATES?

YOU KNOW, EACH STATE HAS ITS SPECIAL LITTLE HIGH POINT.

WITH A LOT OF IT IS THE TRAIL ITSELF GETTING OUT THERE IN THE MOUNTAINS AWAY FROM IT ALL, AS EVERYONE SAYS.

YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL OR OUT TO IT ALL.

YOU'RE NOT RUNNING FROM SOMETHING, BUT YOU'RE GETTING OUT THERE TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING.

[WATER TRICKLING] [NATURE SOUNDS] >> WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN THE WOODS AND BEEN AWAY FOR FOUR OR FIVE DAYS, YOU REALLY FEEL A DRAW TOWARDS CIVILIZATION BECAUSE WHERE THERE'S CIVILIZATION THERE'S AN ABUNDANCE OF FOOD AND SHOWERS AND EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN MISSING.

YOU NEED A BALANCE OF EACH, I THINK, A LITTLE BIT OF CIVILIZATION AND A LITTLE BIT OF THE TRAIL.

NEITHER ONE OR THE OTHER BY ITSELF SEEMS TO DO IT.

I THINK TEN DAYS IN THE WOODS AND ONE DAY IN TOWN IS ABOUT THE BALANCE I NEED.

THERE'S SOMETHING INSIDE YOU THAT KIND OF DRAWS YOU OUT IN THE WOODS AND IN THE MOUNTAINS.

YOU REALLY FEEL YOU'RE SEEKING SOMETHING OUT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THE MOUNTAINS, THE OPEN SPACES, THE LACK OF WORK INVOLVED, THE WILDLIFE.

>> WHEN I FIRST SAW KATAHDIN, I JUST WANTED TO GET THERE.

IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH, BUT THEN AS I NEARED KATAHDIN, I WANTED EVERYTHING TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE I REALIZED 2,000 MILES WERE BEHIND ME.

I HAVE TO GO BACK HOME, GO BACK TO WORK, YOU KNOW, EIGHT HOUR DAY WITH FOUR WALLS AROUND ME, AND NO MORE BIRDS SINGING, JUST THE HUM OF MACHINERY AT WORK.

>> BEING WITH MY FRIENDS THAT HAVE COME TO MEAN SO MUCH TO ME, MAKING THAT FINAL CLIMB WAS VERY EMOTIONAL KNOWING THAT WE WOULD BE PARTING SOON, KNOWING THAT WE'D ALWAYS HAVE THIS SHARED EXPERIENCE WITH ONE ANOTHER, BUT KNOWING THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE VERY SOON THEREAFTER GOING OFF IN OUR OWN DIRECTIONS.

>> WHEN YOU'RE CLIMBING MT.

KATAHDIN AND FINISHING THE TRAIL, I DON'T THINK THE ACTUAL FINISHING THE TRAIL, YOU KNOW, REALLY HITS YOU BECAUSE THE MOUNTAIN, ITSELF, IS SO UNIQUE.

YOU HAVEN'T CLIMBED ANYTHING LIKE IT ON THE ENTIRE TRIP, AND YOU'RE JUST SO OVERWHELMED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAIN THAT IT DOESN'T DAWN ON YOU THAT THIS IS THE END.

>> I THINK THAT MY SENSE OF WHAT SUCCESS AND FAILURE IS HAS CHANGED A GREAT DEAL.

WHEN I HIKED, I WAS VERY MUCH SUMMIT ORIENTED, KATAHDIN ORIENTED.

IN HINDSIGHT, WHAT I DISCOVERED FOR MYSELF IS THAT GETTING TO THE SUMMIT NO LONGER IS AS IMPORTANT TO ME AS THE PROCESS, ITSELF.

IT REALLY WAS A PROCESS THAT HAD THE MOST MEANING IN REACHING THAT END SUMMIT.

>> WHAT I THINK THE BIGGEST CHANGE THAT CAME OVER ME WAS THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I CAN TACKLE THE JOB AND COMPLETE IT NOW.

YOU REALIZE THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF DOING ALMOST ANYTHING YOU SET OUT TO DO.

[WIND BLOWING] ♪ >>> VERMONT PITTSBURGH PARTNERING WITH LOCAL FILMMAKERS TO BRING YOU STORIES MADE HERE.

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