Maine Memory Network

Contributed by Maine Historical Society

Description

John Brinda, the first person to thru-hike the International Appalachian Trail (IAT), was met at the trail's end by members of the IAT to celebrate the achievement. Brinda had walked the entire Eastern Continental Trail from Key West, Florida, to Cap Gaspé, Québec, Canada.

Richard Anderson, pictured here second from right, originally conceived of the IAT in 1993 as an extension of the Appalachian Trail north through Maine and Canada to the continental terminus of the mountain range in Québec. In the decades since, the trail has grown to include sections in over a dozen countries, routed along the geological remnants of the Central Pangean Mountains, including the Appalachians in North America, Europe’s Caledonian Mountains, and the Atlas Mountains in Africa. As of 2023, the IAT links 6,000 miles of trail ringing the Atlantic Ocean.

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About This Item

• Title: John Brinda and IAT members, Cap Gaspé, Québec, Canada, 1997
• Creation Date: 1997
• Subject Date: 1997
• Location: Cap Gaspé, QC, Canada
• Media: Digital image
• Local Code: Coll. 4213, Box 26, Folder 3
• Collection: International Appalachian Trail Records
• Object Type: Image

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Cross Reference Searches

Standardized Subject Headings

• Forillon National Park (Québec)
• Hikers
• Hiking--Appalachian Mountains
• Hiking--Appalachian Trail
• Hiking--Canada--Québec
• Hiking--Eastern Continental Trail
• Hiking--Maine
• Portraits, Group
• Trails--Canada
• Trails--United States

People

• Anderson, Richard
• Brinda, John

Other Keywords

• Appalachian Mountains
• hiking
• International Appalachian Trail
• thru-hikers

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For more information about this item, contact:

Maine Historical Society
485 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
Website

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