Setting a goal and the mindset to reach it
Jacob Deeter has always been active. He was involved in sports during high school and enjoys being outdoors. In the past few years, as he finished up his schooling to become a physical therapist, he started hiking and backpacking.
During the winter break of 2020, just before Christmas, he and his fiance set out on a 6-day backpacking trip in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They ended up hiking 104 miles. They had to deal with freezing temperatures, 48 creek crossings, surviving with wet clothes and gear after falling in the creek, and hiking in frozen shoes for the remainder of the trip.
At the start of 2021, Jacob set a goal to hike and backpack 500 miles over the course of the year. His clinical rotation would take him to several cities across the country. He was able to hike and backpack in Redwood National Park, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, California, Georgia, and Colorado.
During his time in Atlanta, he decided to hike the part of the Appalachian Trail that was in the state of Georgia. He planned his weekends to drive to the trail and hike out and back. He discovered there are private shuttle services available that will drop you off at one end of the trail and pick you up at the other. It’s like Uber or Lyft, but for hikers and backpackers. Jacob took advantage of a shuttle service for his last hike on his last section to finish his goal.
One of the differences between the trails in the Eastern Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains is that there are no switchbacks. The Appalachian Trail goes straight up the hills and then straight back down. The trail is at a lower elevation, but the effort is harder because the climb is steeper.
Jacon says he probably carries 25 to 30 pounds in his backpack if he goes for a full week. He carries a hammock if backpacking alone. But he takes a tent when he and Andrea go together because they can split the weight between the two backpacks.
The hike that took him over his 500 mile goal was his rim to rim hike of the Grand Canyon with Andrea. They went in December, so the weather was perfect. Jacob didn’t think the route was as hard as some of the other places he backpacked during the year. On the drive out they also stopped and hiked at Arches National Park in Utah.
Jacob carries in his backpack an inflatable air mattress, an insulated bag of pillows, a cooking system with a stove and a pot and fuel, and a drip for filtered coffee, he always carries with him a water filter and after that the essentials. If it’s icy and snowy, he carries micro-tips or snowshoes. If it’s a longer trip, he can carry trekking poles. As he likes to take pictures he always carries his cell phone and always carries a battery pack with his phone that also helps with navigation and other things, but he also has a small mini tripod that he carries with him so he can set it up or take pictures at night. The food they eat is mostly things like freeze-dried food, tuna packets and things that can be put in a tortilla. They usually consume 3500 calories.
Looking for new ways to stay in shape and find challenges, Jacob decided to practice climbing. He found a climbing gym and would go work out there for two or three hours after his shift at the clinic. So far his climbing has been mostly on inside walls, but he would like to do more outdoor climbing in the future.
This year he is hiking less since he is now working as a PT in one location. But he and Andrea have plans to take some weekends to find adventure out on the trails. He has a goal for both of them to hike the John Muir Trail sometime in the next three or four years.
The strangest thing he ever saw out on the trail was finding the wreckage of a plane on the side of a mountain when he was in Georgia.
The phrase that defines his philosophy of life is ”it doesn’t matter how hard it is to take a step, because after you take it, it’s already behind you”.
Connect with Jacob:
Instagram: @jacob.deeter
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