PHOTO PROVIDED Steve Yale — who was born in Williamsport in 1975 and lived in Lock Haven for 17 years — is currently hiking for the fifth time and poses for a photo along the trial which points south and north the route of the trail, from Georgia up through Maine.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part three of a four-part series about Steve Yale, who was born in Williamsport and lived in Lock Haven for 17 years, who is hiking the Appalachian Trail for the fifth time.

The Appalachian Trail has its start at Springer Mountain in Georgia. And not too much further north from there, is Blood Mountain. It’s one of the first portions of the trail, just roughly 30 miles from where the trail begins.

With an elevation of 4,458 feet, it gives hikers who get there an incredible view and beautiful sights. Blood Mountain has an interesting history as well.

The Cherokee mythology stated that the mountain was home of the Nunnehi, or immortals, a race of spirit people who “live anywhere.” So perhaps it’s fitting that it’s part of the Appalachian Trail given that hikers and those brave enough to try to hike the entire trail do really live anywhere on the trail during their trek.

But for Steve Yale, who was born in Williamsport in 1975 and lived in Lock Haven for 17 years, Blood Mountain is more special for him. Not far from there is Neels Gap. And it’s there where Yale will simply sit and watch hikers come over Blood Mountain, giving the former Lock Haven resident a chance to congratulate them.

He gives them a few congratulatory words, and offers them a soda or candy bar or anything else he has to spare. It’s a triumph early on the trail to get over Blood Mountain, and Yale’s glad he’s able to see the looks on hiker’s faces when they do so.

For four years now, this has become Yale’s new tradition. He doesn’t hike when he arrives at Neel’s Gap, and instead sits down and watches hikers come by.

“You can just tell the accomplishment in their face of what they just went through and beginning of their journey. It’s great to root for people,” former Lock Haven High School student Yale said on “Mighty Blue on the A.T.” podcast. “I want to see everybody go the whole way, obviously not everybody will make it the whole way, but I like to pump people up.”

Obviously the farther along the trail you get, the less people you see. That’s why congratulating those who make that first milestone past Blood Mountain is nice for Yale.

“In the start there’s a lot of hikers but it thins out the farther north you get,” Yale told the Sun-Gazette. “I always hike mostly alone, but everyone has heard of me and I’m known as a super positive person. I help a lot of hikers when they ask advice and I try not to give unsolicited advice.”

Ever since 2020, that’s been Yale’s little tradition of his own. He doesn’t hike for a day after he crosses Blood Mountain so he can congratulate those other hikers who do.

No matter how many times one hikes the Appalachian Trail, you may never feel 100% comfortable or prepared. For Yale, however, he was more prepared in 2020 to hike it, even with it being the year of the COVID-19 pandemic upending numerous things.

Yale also goes by the seven principles of “Leave No Trace.” That includes planning ahead and preparing; traveling and camping on durable surfaces; disposing of waste properly; leaving what you find in nature where it is; minimizing campfire impacts; being respectful of wildlife; and being considerate of other visitors.

Yale felt more comfortable and was back at home on the trail.

“My feet remembered it right of the bat, my mechanics and steps. Once you get it down pat and learn the tricks, like not staring the hill in the eye, take smaller steps,” Yale said on “Mighty Blue on the A.T.” podcast.

That includes learning to pace himself with hills or gullies, not wearing himself out and not getting over exerted.

On his first two trips on the Appalachian Trail, Yale noted that he felt comfortable. And while some people say that they plan on making it the entire way, or hope to make it to the end, Yale insists that he is going to make it. There’s no ifs or maybes, but rather a confident statement: he will.

“I don’t play it any other way in my brain,” Yale said on “Mighty Blue on the A.T.” podcast.

And that’s why he’s been doing this for five years now.