BACKPACKING

Juan first started hiking as a young boy in Maine. He and his family did alot of day hikes along the Maine coast. While in high school, he completed his first official multi-day backpacking trip. Over 10 grueling days, Juan, Eric, and his outdoor outing club leader hiked 120 miles through the rugged mountains of Maine; they completed the last section of the Appalachian Trail, which many hikers believe is the hardest section of the AT. Juan remembers hiking 21 miles in one day, which is still the most he has ever hiked in one day. Today, Juan continues to backpack as much as possible. Because he travels significantly for his job, Juan gets to explore many region of  the U.S. As such, he usually brings two suit cases with him during his travels; one suit case has his work stuff, while the second suitcase is filled with his backpacking gear. Most of the time, Juan hikes solo. He enjoys pushing himself by going into the wilderness alone, which requires extra preparation like carrying extra gear. He has backpacked in Maine, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Colorado. Each place is special to him for different reasons, but he always gravitates toward the Rocky Mountains. He and his sister, Martha, plan to backpack in California next year. They are going out west to spread their Father's ashes to fulfill his wishes.