Tag Archives: wounded soldier

The White Mountains are widely recognized as the most challenging part of the Appalachian Trail. In the heart of the range stands Wildcat Mountain. Wildcat Mountain is one of the most well known ski resorts in New England. Its summit reaches 4,305 feet with sides consisting of ragged boulders and advanced terrain. Wounded soldier Danny Kennedy recently stood at the base of this mountain with a difficult decision to make. Should he risk severe injury by attempting to climb the mountain with only one good arm or do what most do and ride to the top on the provided gondola?

Most thru hikers opt out of the physical challenge and choose instead to ride one of the resorts gondolas to the top. They see the climb ahead and fear either injury or possible death from a slip or fall. Danny Kennedy is not your average hiker! Danny was given the choice to ride the gondola or to attempt the harrowing climb on his own. Without hesitation Danny chose to climb the mountain in spite of his debilitating injuries as a wounded veteran. We are thrilled that he not only made it to the top but that he made it look so easy.

During a critical section of the climb Danny turned on a GoPro camera. The following video gives you a first person perspective of what this experience was like for him. Hand over hand, boulder over boulder, he climbs to one of the most scenic views we've seen along the Appalachian Trail so far.

Danny Kennedy has been crossing over mountain ranges, surviving flooded trails, and persisting when others thought he would fail. He has made it out of the state of Maine and into New Hampshire. What is really remarkable is his determination to actually complete the trail the way the path was designed. While others go around the Mahoosuc Notch - Danny goes directly through it.

Coming soon is more images and footage of these incredible accomplishments of Danny doing things that others try to go around. Until then, check out this awesome time lapse footage of Bill and Danny scouting out the summit of Mt. Washington:

Danny Kennedy has been keeping up an impressively fast pace as he works his way down the Appalachian Trail. Danny passed through Andover, Maine where he hiked for ten miles. Danny is still in great spirits as he has now passed over Moody Mountain, Sawyer Notch, and Wyman Mountain.

Danny has continued another 20 miles down the trail. Facing him next is the most difficult, but reportedly most fun, part of the hike known as the Mahoosuc Notch. After he completes this rugged portion of the trail Bill will hook up with him again in Gorham, NH during a resupply stop.

Words cannot describe the amount of determination and grit being shown by wounded soldier Danny Kennedy. Last week he lost his main hiking companion Nathan Hunt to critical heat stroke. Since then Danny has persevered against all odds.

During the course of this last week, Danny has reported back to us some incredible experiences. Keep in mind that Danny is doing all this with little use of his right arm and leg and internal permanent damage to his brain - injuries suffered after being ran over by a Hummer during a training exercise in the military.

For the last week there has been a constant downpour of rain on the Appalachian Trail where Danny is. Several sections of trail that would normally be easy were flooded with mud and water half way up to his knees. He soon came to a critical river crossing at the Pleasant River, but on this occasion it wasn't pleasant at all. Luckily another group of hikers came to the river and worked as a team to get across. After setting up a safety rope, the group set out across the river when suddenly the rope snapped! Several people fell into the water, but were quickly able to link arms with the others and form a human chain to complete the crossing.

Danny's life and health are dependent upon an electronic device that he recharges on a regular basis. His plan was to keep himself charged up using a portable solar device. With the constant rain and cloud cover he has not been able to do this and is in danger if he cannot find a way to recharge soon.

Preparing for any outdoor excursion requires careful planning and equipment checks. For the average day hike it might be as simple as deciding which jacket to wear and how much water to take. But when you are prepping for the Appalachian Trail you are staring at 2,180 miles and terrain variables that would make your head spin. When you total up the elevation gains over that distance it is equal to climbing Mt. Everest 16 times! Now imagine taking on that challenge without any legs. For Nathan Hunt that is a reality!

Nathan lost both legs in 2008 when a roadside bomb tore through his vehicle during a route clearance mission. Like other honorable wounded soldiers before him, Army SGT Nathan Hunt has not let his disabilities interfere with his life. In just a few weeks Nathan and his good friend Danny Kennedy will set out to complete the entire Appalachian Trail. Nathan is taking on this challenge hand over fist in a very literal manner. He will cover each mile of difficult terrain using just his arms to propel himself.

Preparing equipment for the months long excursion has been no simple feat. Nathan has spent a lot of time adapting his gear to give him every advantage possible. He will have to protect his hands and arms just like another hiker would with their feet and ankles. Just to take care of his hands he uses knuckle reinforced combat gloves, neoprene wrist braces, and a set of hand sanding tools which will act like the rubber soles on a pair of boots.

But the innovation doesn't stop there. Using rope and a modified off road skate board Nate will help his hiking partner Danny literally pull a pack of gear across sections of the trail when possible. All of Nate's pants and thermals are modified to eliminate drag and to fit properly. None of these modifications slow down or inhibit his ability to cover ground and survive in the wild. Nate is capable of setting up and climbing into his hammock in less than two minutes!

With way points designated on average every five days, the two man team will cover between 40-60 miles between each resupply spot. Waiting for them at these way points will be food, batteries, water and other essentials to keep them going. Several sponsors have stepped forward to donate critical supplies. Outersports has contributed a solar charger, rope, carabiners, 2 body harnesses, clothing, Merino Wool thermal underwear as well as cameras and important camera equipment to record their journey.

Throughout their travels we hope to bring you regular updates regarding their progress as they set out on the Appalachian Trail. To show your support, Nate & Danny would like all contributions to benefit other wounded soldiers through Ride 2 Recovery.