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Appalachian Trail Hikers | Featured Photographer Chris Bennett

A collection of portraits from photographer Chris Bennett featuring Appalachian Trail hikers in their element.

By Heather Marcus|Aug 21 2022| Print icon

“Warren Doyle” I just completed my eighteenth traverse of the Appalachian Trail. It was a section hike. I’ve thru-hiked nine times and section hiked nine times spanning forty five years. That will be my last traverse. I will not traverse the entire Appalachian Trail again. I’m an educator and all of my educational beliefs and values and ideals come from the trail rather than the classroom. Eight of my nine thru-hikes I organized groups of people and we hiked the trail together as a group to help facilitate people’s dreams. I strongly believe that a country’s strength is not in it’s military might but the amount of people in that country’s society that have fulfilled their dreams. Helping these people along the trail is my way of serving my country. The trail is apolitical, its non-discriminatory. It’s one way for a person to be free in an unfree society.” Photographer’s note: Warren has the most traverses of the AT of any person.

Credit: Chris Bennett
Describing himself as “a country boy at heart,” Chris Bennett has a deep-seated love of the outdoors. He grew up in the Maine woods, worked for a time on the Appalachian Trail, and even lived in a tent for six months as a backcountry ranger. Today he is a busy freelance photographer based in Portland, Maine, but he still answers the call of the wild, as shown by these portraits he made of AT hikers in their element. For our Q&A with Chris Bennett, read on.

Jeff “Atlas” Ferguson Atlas didn’t even know about the Appalachian Trail until a month before he started hiking it. A buddy of his wanted to do it and Atlas agreed to tag along. The two of them started the last day of April in the pouring rain. Jeff’s hiking companion bailed after one night. “This isn’t for me” he said to Jeff. Atlas continued on, even with his 110lbs pack which led to his trail name, a reference to the character in Greek mythology. Atlas said he didn’t mind the weight. He is an ex-Marine and is used to carrying a pack. It’s worth noting that his pack weight is now down to 60lbs, still twice what most thru-hikers carry. “Appalachian Trail hikers are the tightest community I’ve come across since leaving the Marines” Atlas says. “You can leave your wallet out and no one will touch them. Everyone has your back.”

Credit: Chris Bennett
“Atlas” (Jeff Ferguson): Atlas didn’t even know about the Appalachian Trail until a month before he started hiking it at the urging of a buddy. That same friend ended up bowing out after the first night, but Atlas continued on with his 110-pound pack – which led to his trail name, a reference to the character in Greek mythology. It’s worth noting that his pack weight is now down to 60 pounds, which is still twice what most thru-hikers carry. “Appalachian Trail hikers are the tightest community I’ve come across since leaving the Marines,” Atlas says. “You can leave your wallet out, and no one will touch it. Everyone has your back.”
Credit: Chris Bennett

What’s your connection to New England?

Chris Bennett: I was born and raised in central Maine and would always take trips to the mountains to hike and ski with my parents. I took my first solo backpacking trip when I was 14, a two-night trip on the Appalachian Trail near Moxie Pond. From then on I couldn’t get enough. College in upstate New York was rough, because I was hours away from big mountains and high places. Now that I’ve settled back in Maine, you can find me in the mountains almost every week. 

What’s your background in photography?

CB: I majored in photographic imaging arts and sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology, where I received training in everything from the history of the photographic process to the physics of light to traditional darkroom techniques and the ethics of photography. Most important, I was able to meet and speak to some of the established photographers who were always passing through Rochester to give presentations or to stop at the George Eastman House. I was able to talk to greats like Arno Rafael Minkkinen, David Burnett, and James Nachtwey. 

What inspires you?

CB: My greatest inspiration is the outdoors, but I’ve also been interested in humans and our interactions and impacts on mother nature. The reason why people decide to hike 2,200 miles through the woods and over mountains fascinates me. Each person is different. My inspiration is always changing, but the writings of Wallace Stegner and Edward Abbey are currently influencing much of my work. I always find myself browsing books by the portrait master Richard Avedon, particularly his series “In the American West.” To see more of Chris Bennett’s work, go to cbennettphoto.com or follow him on Instagram at @chrisbennettphoto.

Appalachian Trail Hikers

Appalachian Trail thru-hiker “Paddington.” “I’ve lived in monastaries a good bit of my life. When I was 19 I went into a Cistercian Abbey for the first time. That was the first time I really got the noise of life out of my head, it was a real powerful experience. I did it again for an extended period when I turned 30. Then I was diagnosed with cancer in 2009. It really upended my priorities. At the time I was working 60-80 hours a week, really putting it to the grind. I was making a lot of money and doing really well for myself, I had a great career track. But I knew something was wrong. Maybe I worked myself sick? I don’t know, I was probably going to get cancer anyway… but ever since then I’ve tried to structure my life in a way that I won’t have any regrets. If there is something that I want to try or do then I’m going to go out there and do it. I first heard about the trail in high school, and after I had cancer I decided I wanted to do it. I have no kids, no wife, no girlfriend. The trail just kind of creeped in. Its one of those ideas that just seeps in and takes hold. I started researching last fall and on March 6 found myself walking the trail in Georgia.

Credit: Chris Bennett
“Paddington”: “I was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, and that really upended my priorities…. Ever since then, I’ve tried to structure my life in a way that I won’t have any regrets. If there is something that I want to try or do, I’m going to go out there and do it. I first heard about the Appalachian Trail in high school, and after I had cancer I decided I wanted to do it. I have no kids, no wife, no girlfriend. The trail is one of those ideas that just seeps in and takes hold. I started researching last fall, and on March 6 I found myself walking the trail in Georgia.”
Credit: Chris Bennett

Appalachian Trail thru-hiker “Hummingbird” “I work as a nurse back home. People are sick, its easy to find a job. So I quit every once in a while to hike. I love the simplicity of it. Hike. Work. Save. Hike. I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016. The Continental Divide Trail seemed too intimidating and I’d never really been to the East Coast, so I decided to come out here are explore the East. I could do without the southern states but I love New England.”

Credit: Chris Bennett
“Hummingbird”: “I work as a nurse, which means it’s easy to find a job. So I quit every once in a while to hike. I love the simplicity of it: Hike. Work. Save. Hike. I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016. The Continental Divide Trail seemed too intimidating, so I decided to come out here and explore the East Coast. I could do without the southern states, but I love New England.”
Credit: Chris Bennett

“Warren Doyle” I just completed my eighteenth traverse of the Appalachian Trail. It was a section hike. I’ve thru-hiked nine times and section hiked nine times spanning forty five years. That will be my last traverse. I will not traverse the entire Appalachian Trail again. I’m an educator and all of my educational beliefs and values and ideals come from the trail rather than the classroom. Eight of my nine thru-hikes I organized groups of people and we hiked the trail together as a group to help facilitate people’s dreams. I strongly believe that a country’s strength is not in it’s military might but the amount of people in that country’s society that have fulfilled their dreams. Helping these people along the trail is my way of serving my country. The trail is apolitical, its non-discriminatory. It’s one way for a person to be free in an unfree society.” Photographer’s note: Warren has the most traverses of the AT of any person.

Credit: Chris Bennett
Warren Doyle: “I just completed my 18th traverse of the Appalachian Trail. I’ve thru-hiked nine times and section-hiked nine times over forty-five years; this time is my last traverse. I’m an educator, and all of my educational beliefs and values and ideals come from the trail rather than the classroom. On eight of my thru-hikes I organized groups of people, and we hiked the trail together to help facilitate everyone’s dreams. I strongly believe that a country’s strength is not in its military might but in the number of people in its society that have fulfilled their dreams. Helping these people along the trail is my way of serving my country.”
Credit: Chris Bennett

Appalachian Trail thru-hikers Pacecar (right) and Pacman. “We met seven years ago” says Pacman. “We were married last October and this is kind of our honeymoon. Instead of a regular wedding registry we had an REI registry… so we didn’t have to pay for any gear! We had set some money aside and we quit our jobs, we got a sublet for our apartment in New York, so we actually couldn’t go back if we didn’t like the trail.” Pacecar continues, “Yep, there was no way out, so here we are 4 and a half months later. It was definitely a journey of good and bad and hard and easy and rain and pain. But we definitely feel stronger now together and I’m glad we did the journey. I think there may be more hikes in our future!”

Credit: Chris Bennett
“Pacman” (left) and “Pacecar”: “We were married last October, and this is kind of our honeymoon,” says Pacman. “Instead of a regular wedding registry, we had an REI registry… so we didn’t have to pay for any gear! We had set some money aside, and we quit our jobs and got a sublet for our apartment in New York, so we actually couldn’t go back if we didn’t like the trail.” Pacecar adds, “It was  a journey of good and bad and hard and easy and rain and pain. But we definitely feel stronger now together, and I’m glad we did the journey.”
Credit: Chris Bennett

Jessica “Summit” Barber “I wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail to see what I’m made of. I saw seven thru-hikers finish on top of katahdin in 2015. They were of all different ages and athletic ability. I always thought thru-hikers would be young athletic men, but when I saw that it could be anyone I thought to myself that maybe I could do it.”

Credit: Chris Bennett
“Summit” (Jessica Barber): “I wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail to see what I’m made of. I saw seven thru-hikers finish on top of Katahdin in 2015. They were of all different ages and athletic ability. I always thought thru-hikers would be young, athletic men, but when I saw that it could be anyone, I thought to myself that maybe I could do it.”
Credit: Chris Bennett

Garret “Scrapbook” Hernandez “I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016 and the Continental Divide Trail in 2017 and I’m about to complete the Appalachian Trail in 2018. I love hiking and I love walking… as my hat says I’m born to hike. I new I was going to hike the PCT after I graduated high school, I needed something to do before entering the real world. I did that and somehow ended up in the desert of New Mexico the next summer at the start of the CDT. After I finished that I thought to myself, well, I’m two in, I should probably finish the Appalachian Trail.” I asked Scrapbook how he finances hikes. “I just work in the winter” he replied. “Then blow all of my money the next summer! The bond between hikers is what I love. There is no other place where you can meet someone in the morning to sharing a hotel room with them in the afternoon to licking their spoon clean in the evening. The bond is unreal.” Photographers note – Hiking the triple crown, all three US long trails, involves 8,000ft of hiking and climbing 1,000,000 vertical feet.

Credit: Chris Bennett
“Scrapbook” (Garret Hernandez): “I knew I was going to hike the Pacific Crest Trail after I graduated high school – I needed something to do before entering the real world. I did that, and somehow ended up in the desert of New Mexico the next summer at the start of the Continental Divide Trail. After I finished that, I thought to myself, well, I’m two in, I should probably finish the Appalachian Trail.” Hernandez says the bond between hikers on the trail is what he loves best. “There is no other place where you can meet someone in the morning, share a hotel room with them in the afternoon, and lick their spoon clean in the evening.”
Credit: Chris Bennett

Brad “Little Blue” Duffan “I figured that it was getting too late in my life and I needed to hike the trail now. I’m 36, and I’ve been planning to do the trail for a few years, but every time I wanted to go something would happen, I’d put it off for a trip, or a family event, or a raise at my job so I thought there was no way I could quit now…I was starting to think that the only available time I’d have to hike the trail was after I retire. All the retired people I’ve met hiking the trail, they’re having fun and they all have a bigger bank account, but thats not really how I wanted to hike the trail. I wanted to come out and do it while I still had fresh enough knees to finish.”

Credit: Chris Bennett
“Little Blue” (Brad Duffan): “I’m 36, and I’ve been planning to do the trail for a few years. But every time I wanted to go, something would happen. I’d put it off for a trip, or a family event, or a raise at my job… I was starting to think that the only time I’d have to hike the trail was after I retired. All the retired people I’ve met hiking the trail, they’re having fun and they all have a bigger bank account, but that’s not really how I wanted to hike the trail. I wanted to come out and do it while I still had fresh-enough knees to finish.”
Credit: Chris Bennett

Natalie “Wild” Belongie Nbelongie7@Yahoo.com Natalie is a boom operator on an Airforce KC-135 tanker. Yup, she’s the one that controls the refuling arm at 30,000 feet between two multimillion dollar jets. Deployments have taken her to Qatar, Kurdistan, Turkey, Spain, Japan, Guam, England, Germany, Albania and Saint Croix. Natalie was in a weird place with her job a couple of years ago. She didn’t feel like the same happy person she used to be. After talking to a friend who’s girlfriend hiked the trail and hearing how eye opening the experience was for her and how much she learned about herself, Natalie thought it would be an awesome idea to hike the A.T. herself. She talked to her boss about getting a little reboot on life by hiking the trail and he agreed to give her the leave of absence. When the trail is done she heads right back out on a two month deployment.

Credit: Chris Bennett
“Wild” (Natalie Belongie): Wild is a boom operator on an Air Force KC-135 tanker, which means she’s the one who controls the refueling arm between two multimillion-dollar jets flying at 30,000 feet. A couple of years ago, she was in a weird place with her job and didn’t feel like the same happy person she used to be. After talking to a friend whose girlfriend had hiked the AT, she thought hitting the trail could give her a little reboot on life. When her hike is done, she heads back out on a two-month deployment.
Credit: Chris Bennett

Briana “Tangerine” Crawford When I was young my family would take me every Fall to Amicalola in Georgia to see the leaves change. Amicalola is where the Appalachian Trail starts. I really enjoyed it and I think someone probably told me while I was there that the trail went all the way to Maine. Ten years later I was in my early 20’s and I was watching the movie Wild, I was in a relationship, I had a job I didn’t really like even though I was making good money, and I started to think about hiking the trail. I really wanted to do this to have an accomplishment for myself, I wanted something that I put my mind to and finish for myself, not because society told me to. Last year I started the trail and made it 623 miles to Harrisburg, Virginia but had shin splints really bad because I was trying to do too many miles per day. So this year I started over again. I started on February 25th and hiked on my own, connected with a few people and then after Harper’s Ferry decided I wanted to hike alone again. Its been nice, I’m walking slower. I was out here to establish myself or find something within me. I’m not perfect, but somewhere in Vermont at the five month mark I just accepted who I was, and that was a very powerful moment.”

Credit: Chris Bennett
“Tangerine” (Briana Crawford): “I really wanted to do this to have an accomplishment for myself. I wanted something that I put my mind to and finished for myself, not because society told me to. Last year I started the trail and made it 623 miles to Harrisburg, Virginia, but had shin splints really bad because I was trying to do too many miles per day. So this year I started over again. It’s been nice. I’m walking slower. I was out here to establish myself or find something within me. I’m not perfect, but somewhere in Vermont, at the five-month mark, I just accepted who I was. And that was a very powerful moment.”
Credit: Chris Bennett

Gabriel “Pay It Forward” West “I started the trail April 23rd, two years after the passing of my mother. I spent the last two years getting my dad and family squared away and healthy and finally realized that I was the only one who hadn’t truly healed yet. A friend recommended I hike the Appalachian Trail and get it all figured out. The first five hundred miles I had a whole lot of issues to straighten out. Every mile after that has just been a gift. Being able to get my mom’s passing out of my head and into my heart… it took two years. It was never about getting to the top of Katahdin and getting a picture… it was about the journey, its been a blessing.”

Credit: Chris Bennett
“Pay It Forward” (Gabriel West): “I started the trail April 23, two years after the passing of my mother. I spent the last two years getting my dad and family squared away and healthy, and I finally realized I was the only one who hadn’t truly healed yet. A friend recommended I hike the AT and get it all figured out. The first five hundred miles I had a whole lot of issues to straighten out. Every mile after that has just been a gift. Being able to get my mom’s passing out of my head and into my heart… it took two years. It was never about getting to the top of Katahdin and getting a picture… it was about the journey. It’s been a blessing.”
Credit: Chris Bennett
This post was first published in 2018.

Heather Marcus

Heather Marcus is the senior photo editor for Yankee. She works closely with the art director and contributing photographers to tell our stories about people and place in a compelling way. Living and growing up in New England, she continues to be inspired by the communities, the landscape, and the wonderful visual opportunities the region affords.

More by Heather Marcus

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  1. This is a great article. It’s fun to see and read about people on the AT who have searched and found their true meaning.

    Reply

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