Appalachian Trail hiker's online journal entries, e-mails draw following By Shandra Martinez - The Grand Rapids Press (April 12, 2004)
HOLLAND -- Even as he spends his days in solitude, trekking through the remote wilderness of the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail, Ben Reuschel is not really alone.
Hundreds of people are taking the adventure with him.
They eagerly log onto their computers to read the entries he posts on the trailjournals.com Web site under Officer Taco -- a moniker bestowed on him by newlyweds who watched the future police officer munch a taco their first evening on the trail together.
The 21-year-old is not sure why his fairly uneventful journey is attracting a following.
"I just call them as I see them," the Hamilton resident said. "I don't sensationalize anything."
Maybe it's the drama and excitement Mother Nature creates daily for the backpacker, from the clash of the orange sunsets and blue mountaintops to bright stars piercing the midnight black sky to the howling contests that crackle the chilly night air.
Some of those following his adventures tell him his entries have been so fascinating, they have reread them several times.
Reuschel began his journey Feb. 1 on Springer Mountain in northern Georgia. He hopes to end at the summit of Mount Katahdin, Maine, the week of June 22.
In between, he will travel through some of the most pristine quarters of 14 states, including North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Each day, he walks between 16 and 42 miles. Every evening, he settles down by his small camp stove and his fingers click away on his $100 pocket journal.
For 90 minutes, he logs his experiences for the day, along with the thoughts that filled his head. He spends as much time exploring his interior landscape as he does the breathtaking scenery around him.
"You have so many thoughts that pour through your head all day as you walk. When I journal, I try to pick out what was in my head for most of the day," Reuschel said.
His entries include weather conditions, the temperature, what he eats, trail description, hikers he meets on the trail, the wildlife and how many miles he walks in a day.
He credits his dad, Mark, for turning his e-mails into cohesive journal entries, often accompanied by digital photos Reuschel sends him.
Reuschel receives 30 to 40 Hotmail messages a week and 15 to 20 e-mails on his pocketmail journal. He can read his Hotmail e-mails when he can connect to the Internet, which usually happens when he stops in a town to pick up supplies. His pocketmail messages are a little easier to access. He just has to find a pay phone.
Mark Reuschel said he communicates more with his son, now that they are constantly e-mailing each other. It's a great alternative for those like himself who can't work up the motivation to write letters.
"What e-mail has done is bring me closer to my children. You can tell (them) your feelings," said Reuschel, who admits he gets worried if he does not hear from his son for several days. He said following his son's experience has been exciting for him since he never has spent more than three days in the wilderness.
Ben Reuschel's mother, Pat, said she is surprised by what a community experience her son is having. She expected only family and close friends would be interested his backpacking experience.
"I'm surprised by the attention his trip is gathering and the number of people who say (to Ben), 'You are living my dream,' " she said.
His parents say they spend a little time worrying about their son every day. Their salve is prayer and Scripture reading, especially Psalm 91: 13-14, which offers a prayer for protection and safety. A lot of people are including him in their prayers, Pat Reuschel said.
"He gets bathed in prayer in every day," she said.
Each day, Ben Reuschel says, he tries to focus on one of his weaknesses and think of ways to improve himself. He is doing his annual reading through the Bible and devouring the occasional novel he finds left behind by other hikers on the trail.
Reuschel surprised his family over the weekend by coming home for a few days. It gave them time to spend Easter together and for Reuschel to pick up a new pair of hiking boots and walking poles.
His two sisters, Gina Schrotenboer and Bess Reuschel, hope to join him during the last week of his trip. His uncle, Ted Reuschel, and brother-in-law, Mike Schrotenboer, have hiked parts of the trail with him at separate times.
Ben Reuschel said he is different from many of the hikers who come on the trail, eager to take a break from the grind of work or college.
He could not imagine a better life than the one he has. He lives with his parents and attends church with them when he is not working.
A junior at Grand Valley State University, Reuschel enjoys his criminal justice course work. Being a cadet at the Holland Police Department is one of the best jobs around, next to being an officer, he said.
He had to quit his cadet position to take this trip of a lifetime, but he hopes to be rehired by the department and one day retire from there.
Meanwhile, his colleagues at the Holland Police Department have not forgotten him.
A map hangs in the break room at the department, showing his progress. It is kept updated by Andy Brown, a police cadet. Brown and Reuschel had planned to hike the trail together until Brown injured his ankle and had to delay his start date by five months. That was not possible for Reuschel.
Both admit the turn of events was a big disappointment after they spent a year planning and dreaming about their hiking trip.
"It was going to be Ben and Andy's excellent adventure," Reuschel said.
But now, the two say they are just as excited about doing their hikes solo.
"God has a way of working it out," Brown said.
Their experiences will be different. Reuschel has spent much of his time in the cold, while Brown will experience the Appalachian Trail at its warmest -- and the bugs at their most active.
Reuschel said he is looking forward to the day the two can swap trail stories.
"There will be many, many hours spent on the couch, chilling and talking," Reuschel said.
Brown will begin his hike in two weeks. He already has set up his electronic journal and has made entries describing his preparation.
The free Web site -- trailjournals.com -- was created five years ago by former hikers, Brown said.
Reuschel said he might have more journal readers because he is one of the first out on the trail this year. Traditionally, most hikers begin their trips in April or May.
One couple that had read the journal entries felt such a bond with him, Reuschel said, they drove 45 minutes to see him and spent another 30 minutes driving around Parisburg, Va., looking for him because they knew he had stopped there to pick up supplies and do laundry. By the time they caught up with him, they had only five minutes to chat before they had to head back home, he said.
"It's been amazing the people that I have met along the way. People have offered to let me stay at their homes."
Reuschel has heard from teachers who say their classes are following his pilgrimage. One is the Christian Day School at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Dorr. He also has heard from teachers at Hamilton High School and his professors at Grand Valley State University.
"It's always good because you look up to those people. It blows your mind when they say you have an impact on them," Reuschel said.
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