Wexford man finishes Appalachian Trail hike in 7 months

A Wexford man just finished walking 2,200 miles along the Appalachian Trail — and he’s not finished.

Patrick Deivernois, 23, started the trek from Maine to Georgia in July. He finished it Feb. 13. But he’s set his sights on the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,600-mile journey from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington.

That hike starts in April for Deivernois.

After graduating from Pine Richland High School, Deivernois attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania, leaving in June 2020 with a degree in safety, health and environmental applied sciences. Although college graduates everywhere faced challenges in finding work and jobs because of the pandemic, Deivernois had already made up his mind to hike the trail by the time he received his degree.

Early in Deivernois’ senior year, one of his friends talked about her brother’s adventures hiking the AT. Intrigued, Deivernois did some research to learn about doing his own trip.

“I liked what I saw,” he said. By December 2019, he had determined to complete the AT.

His dad, Pete Deivernois, said his son’s willpower and determination is exceptional.

“I did about 10 miles in and 10 miles out and I was ready to die,” he said. “I don’t know how you do it … and he was flying solo. He started with 10 others, but they were all gone within the first week.”

The 23-year-old said he took a journal with him to track his progress and record his thoughts along the way. But he said it became too tedious, so he stopped to take it all in.

“It became too much. I was too hung up on catching too much detail — I mean, I was writing like 10 to 15 pages in a day,” he said.

And for entertainment, he brought along Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations.”

“I didn’t touch it,” he said.

Instead, he connected with people along the trail. He wasn’t alone the entire length of the trip. He met up with other couples and people along the way and between sections throughout. He said those people will remain his friends for life.

“Doing something like this with others, it really strengthens bonds. It’s an unforgettable journey,” Deivernois said.

He also made sure to capture the journey through photos on his Instagram account.

Though he didn’t read the Medieval Greek book on Stoic philosophy, he does plan to write his own book about his journeys. He said completing the AT has tapped into a confidence in himself that he didn’t know was there.

“I realized that if I can do the Appalachian Trail, I can do all these other life objectives,” he said. He doesn’t have a specific plan just yet, but he hopes to start his own business someday — hopefully in an industry that involves his love of hiking and health and wellness.

For now, his task is completing the Pacific Crest Trail. And after that, he wants to conquer the Continental Divide Trail, a behemoth of a trail that begins from Mexico and ends in Alberta, Canada, after anywhere from 2,700 to 3,150 miles of mountainous terrain.

He knows he can do it.

In one particularly tough Appalachian Trail section in Maine, Deivernois said he had some second thoughts. He wondered why he had chosen to put himself through the months-long pain. In that moment, he remembers giving himself a “mental slap in the face.”

“And I realized I’d just be sitting at home,” he said. “So hiking a trail is the best alternative.”