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Hiker marks 10,000th milestone

John Upchurch pauses on the hike that surpassed the 10,000-mile mark.

John Upchurch pauses on the hike that surpassed the 10,000-mile mark.

Imagine walking from Flagstaff to New York City and back, two times! Or imagine walking nine miles a day, every day, for three years.

That's the equivalent of what Grand Canyon resident Jonathan Upchurch has accomplished during his lifetime - hiking 10,000 miles.

Upchurch completed his 10,000th mile on Monday, April 14, hiking out of the Grand Canyon on the South Kaibab Trail.

His first recorded hike was also on the South Kaibab Trail in June, 1961. He then became a Boy Scout, earned the Hiking merit badge, and just hasn't stopped hiking.

He needed to keep track of miles for the merit badge and for another award, called the Century Award, for hiking 100 miles. He's kept track ever since.

In 1967 Upchurch accompanied legendary Grand Canyon hiker Harvey Butchart to Clear Creek and Cheyava Falls. The hike on which he logged his 10,000th mile retraced those same steps.

Upchurch has hiked all over the United States, and in some other countries as well. He and his wife Betty have hiked most of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

They've also hiked the 210-mile John Muir Trail in the California Sierras.

Over 1,100 miles of his hiking has been in Grand Canyon National Park, where he now serves as a Volunteer-in-the-Park for the National Park Service.

He has also hiked in 50 other national parks and monuments around the country.


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