Some parents may have had trouble getting their kids away from electronics and outside this summer. But for one Virginia family, this wasn't the case. Josh and Cassie Sutton recently completed a fall-length hike of the Appalachian Trail with their son, Harvey.
At just 5 years old, Harvey, who earned the nickname "Little Man" from fellow hikers, is one of the youngest people known to have completed the roughly 2, 100-mile trail that stretches across 14 states in 209 days.
When Harvey was 2 years old, his parents began training him for hiking by going on mini walks. They slowly increased their mileage day by day- eventually making him adapt to his big adventure. "A lot of people are surprised at how well be did. They're like, 'How did you get your 5-year-old to do that while my 5-year old won't even walk half a mile without com-Paining?'" Mom Cassie Sutton said.
The Sutton s said that while the adventure of the 2, 100- mile hike was fun as a family, it did have its challenges- especially when it came to keeping Harvey entertained. "We learned that he is gifted in hiking, but as long as were playing make-believe with him all day long, then he moves quickly and hikes a lot faster than a lot of us imagine," Josh Sutton said.
While the Sutton s have plans for more hikes and family adventures ahead, the family is getting adjusted to life at home again as Harvey begins his latest adventure; kindergarten.