Sarah Hingston, AS 2003, began here 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail hike in mid-March.

6:00 p.m., May 31, 2003--Sam and Sarah Hingston were twins bound by genes, good looks, a loving family and a common joy experienced in the great outdoors. They were hiking enthusiasts of the first order who in high school dreamed of some day completing together all 2,160 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

Sam died unexpectedly in 1999 at the age of 17. Now, Sarah is on a physical and spiritual journey, hiking the trail for them both. It’s part of an extended graduation walk that began March 17 in Springer Mountain, Ga. On May 30, she left the trail in Shenandoah National Park near Ft. Royal, Va., to participate in Commencement exercises at the University of Delaware where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences.

A few days later, her parents, Rich and Marjorie, who is a coordinator in the admissions office at UD, were scheduled to take her back so she can complete the trail that ends in Katahdin, Maine.

Hikers on the trail traditionally give themselves a trail name, Hingston explains, and her name is Two Step.

“Every step I take is one for me and one for Sam,” she says.

Hingston says she and her brother became fascinated with the Appalachian Trail when they spent time at a family vacation home near the portion of the trail that winds through New Jersey.

Although her brother can’t be with her, her pilgrimage has been anything but solitary, Hingston explains.

“The trail is like a portable community,” she explains. “You can always be with a group of other hikers. I’ve switched from group to group, but I’ve always been with other people.”

And, thanks to cell phone technology, she also has been able to make arrangements to meet family members along portions of the trail. Her older sister, Jane, came out to hike along for a while, and mom Marjorie met both girls for a special hike on Mother’s Day.

Marjorie Hingston with daughter Sarah Hingston.

After completing her college courses, Hingston found herself with time on her hands until graduation and decided the timing was right for the hike. “I needed to get away from society and live simply for a time,” she said.

One of the highlights has been a nine-mile night hike that ended with a glorious sunrise on a mountaintop. Another memorable moment came in a snowstorm that resulted in a complete whiteout with an accompanying thunderstorm.

“I didn’t know it could snow and thunder at the same time,” she says.

Leader of the Outing Club while a student at UD, Hingston majored in biological sciences. After taking this year off, she plans to enroll in graduate school and study physical therapy. She is considering UD.

The hike, she says, is something she will always cherish. “I’ve learned a lot about myself out here. It’s been physically and emotionally challenging, but I love it.”

Sam would have loved it, too, his mom Marjorie says. “He and his love are with us everyday.”

Article by Beth Thomas