Our Stories

Tom Gorman: NCNST Long Distance Hiker

Tom “Gumby” Gorman

Central patch + New York and Vermont

In September of 2019, shortly after I turned 60, I developed an interest in backpacking. Since then I have hiked about 7,000 miles with my backpack and all of my gear.

In 2020 I hiked from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia on the Appalachian Trail (AT). Later that same year I hiked the Long Trail from the Massachusetts border north through Vermont to Canada. In 2021 I planned to finish my AT adventure but contracted Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine and I lost the ability to walk and the use of my hands. After spending 3 months of treatment in the hospital followed by lots of physical and occupational therapy I slowly began to recover. As soon as I was able to, I was back hiking the local trails with my backpack. In 2022 I returned to the AT and picked up where I left off at Harpers Ferry and hiked to Bennington, Vermont. In June of 2023 I resumed my AT hike making my way from Bennington to Franconia Notch, New Hampshire leaving the trail because it became more like rock climbing and less like hiking.

I then hiked the main Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) from end-to end west to east finishing in early fall of last year. The FLT got me interested in exploring more of the North Country National Scenic Trail as I had already hiked a large section of the NCT from the NY/PA state line to the Onondaga Branch Trail/FLT Main Trail junction. Over the winter I started planning my NCT hike. I would begin at the Eastern Terminus at Maine Junction, Vermont and head back to the Onondaga Branch Trail/FLT Main junction. At the beginning of June I set out on the NCT in Vermont and three days ago (in July 2024) I completed my hike. I wonder where my next adventure will take me.

Learn more about long distance hiker recognition at explorenct.info/NoCoLo/index.htm.