Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continuation of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary responsibilities and concerns, such as work, relationships, or health.
The Appalachian Trail was completed in 1937 after more than a decade of work, although improvements and changes continue. It is maintained by 31 trail clubs and multiple partnerships, and managed by the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) stretches 2,175 miles from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia. Each spring, thousands of people set out to hike the entire trail, and innumerable others hike sections of it throughout the year.