Roanoke Couple + Baby Embark on Historic A.T. Hike

Derrick, Bekah, and Ellie Quirin stepped onto the Appalachian Trail for the adventure of a lifetime this week. From the mountains of the Roanoke Region, the family began a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, and Ellie will be the first baby to go along for the full 2,185 miles.

In fact, Ellie will make history as the youngest person travel the distance of the A.T. with her parents.

It’s one of many firsts that will happen for Ellie and the Quirins in coming months.

“She’ll start walking on the trail, and we’ll both be there,” Bekah Quirin said. “This will make time slow down a lot so we can be with her.”

“It’s the little daily things you miss out on while working,” said Derrick Quirin, who has experience working as an outdoor guide. “I look forward to being a part of it.”

And while a months-long hike with an infant might seem a little crazy at first, it makes sense for this outdoors-loving family. They recently left South Carolina to move back home to Roanoke, making the timing perfect for a hike break.

Ellie is young enough to help them pack light. Bekah Quirin will carry her along the way and Derrick will carry all the other supplies, noting that hiking for two doesn’t add much more bulk than hiking alone.

“We are making this a standard of normality for her,” Derrick Quirin said. “We hope it continues and is easy for her and a part of a life outside.”

Some of the bigger challenges in hiking with an infant include dealing with diapers and finding places to camp at night that won’t cause too much impact on other hikers. The Quirins are using gDiapers that they will carry and dispose of when they pass towns or trailheads. And they plan to camp further away from other hikers at night if Ellie is fussy.

The hike, spanning from Georgia to Maine, will follow a flip-flop route. The Quirins started just minutes from home near the McAfee Knob trailhead and will head south first. Then they will travel to Maine and hike south again so they can finish the journey back at home. The trek is expected to take 6 to 8 months and is somewhat dependent on weather along the northern parts of the trail.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy tracks reported hikes and the most famous example of another child on the trail is Buddy Backpacker, who hiked the A.T. with his family at age 5.

The Quirins realized Ellie would be the first baby to cover the span of the A.T. when they started looking for resources. There just weren’t a lot of them available.

Creating a hiking guidebook for families is part of the journey for Bekah Quirin as well. She’s documenting everything along the way. (You can follow the hike on Instagram and see some the gear they are carrying.)

Roanoke Outside is planning to check in with the Quirins along the way and continue to share their adventures.