Jean-Lou Paré is a member of Greensboro Montessori School's class of 2017. He graduated from The STEM Early College at N.C. A&T for high school and attended Georgia Tech, where he was also a Division I Track & Field athlete. After earning his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in only three years, Jean-Lou remained at Georgia Tech for his Master of Science in mechanical engineering, specializing in aviation and power solutions engineering. He has held internships at Volvo, Ampere, and GE, and most recently completed the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail (AT).
Jean-Lou summited Mount Katahdin on August 19 after almost five months on the trail, but his story has only just begun. He has met friends, seen new places, learned life lessons, and even received a nickname along the way. We got an inside scoop from him and how his time as a GMS Panther prepared him for the adventure of a lifetime.
GMS: What inspired you to take on the AT?
JP: I’ve been wanting to do the AT for a while. In 2018 I did a 110-mile section of the AT in Maine, and that’s when I first learned about what it truly was. I really enjoyed that trip and told myself that at some point I’d want to do the whole thing. I was drawn to the physical and mental challenge of it, as well as the change of pace from everyday life. Throughout my time in college, I always knew I wanted to take some time off before getting a job, and as I neared my masters graduation last year, I figured now would be as good a time as ever to give hiking the AT a go.
GMS: Who have you hiked with along the way?
JP: While I set off on this adventure alone, I have met so many great and amazing people along the way. The AT is known for being a very social place where “tramilies” (trail families) often form as you hike around the same people for a period of time. Over the course of the trail, I have been a part of multiple, some tighter knit and some looser than others. I finished the trail hiking with three other people, all of whom I have met along the way: Squirelly, from Connecticut; Lil Beast from Lexington, N.C., and Entity from Roanoke, VA. Those are their trail names, as that is how we know and refer to each other on trail. Over the course of the last few months, I have also had many friends and family come join me for a weekend to a week. My latest visit was Alex Kotis '18 back in Pennsylvania.
GMS: Do you have a trail name?
JP: Yes. Ratatouille is my trail name. I got it because my mom, Flory, is from France and my dad, Pat is from Quebec. The guy who gave me my name started off wanting to call me “Frenchie,” but after I told him that was very basic he came up with Ratatouille.
Trail names are a way of referring to others on the trail. There are no set rules to how they come about or who comes up with them. They can come from someone’s background, physical traits, an embarrassing story, or anything else. They are useful as they usually end up being unique and make it easier to identify individuals, especially when many people could have the same first name.
GMS: What was your start and finish date?
JP: I started March 20 and finished August 19, putting me under the five month mark. The average time is around six months with people taking anywhere from under four to over eight months to complete it.
GMS: Which state has been your favorite?
JP: They have each been so different, but Maine has been my favorite. In a close second are the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The hiking in southern Maine and the White Mountains was the hardest trail, the views have been absolutely spectacular except for a bout of foggy and rainy weather across the Presidential Range. I also really enjoyed the Great Smoky Mountains, Roan Highlands in North Carolina, Laurel Gorge in Tennessee, and the Grayson Highlands of Virginia.
GMS: Did The Land at GMS prepare you for this great hike?
JP: I think so. It taught me a love for and appreciation of nature. In a sense The Land has many similarities to the trail. You spend a lot of time outdoors everyday exploring nature. Nights were spent in rustic shelters. And the community that arose from cooking meals and spending days together is very similar to the one that is created on trail.
GMS: What has been the weirdest thing you’ve run into?
JP: I’ve seen plenty of bugs and critters on trail, many of them that I’d never seen before. I’ve also seen plenty of other wildlife from the more common squirrels, birds and deer, to bears (4 times now), a baby raccoon, and also wild hogs back in the Smokies. Now that I’m in Maine I have also seen a moose and a beaver. It has been a very cool part of the trail.
GMS: What have you learned on this adventure?
JP: My main takeaway from the trail has been to slow down. Not in a hiking sense but in an everyday sense. Life often feels like it comes at you at 100mph, but out here you can take the time to sit and enjoy the view, the stars, the sound of nature in a way that makes the weeks feel like months. Even the month of July feels like it was a long time ago. While I know I can’t take them with me completely, I’m hoping to remember to slow down every once in a while and enjoy the little things in life.
GMS: What are you looking forward to?
JP: Off trail, I’m looking forward to normal food that isn’t dehydrated or long shelf life trail food, as well as regular showers. While I am ready to be done and to go home back to regular comforts, I’m not ready for the adventure to be over.
