Palatine man hikes Appalachian Trail
A Palatine man will soon share the story of his greatest accomplishment.
In 2006, David Burke fulfilled his life-long dream: hiking the entire 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail.
Before starting on this challenging hike, he'd been working for several years at a financial firm. When he turned 30, Burke started thinking about other things in life he wanted to accomplish.
"All of us have dreams and goals, but sometimes we just don't stop and think about them," he said.
After this realization, Burke quit his job and started planning for the hike. He will give a presentation to tell the story of his hike at the newly opened Recreational Equipment Inc., better known as REI, in Schaumburg on Thursday.
The Appalachian Trail is a mountain footpath covering more that 2,000 miles in 14 states from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine.
An estimated 1 million people walk small sections of the trail every year, but there are only about 300 who complete a "through hike," like Burke did, by walking the entire distance in one hiking season.
He started in March of 2006 and ended that September. Along the hike, there were ups and downs, as one would expect. Burke went through cold and hot weather, saw seasons change and even contracted lyme disease.
But in the end, it was worth it, he says.
"The best thing is the accomplishment of knowing that I can do anything in life that I set my mind to," he said. "There is a lot of self-gratification you get out of doing that."
Besides the emotional benefits, Burke also saw amazing scenery on the hike that most people will never see. He also met friends for life.
"Socioeconomic standards don't mean anything out there," he said. "I hiked with doctors and with tow-truck drivers who were both burned out."
After finishing the hike, Burke went back to his former career and now works in Schaumburg.
His talk at REI will focus on his story, along with insider information about what to expect on the famous trail.
"I want people to be inspired," he said. "I gave up nine months of compensation, but for me it was accomplishing a lifelong dream."
If you go
What: David Burke's presentation on his hike of the Appalachian Trail.
Where: REI in Schaumburg, 1209 E. Golf Road. When: 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6
Call: REI at (847) 619-6729 or e-mail David Burke at david.j.burke@att.net