Former Vandergrift resident Tim Geary vows to return to Appalachian Trail
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An unexpected injury while hiking has temporarily derailed a former longtime Vandergrift resident from walking the Appalachian Trail.
Tim Geary, 77, formerly of Vandergrift and now of Aspinwall, returned home this week from his solo hike on the 2,200-mile trail that he began March 17.
He said his 30-pound backpack might have contributed to his abdominal injury suffered during one of his daily hikes.
“I want to be on the trail, but I realized the situation could get bad,” Geary said. “I think I strained myself lifting up my bag. I’m a guy, so I ignored it. I saw a lump and thought, ‘This can’t be good.’ ”
Geary left the trail near Gatlinburg, Tenn., and returned home last week.
“That really hurt. I didn’t want to come back,” said Geary, an Air Force veteran who served in Vietnam.
He logged 215 miles in 32 days on the Appalachian Trail, hiking for personal and charitable pursuits.
He raised $6,800 to date for melanoma research, in honor of his late wife, Gillen.
He exceeded his original goal of $5,000.
Geary said one hiker whipped out a $100 bill right away when he learned of Geary’s mission for melanoma research.
“I have been just totally overwhelmed by what I’ve seen,” he said. “Some lady from England sent 10 pounds. That really shocked me.”
He’s planning to undergo minimally invasive surgery in Pittsburgh to repair his hernia.
Plans to continue trek
Geary expects to have a six-week recovery period before heading back to the trail about July 4.
Geary promised Gillen, who died from melanoma, he would hike all 2,193 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
He served as his wife’s caregiver for five years during her seven-year fight.
The couple shared 53 years of marriage, raising their family in Vandergrift, where Geary was a law partner at Geary and Loperfito.
The Trib first learned of Geary’s quest during a phone interview from the trail earlier this month.
Known as Papa Smurf on the Appalachian Trail, Geary said his 10-year-old grandson gave him that nickname because of his trail attire of a blue shirt and red hat.
He said the trail provided plenty of time to “think and reflect,” and there were many happy moments.
From free trail meals provided by churches, random encounters with more than 400 hikers from as far away as Australia and meeting people of all ages, Geary said one common theme while hiking boils down to basic human interaction.
“It’s the camaraderie. Almost everyone on the trail is in transition, from divorce to the loss of a spouse and people recently retired from the military and recent high school and college grads,” Geary said.
And nature during the hike provides a nurture factor.
“A lot of people from the military are on the trail,” he said. “A lot of them suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and use the trail to get their minds clear.”
Returning home weighing 8 pounds lighter, Geary said he’s been gobbling up sweets such as ice cream he couldn’t readily get on the trail.
Reflecting on his hike through Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, Geary said he’ll spend post-op recovery time figuring out how to return to the trail more prepared.
Geary is tweaking the contents of his pack in preparation for his return at Harpers Ferry, W.Va. in July.
Food and water are the heaviest items in his pack and present the biggest logistical challenge.
Two trekking poles are a part of Geary’s necessity items.
“The skill on the trail is to keep from falling on your face,” Geary said.
His son, Brendan, posts frequently on social media for members of “Gillen’s Army.”
“He’s in great spirits and more determined than ever,” Brendan said. “This is only a hiccup, and his journey will continue.”
Geary has set a new fundraising goal of $10,000 for the AIM at Melanoma Foundation.
To donate to Gillen’s Army click the link here.
Checks may be made out to AIM at Melanoma Foundation, Memo: Gillen’s Army, and mailed to 5729 Lebanon Rd. Suite 144-305, Frisco, Texas 75034.