Local view: Phillipston man heals from loss of son while living their shared dream

In 2006, Craig Twohey and his son Ryan, an Eagle Scout, hiked at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, a great experience that inspired them to talk about hiking the Appalachian Trail together after Craig and his wife Jean sold the King Phillip Restaurant.

Craig put the restaurant up for sale in 2018 after 36 years of operation, and it was time to make out a bucket list with the Appalachian Trail hike at the top. He and Ryan would have 2,198 miles together -- hiking, talking, eating, sleeping, living close to nature, meeting people from all around the world. There could be no better father/son bonding time. Then tragically, the plan was shattered when Ryan was killed in an automobile accident in 2019.

There is no loss harder to bear than the loss of a child, Ryan was their only child. How does one begin to heal?

The Appalachian Trail

Six months later an important answer came to Craig – the Appalachian Trail. He and his friend Jeff LaFrenier spent the next two years preparing for the challenging undertaking. They took five-day hikes on the 54-mile Monadnock to Sunapee Greenway Trail, also they took a helpful 5-day course in Tennessee from a man who hiked the Appalachian Trail 18 times.

"The instructor stressed keeping the backpack as light as possible. We purchased ultralight tents, backpacks, and sleeping bags … and the right shoes," Craig said. "The most important equipment you have are your feet so you must have the right shoes."

With their backpacks down to about 30 pounds and many hiking miles of preparation, they were ready. They would begin on the summit of Springer Mountain in Georgia on March 16, 2022, Ryan's birthday, the day he would have been 31. Craig was 67. Before they began the trek, Craig spread some of his son's ashes there. Ryan would be with his dad right from the start. This was a father/son expedition.

Craig and Jeff hiked together for 30 days when Craig felt weak and tired and had to fly home. It turned out that he had a vitamin deficiency that was quickly resolved with supplements, and after 13 days he returned to continue the trail. He hiked alone for 16 days then decided to return home. He said, "I'd gone 555 miles and wanted to be with my wife. I'd been with her for 40 plus years." It was May 2022 and he had accomplished one-fourth of the trail.

Craig said, "I was thinking about quitting. Someone told me the trail talks to you and by the time I got off the plane in Massachusetts, the trail did talk to me. It called me back and I decided to finish." He returned to the trail 13 days later.

Trail companions making a difference

All the hikers take a trail name. Craig took his son's initials "RP" for Ryan Patrick, later "Calculator" was added to Craig's name because he was accurate in predicting when they'd arrive at their destinations. Jeff was called "Mule," because mules carry heavy loads, another friend was "Bear Hang" because of having to hang food from trees so bears couldn't get it, "Trash" took that name because he worked in waste management in Illinois, "Cowboy" came from Arkansas. Other fellow hikers were "Husky," "Pushup," and "Asset." Craig hiked with some for a day, some longer. He said, "I met a lot of great people."

He and Trash made a close connection and hiked 610 miles together in 5 1/2 weeks, usually making about 22-23 miles a day. They took a pleasant break from hiking on Easter weekend when Jean and Trash's wife met their husbands in Virginia for a visit.

Craig told an interesting story about Trash's hat that shows how hikers help each other. Trash lost his hat and a hiker put the loss on social media. A hiker who saw the message found the hat, carried it and passed it forward. The hat went from hiker to hiker, and after 300-400 miles of passing, it got returned to Trash. In the meantime, his wife had sent him a new hat so Trash mailed the adventurous one home with its memorable story.

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Ryan's 5K run/walk scholarship fundraiser

This year Craig, now 68, hiked 740 miles from March to May and came home to participate with Jean who was organizing Ryan's 5K run/walk, a scholarship fundraiser that will take place in Phillipston on June 10. Both Craig and Jean will be in the run/walk.

Three $500 scholarships will be given to Narragansett students this year, and the awards will go to people who share Ryan's loves. History. It was a subject he had a passion for since he was very young. He had a phenomenal memory for dates and events. His mother always told him he'd make a great history professor. Music. Like his grandfather, playing an instrument was an ability that came to Ryan naturally. Cross country. It was the sport he enjoyed, and the sport where his compassion showed for those who struggled; he would often go back after he finished the race to run with them to give them encouragement.

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Craig will resume his hike on June 11, the day after Ryan's 5K race. 300 miles to go to the finish! He will meet up with Trash and Cowboy in Gorham, New Hampshire and hike together through Maine, the toughest segment of the trail which ends at the summit of Mount Kahtadin. Craig said to Trash, "You want to help me get ashes to the top of Kahtadin." Trash answered, "Yep, that's what I want to do."

Craig said, "The hike has been tough, no shower for five to seven days, you hurt all the time, it's the hardest thing I ever tried to do. I thought of Ryan every day. Sometimes I got emotional. There were others who had losses and we shared stories. There's a bond between hikers. It's been therapeutic. I need to complete it."

The Appalachian Trail has been a father/son journey of love, one that hurts as it heals. Many hearts will be with Craig as he aspires to complete his goal.

You can follow Craig on Trailjournals.com. Bring up Appalachian Trail 2023 and enter RP Calculator.

Carole Gariepy is a Phillipston resident and author of “Dragging Gerry around the World” and “Why Go There?”

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Local view Phillipston man hikes Appalachian Trail Ryan's 5K run/walk