SPRINGDALE — Doug Nelson of Bella Vista was driving in North Carolina two years ago when he spotted a sign promoting the nation’s most popular hiking trail.

“I turned to my wife and said ‘I’m going to hike the Appalachia Trail,” Nelson said. “She said ‘Well, go for it, old guy.’”

So, he did. At 65 years of age.

After five months, nine days, and 2,185 miles of often rugged terrain, Nelson completed a journey that began on March 28, 2012 at Springer Mountain in Georgia and ended atop Mount Katahdin in Maine on Sept. 6. Carrying a backpack of about 30 pounds, he weighed 210 pounds when he started and 170 pounds when he fi nished.

Nelson’s idea to walk the entire length of the Appalachia Trail began 25 years ago after a conversation with a 19-year-old co-worker on a construction site.

“He was from Maine and he told me the day after he graduated from high school, he began to walk the whole thing,” Nelson said. “That got me to thinking about it. But when you’re working and raising a family, you can’t take off six months. So, when I retired, the thought came back in my brain again.”

Nelson moved to Bella Vista four years ago from Wichita, Kan., where he worked as a foreman and electrician for a large construction company. He didn’t have much time for sports in high school, choosing instead to work while growing up in a family that included five boys and a girl. But he remained in top physical shape while working construction for several years and he still walks four miles a day even after his retirement.

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

After weeks of research, planning, and training, Nelson was ready to challenge the Appalachian Trail last March. But he wouldn’t have attempted the trip without the support of his wife, Jacque, who stayed home and maintained their property in Bella Vista. Jacque provided encouragement during their frequent phone calls and she mailed provisions of dehydrated food ahead as her husband hiked his way toward Maine.

“I would mail some things every week if Doug was in a part of the trail where buying items was not possible,” Jacque said. “Most of the time, I was mailing every two weeks. I sent peanut butter, trail mix, trash bags, nuts, dried fruit, energy fruit bars and energy drink mix.”

Nelson, who cooked his meals on a lightweight stove, would on occasion treat himself to a pizza or hamburger when he spent a night in a hotel about every five days. But his journey was predominantly spent in the wilderness in a tent, where he walked through rain, sleet and snow.

On most days, he was on the trail again before 6 a.m. and he averaged 13.5 miles per day while passing through 14 states in 163 days. The Appalachian Trail is managed by the National Park Service and was completed in 1937. It is considered the most challenging for hikers over the two other two famous paths in the United States — the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.

“I never doubted myself that I could make it,” said Nelson, who was walking more than six miles per day to prepare for the trip. “I had the confidence and I was determined.”

Nelson was admittedly overconfident, considering that only 25 percent of the hikers actually finish when setting out to walk the entire Appalachian Trail. Last year, of the 2,500 hikers who started in Georgia, only 500 made it to the end in Maine.

“That’s the equivalent to going from sea level to the summit of Mount Everest 16 times,” said Laurie Potteiger, the information services manager for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. “The Appalachian Trail is very rough and you spent a lot of time going up and over the mountains. For anyone to do it, especially at 65 years of age, is very impressive.”

Nelson quickly lost about 20 pounds at the outset of his journey, which began just north of Atlanta. The weather was unseasonably warm when he started out in late spring, but he walked in two inches of snow when he reached Tennessee.

“You usually burn about 5,000 to 6,000 calories per day and you’re lucky to eat 3,000,” Nelson said. “I enjoyed 90 percent of the trip. The worst part was when it stormed and rained for four days straight. That was a little discouraging, but it wasn’t going to stop me.”

Nelson was able to maintain a healthy weight by increasing his meals and continued the trek while gaining a few friends or “trail family” along the way. Nelson mostly walked alone but he would meet up with other hikers at shelters or lean-tos to spend the night. On one occasion, Nelson and another man in his 60s spent the night in a cemetery about 10 feet from some graves.

“We talked it over for three days,” Nelson said. “We decided we’re getting closer to being in a cemetery anyway, we might as well see what it was like.”

There is plenty of wildlife along the Appalachian Trail, but Nelson said he never felt unsafe. He saw a few bears, but mostly small animals like squirrels, rabbits, porcupine, and a weasel.

“I saw seven bears, which is not a big number at all,” Nelson said. “You hear them at night but they always run away from you, which is good.”

THE FINAL OBSTACLE

Nelson lost companions along the way, including two men whose wives wanted them to return home. But with Jacque’s blessings and support, Nelson continued the grind and his determination increased as he crossed into Maine. He made his way slowly over the last 281 miles until he reached Mount Katahdin, the final destination, with a young couple he had met in Vermont.

But even then he wasn’t through, because Nelson and the others had to climb another 5,268 feet to reach the summit of Mount Katahdin.

“The last mountain was the hardest one because Mount Katahdin is 5.1 miles up,” said Nelson, who estimated the entire trip cost him about $4 per mile. “You leave all of your heavy gear at the ranger station because you don’t want to have much weight. When I got to the top (the accomplishment) didn’t really sink in at first. You celebrate for about an hour but I kept thinking ‘I’ve got to go back down this mountain.’ By then, my knees were bothering me and I was sore all over.”

Nelson eventually made it back to Arkansas with the help of his wife, who drove more than 1,000 miles to pick him up in Maine.

AFTERMATH

Nelson enjoys talking about his adventure along the Appalachian Trail. He’s spoken at 15 civic meetings and church events and he has three more scheduled.

Eventually, Nelson hopes to do more walking than talking. He and a friend from church have had discussions about hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail that covers 218 miles from Lake Fort Smith Park to the Buff alo River.

The burning question is whether Jacque is willing again to handle things at home while her husband is off on another long-distance adventure.

“You bet,” Jacque said. “He needs to use all that camping equipment a few more times to get his money’s worth.”