AT Trail Wedding

I've spoken in the past about how I joined a group of intrepid hikers who were planning to thru hike the AT in 2008. As a refresher, Wendy Pacek organized our little group by placing an ad in the ATC magazine.

Her first respondent, Denny Libby, actually lived near her. They were able to do many training hikes together. By the time April 2008 rolled around, Denny had already proposed. They delayed the wedding till after they finished the trail. Unfortunately, physical injuries caused them to leave the trail.

The new plan, get married before hitting the trail in 2009 to finish the AT and start their new life as a couple. The wedding was Saturday, April 4th at the Quarry Gap shelter.

Stormy and positively miserable on April 3rd, by noon of the 4th, the sky was a clear blue and sunshine rained down on the festivities. Randy and I arrived at the trail head with no trouble after leaving home at 5am that morning. Friends were finishing up decorating the trail and the shelter.

Friends helping with the parking told us to turn right at the AT and follow the trail north to the shelter. The trail started up a small slope from the parking area and in about 200 feet or so, met the AT. The friends had decorated a small bush with plastic Easter eggs and a sign to keep going. Randy and I hike up the trail in very little time and found another of our little group, Grasshopper and his son Pup, already at the shelter. We chatted and relaxed while waiting for the rest of the wedding party.

Soon, everyone had arrived and the nice day and happy occasion, as well as the family reunion had everyone chatting easily. The funny story for this event was that by 1:55pm, we still didn't have the minister and maid of honor!
Wendy's brother-in-law and her sister were missing. Good thing there was cell phone service. Wendy's sister called and said, she didn't know where they were. To make a long story shorter, they had missed the Easter Egg bush and had continued straight onto the AT headed south. Eventually we were all reunited at the shelter and could begin the ceremony.


It was lovely with simple, quiet guitar music, readings on marriage from the bible by friends and the pastor and beautiful vows from the happy couple. As background, the wind sighing thru the trees and the small brook, which runs in front of the shelter, chuckling softly.


After the ceremony and congratulations passed all around, we all trekked back down the trail and headed to Shephardstown to the rennovated train station for the reception. The caterer did a great job as did the band, Don Oehser. It was a beautiful day and I'm so happy for Wendy (Tiger Bomb) and Denny (Katahdin Kid). May their trail be smooth and their water clean and still.