Former Ozark Countian Dylan Funk is currently hiking the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail

Those who know former Ozark Countian Dylan Funk likely won’t be surprised to learn that he’s currently on a grand adventure, spending five months this summer hiking from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail. 

Funk, known for his wide smile, distinctive hair and easy-going personality, grew up in Thornfield and graduated from Gainesville High School in 2014. 

For the last two years he and fiancé Alicia Wright have been living in an RV, traveling the country doing seasonal work at various campgrounds along the way.

 

Finding a love for the backcountry - and an interest in the AT

While working and living in Jackson, Wyoming last summer, Funk found a new love for hiking the backcountry of Grand Teton National Park, located near where he and Alicia were staying. 

“I did some day-hikes and wanted to be out there for days. Thus my love of backpacking began,” Funk said, explaining that backpacking refers to a type of trail hiking in which a hiker carries everything in a pack to camp, eat and survive along the trail for multiple days. 

“My coworker Mike was very into the Appalachian Trail and told me all about it,” Funk said. “I began doing research on the trail in my free time and was hooked. I had been in the west for almost a year and had never been on the east side of the country except for a three-day trip to New York City.”

Funk said he figured the best way to visit the eastern United States would be to hike Appalachian Trail through the 14 states that makes up the trail. 

“…all 2,200 miles of it,” he said. 

 

Beginning the trail

Because his work was seasonal, Funk said the logistics of being gone from a job and other life commitments wasn’t as difficult for him as it is for others who take on the trail. The biggest challenge was saving up enough money for food, lodging, gear and other needed items during the five months he’d be hiking. 

He moved back to Ozark County last winter and worked for his dad Shane Funk at his construction company through early spring in preparation for the trip. 

“He’s been a huge supporter of me out here,” Funk said. 

With enough funds and all the plans made, Funk traveled to Georgia ready to take on the challenge in April. 

“I began my hike on the approach trail at Amicalola Falls State Park [in Georgia] on April 5, about eight miles from the trail beginning at Springer Mountain in Georgia,” he explained. 

He’s currently in New Jersey, past the 1,300-mile mark. 

He will hike the entire 2,200 miles, concluding at the northern terminus at Mount Katahdin in Maine likely sometime in mid- to late-September. 

“At first, the hike felt the same as starting a new school. Everyone has new shoes and new backpacks. Some folks seem to know how everything should work, and others definitely had no idea what they were doing,” he said. “I was in the newbie category, but I spent a lot of time preparing and using my gear before starting the trail. Now that we've been out here for months, we're all more seasoned. The things that were new in the beginning are now our everyday lives.”

Those hiking the Appalachian Trail and other long-distance thru hikes often have a trail name bestowed on them by another hiker, which serves as a sort of nickname. Many hikers use their trail name for the entirety of the hike, losing their real name during that time. 

It wasn’t long after Funk began the tail that he was given his trail name. 

Tarzan. 

“I have a habit of walking around barefoot and climbing trees and shelters. So when someone suggested Tarzan, I gladly accepted,” he said. 

 

Challenges and rewards

Funk says he’s endured just about any weather a person could imagine while hiking the trail. “Intense cold, snow, driving rain, intense heat, bugs, crazy humidity, trees around the trail breaking from wind, lighting striking all around me - and some nice weather too.” 

He says he’s learned just to stay open minded to nature and adapt to whatever conditions present themselves at the time. 

“Luckily I was prepared for any cold weather events early on and haven't dealt with heat exhaustion. So, I've been pretty good…as far as not dying from hypothermia or dehydration,” he said, laughing.

Some physical challenges have pushed Funk out of his comfort zone, including a bad bout with tendonitis that lasted more than a week, an Achilles tendon injury that cost him three days of recovery time and an infected toe that left him  off-trail for five days when he was hiking near Fontana Dam in North Carolina.

“My whole foot swelled, and I could barely walk,” he said. 

Overall Funk says he’s been surprised by just how rugged the trail has been. 

“It's rare to get a flat section. It's mostly been up and down, lots of rocks and roots. You have to be aware at all times that one bad fall, especially on something super steep, can end your whole thru hike,” he said.

While those conditions have pushed him physically, he says he’s also felt a mental strain at times. 

“I've had bouts with loneliness on the journey. I deal with anxiety and depression a lot in my life, and it's been no different on trail. But being out there has taught me just how strong and resilient I can actually be. I've found new levels of strength in me that I didn't know I had,” he said. 

He’s also found the support of other hikers who are also completing the Appalachian Trail this summer. 

“I started the trail alone, but I’ve found a whole community out here.”

 

Encourages others to take the leap

The experience has really given Funk a perspective about modern society and the comforts that come along with it. 

“We have so many luxuries in our daily lives: running water, indoor plumbing, access to all types of food and cars… I'll never look at those things the same again. I think everyone should do two to three weeks of backpacking in their life, just so they see what we really have.”

While Funk admits that this experience is life-changing, he says he wants people to know that he’s not unique. He encourages anyone who dreams of completing a similar trip to take the leap. 

“…I’m not achieving my dream because I have anything extra going for me. I’m not special. I'm just a guy that bought an expensive backpack.”

Ozark County Times

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