Poughkeepsie's Alexis Holzmann nears the last stretch of 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail hike

Alexis Holzmann has trudged through mud, marched up mountains, waded through waist-high flood water, encountered bears and snakes, and even maneuvered difficult terrain while enduring immense pain.

On top of that, she’s consumed more Pop-Tarts than even a middle-schooler would desire.

What already is an arduous trek was lengthened and complicated after a torrential downpour last weekend caused severe flooding and prompted the evacuation of several areas in the northeast.

Holzmann was making her way through Connecticut at the time, seeing up close the flooding of the Housatonic River, and determining on the fly how to navigate it. With parts of their hiking trail washed out, she and her group made their way through the murky water, risking potential danger to avoid the obvious peril, eventually getting themselves onto a walkable road and circumventing a mountain.

Onward they traversed.

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“In these conditions, you get wet and there’s the risk of hypothermia,” the Poughkeepsie native acknowledged. “We know people who’ve broken their ankle and couldn’t finish; people who’ve had their food taken by animals. We definitely take the dangers seriously, but everyone here views it as a challenge. You’re thinking, ‘How can I get across this creek safely, with all my belongings?’”

Those belongings include the supplies needed to survive this journey.

When Tammi Terrell sang, “Ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough…” it was only meant figuratively. But Holzmann is making those song lyrics her reality as she braves the elements while approaching the final stretch of the famous Appalachian Trail.

This journey, for four months thus far, has been a series of challenges, literal obstacles, that have tested her resolve as the 28-year-old schlepped more than 1,500 miles on foot. And, that's the purpose.

More than three million people each year hike through parts of the trail, and about 4,000 attempt to complete the world's longest footpath, but the Appalachian Trail Conservancy estimates that only about 20% of them succeed. Injuries, illness and exhaustion are some of the factors that force people to abort.

“As a parent, it’s nerve-racking and you worry,” Alice Holzmann said of her daughter. “But we’ve known for a while she wanted to do this and she’s a strong, determined person. We know she’ll accomplish it.”

Alexis began the 2,200-mile expedition in Georgia on March 5, walking as many as 30 miles in a day. She made her way to through the Hudson Valley earlier this month, stopping at her parents’ Poughkeepsie home as the family hosted a dozen of her hiking partners for the Fourth of July.

“They say the first half of the trail is physically challenging, as your body is getting used to doing that many miles,” Alexis said. “The second half is a mental test.”

But it’s not as if the physical trial eases. Not at all. She has about 600 miles remaining, including a slog through the mountains in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine that promises to be a grueling conclusion. That, she said, is what makes this so rewarding.

If all goes according to plan, Alexis said, she’ll complete the route by late August and will be greeted in Maine by her parents and siblings, Christopher and Jaclyn, to celebrate the triumph.

Imagining that scene and the “incredible” feeling of accomplishment is why she has refused to relent, even after a trip to the emergency room early in the journey.

In addition to being a three-sport athlete at Arlington High School, Alexis always enjoyed hiking. She has an affinity for nature and her childhood home neighbored a creek, so the picturesque landscape was an allure for long walks.

Plus, being adventurous “might be in the DNA,” her mother joked. Art Holzmann, as a 19-year-old, spent five months riding across the country… on a bicycle.

“This is awesome, and we’re obviously very proud of her,” said her father, who accompanied Alexis on the first week of this hike. “We’ve done portions of the Appalachian Trail before, and I always wished I could complete it. So, I know she’s gonna feel great about herself when she finishes this.”

‘You know I’d walk (2,000) miles…‘

It wasn’t long after graduating high school that Alexis made it a goal to travel the course, which runs through 14 states and includes several valleys and mountain ranges. That dream was deferred, though, as college and then a career took precedence.

But, she convinced herself last year to make the plunge, temporarily giving up her job as an elementary school teacher in Brooklyn to immerse herself in hiking.

“It was a difficult decision to leave, but I know it’s important to pursue passions,” said Alexis, who plans to resume teaching in the fall. “I think pushing myself to this degree will provide me with a good perspective to bring back to the classroom.”

It’ll certainly make for a good story when students inevitably asks what she did for the summer.

And, should someone ever begin one of those “Back in my day” tales that details walking five miles in bad weather, she can raise ‘em a couple thousand.

Having completed almost three-quarters of the journey now, she said, “I feel like a beast!”

“I’ve seen that my body is capable of things I didn’t know it was,” said Alexis, who played for the field hockey, basketball and softball teams at Arlington, but never had much interest in cross country. “One day I ran 11 miles to a store, trying to catch it before it closed, and I really surprised myself with that.”

The Appalachian Trail stretches from Springer Mountain at its southern terminus in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. Along the path, Alexis said, she’s met people from all over, including someone visiting the United States from England specifically for the trail.

“I’ve always loved the outdoors, but it’s an awesome experience to watch the terrain change, the seasons change, see different species of fish as you’re going,” Alexis said. “I feel connected to the world in ways I couldn’t have imagined.”

Take a hike!

Alexis had never walked more than 15 miles before attempting this endeavor. She doubled that distance one day going through Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, while lugging a 32-pound backpack. That, she said, was a challenge within the challenge as her 13-person group, eager to eclipse its first 900 miles, continued even after sundown.

On a typical day, though, they’ll do about 20 miles, taking a brief rest every hour and breaking for lunch. As evening approaches, they’ll search for a safe place to set up tents and camp for the night.

The day usually begins around 6:30 a.m., Alexis said. She’ll have coffee and a Clif Bar, then get on her way, looking to quickly cover a few miles with the burst of morning energy. Each member of the group is given a hiking nickname and that tendency, along with her effervescence, earned her “Rocket” as a moniker.

Alexis is on her third pair of Altra Lone Peak 6 sneakers, each lasting about 700 miles. She plans to get a new pair in New Hampshire for the final leg.

Food, of course, is rationed carefully. Alexis said she’ll travel with 2-5 days’ worth and, to lighten her backpack, she carries lots of small, high-carb snacks like Snickers bars and Pop-Tarts.

Many of the hikers use the FarOut app as a navigational tool, the trail map also highlighting surrounding communities. The proximity of those towns to the trail allows for detours to replenish food and supplies, and to find spots to rest and charge a cellphone. The app also indicates nearby residents who have designated themselves “trail angels” — folks open to aiding hikers.

Alexis’ friend in Connecticut provided overnight shelter last weekend during the storm.

Her voyage almost was jeopardized in April when she tumbled downhill and suffered an ankle sprain so severe, she initially was convinced it was broken. Still, she insisted to group members, “I’m not going home.”

She was grateful to hiking partners who helped her hobble nearly three miles, and to the local resident who drove her to a hospital.

“The doctor recommended crutches for three weeks,” Alexis said. “I took five days off, used the crutches, and put a brace on it for five weeks. I know I’m very lucky.”

Persistent, too.

During the hardest parts of the trip, whenever a hint of discouragement begins to enter, she and her partners will say to each other, “Katahdin,” a motivational reminder of the end point and what it represents.

The conclusion, Alexis said, will be “bittersweet,” sharing in that victory for a moment with the group, then parting ways with the strangers who became friends and helped each other survive for the better part of a year. Her family will meet her near Mount Katahdin and their plan is to drive Alexis home, dropping members of her group off at area airports along the way.

“I know that standing on top of that mountain will feel amazing and I’m really looking forward to getting up there,” Alexis said. “I can visualize it, and that keeps me going.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Poughkeepsie's Alexis Holzmann nears finish of Appalachian Trail hike