Cool Breeze (AKA Tom Gregg), a successful entrepreneur, has always set and accomplished his goals—his own way. So, when deciding to hike the 2,189 miles Appalachian Trail in 2017, he was determined to hike his own hike. This is the true account of Tom’s attempt at age 53 to hike the Appalachian Trail in less than ninety days, not as a backpacker, but as a supported hiker. To accomplish his goal, he would have to hike the equivalent of a marathon a day for three straight months while climbing and descending Mt. Everest the equivalent of 16 times. Tom believes that supported hiking is a legitimate alternative to traditional backpacking, and he hopes that it will gain popularity in the US as people learn that it is a viable option. You will learn in this book how Tom tries to accomplish his hiking goals, and it will hopefully give you ideas and tools for your own hike whether you are out for a weekend, a week, a month, or more.
Tom Gregg was an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999 and the tech company he founded in 1991 was twice recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the 500 fastest growing privately held companies in the United States. Over his more than twenty-five year leadership career, he has run both public and private companies. His fifteen minutes of fame include ringing the opening bell at the American Stock Exchange and an appearance on Good Morning America explaining the art and science of sous vide cooking. Tom has had the good fortune to run or hike in more than 20 countries. He has twice lived in China and once in France. He currently resides in the Washington DC area where he is the co-owner of the Medium Rare group of restaurants and is a board member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC).
