by Sue-Ann Roades
David Carbonell, age 50, from Radnor, PA, may not have a nickname now, but when he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2003, he was known as “Sticks.” This is probably because his hiking poles were his favorite piece of equipment.
David is a senior manager at Independence Blue Cross. In addition to hiking, he enjoys running, backpacking, and gardening. “You could never run out of beautiful places to hike,” he says.
David has enjoyed hiking for many years, though for the last 10 years, he considers himself a serious trail runner. By that he means rather than just showing up at a race, like he used to, he now actually trains beforehand.
David’s favorite trail, hands down, is the Black Forest Trail, though he’s also enjoyed hiking the Pacific Crest Trail through the Northern Cascades; the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada; the Kesugi Ridge Trail in Alaska; Unit 18 in Denali National Park, Alaska; the Sierra High Route in California; through the San Juan Mountains in Colorado; and in just about all of New Zealand. Hiking these beautiful trails is “how I keep my sanity,” David says.
David has participated in the Super Hike since its first year. When asked why he hikes it every year, he responded (with humor) that he’s “a glutton for punishment.” As the length of the Super Hike has increased, and David has gotten a bit older, he now run/walks on the trails. For him, the most difficult one was the 2012 Super Hike because of the high humidity that “just about killed me,” he recalls.
In addition to the Super Hike, David has taken part in the Megatransect near Lock Haven, Clinton County. “That’s a great event, but [has] extremely rocky terrain,” he says.
This year, David will be competing in the Super Hike with his fiancée, Jennie. Because this is Jennie’s first Super Hike, they chose the shorter mileage option and will run/walk together. But David is still leaving open the possibility that he will do the longer option when the time comes.
Both David and Jennie are runners, so they’re training for this event like they would for a marathon. David’s goal for Super Hike 2014 is simply “for Jennie and I still to be talking to each other at the end of the hike!” David sums up his feelings about KTA and the Super Hike like this: “Overall, just a wonderful event—well organized, great people, great scenery, and a great organization. What else could you ask for?”