Honoring a father’s memory: Mennonite mother, daughters hike Appalachian Trail

Byron Collins never got to know Clayton Shenk, a Mennonite minister from York, Pennsylvania who passed away late last year, but he recently played a part in honoring the man’s memory.

Collins, a resident of Zirconia acted as trail angel to Shenk’s widow and four daughters as they hiked the 500 miles of the Appalachian Trail that Shenk and the couple’s three sons didn’t get to finish on their attempted father-and-sons through-hike in 2008.

“I am truly impressed at their accomplishment. It was a huge challenge since none of them were experienced hikers,” said Byron. “They had to learn everything, sometimes the hard way. It was an honor to give them support.”

In the summer of 2008, “Poppa Bear and the Preacher Boys” began hiking the Appalachian Trail going southbound from Maine.

The three boys — Kevin, Austin and Trevor —and their father, Clayton, a.k.a. “Poppa Bear,” hiked 1,600 miles of the iconic interstate trail before ending up in southern Virginia that October. The father and sons had to end the hike; they had run out of time and money.

Clayton Shenk died on Christmas Day 2019 after a year-long battle with cancer. The Shenk family was feeling great loss.

“The morning of New Year’s Eve, I got the idea that my daughters and I might hike the Appalachian Trail,” said Mary Lois Shenk, Clayton’s wife. “It felt like God put the idea in my mind. Our family was enthusiastic. I felt that completing the AT would be a fitting way to honor my husband.”

“My daughters and I were offered a farmhouse in Needmore, Pennsylvania as a getaway in early January,” she added. “That was a very special time of reflection and writing and grieving together. We made a list of the pros and cons of hiking the trail. After much discussion, we concluded that we would do it.”

On May 25, just five months after Clayton’s death, “Momma Bear and the Flower Girls” - Momma Mary Lois, 57, with Tanya, 24, Autumn, 21, Wendy, who turned 18 on the trail, and Hannah, 14 - stepped out into the wilderness where her husband and sons had left off, at the Partnership Shelter in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Headquarters in Marion, Virginia.

While preparing for the hike, Mary Lois researched what they would need and came up with a food plan, the lightest gear for what they’d need, and how to best navigate cold nights, insects, drinking water and other concerns.

The three boys, now 30, 28 and 26, having had hiking experience on the AT, coached the women as they prepared. Then, in March, COVID-19 struck and access to the Appalachian Trial was closed. At this time, Autumn was experiencing health issues.

“Suddenly, our plan felt entirely unrealistic,” Mary Lois said. When the trail opened again in early May and Autumn’s health was still insecure, the family had a decision to make.

Autumn said she was determined to hike the Appalachian Trail in this homage to her dad and knew her mother and sisters wouldn’t go without her. “When I was sick, the thought of hiking up a mountain made me want to cry,” she said. “I felt so weak, but I knew that if God wanted us to do this he would give me the strength.”

Mary Lois recalls that her daughters were thinking it wouldn’t be wise to go. “My sons encouraged us to at least give it a try,” she said. Given Autumn’s health, they planned to keep the family van accessible to them along the trail.

The night before their Sunday departure, the family had an Anointing Service. “Things felt so fragile,” said Mary Lois. “We prayed to God for strength. The pastors prayed for us and the bishop anointed Autumn and myself with oil since we were both having health challenges.”

The Shenk women slept in hammocks with mosquito netting zipped in. Each evening they hoisted their food up into trees to protect it and them from bears.

They cooked over a fire, told stories and laughed. The girls made up songs. The women were often as exhilarated as they were exhausted at the end of a day.

Each Sabbath, the mother and daughters would rest. Mary Lois Shenk shared how family members and friends would meet them in a designated place, spend the day relaxing together and enjoying the meals that were brought for them.

They found it helpful to have family and friends move the family van to a parking spot about halfway through that week’s hike. This way, the women only needed to carry food for half the week.

Within the first week, both Autumn and Mary Lois’ health had improved dramatically. “God healed us!”, they agreed with great relief.

All of them also agree that the hardest thing about living on the trail was wet, cold clothes, shoes and socks. Hannah Shenk smiled and admitted that hiking in the woods was not her “forte.” Tanya was quick to add, “Smells were a challenge. Everyone smelled.”

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Becoming an angel

On June 2, the women met through-hiker Timea Gorgey on the trail. A few days later, Gorgey put the women in touch with Collins, her good friend, who had been one of the trail angels for her first 400 miles of the trail.

Collins, intrigued by their story and more than willing to help, texted Mary Lois to think about trusting him to be their trail angel for their next few hundred miles. They agreed.

“I learned a lot from supporting Timea,” said Collins. “I would bring too much food and she would have to make tough choices. I learned that people crave particular foods on the hike. I found it was best to ask what they really wanted.”

On June 17, Collins arranged for his friend, Nancy Lange, to meet the women at Sam’s Gap with the food they had gathered. Collins’ wife, Mary, who had been struggling with a life-threatening illness, had taken a turn for the worse and he needed to stay with her.

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“When we got there, Nancy told us that his wife had died that day,” said Mary Lois. “We couldn’t believe that Byron was actually concerned about us during this very difficult time. Six days later, he welcomed us to come to his home for showers and laundry and to sleep in ‘real beds.’ This sounded so wonderful to us!”

One June 23, they met Collins for the first time. “What a blessing that was for us! We feasted, showered, did laundry and drove back to the trail ourselves the next day,” said Mary Lois.

Collins met Momma Bear and the Flower Girls several more times before they completed the hike in mid-July. He brought food (including desserts like chocolate pudding with whipped cream), driving hours to meet them at the trail. They even spent a weekend at his home in Zirconia.

“I was so moved that they accepted my invitation,” said Collins. “They didn’t know me and here they were coming to my home. It was just what I needed after my wife’s death. Their trusting presence was a gift.”

Throughout the hike they faced circumstances that made them wonder if they would be able to finish the trail as they were experiencing general weakness, digestive issues and skin infections.

“The second to last week of the trail, we considered quitting because Pennsylvania was asking all residents returning from certain states to quarantine for two weeks,” said Mary Lois. “With Tanya’s wedding only three weeks after our planned return, we were tempted to quit. Again, the men in our family encouraged us to continue ... we were so close to the end.”

On July 17, as Momma Bear and the Flower Girls approached the Southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, two of Mary Lois’ and Clayton’s three sons, along with their children and Tanya’s fiancé, Todd, hiked the last mile together (their son, Trevor, who is in medical school, couldn’t be there).

“It was an emotional experience!” Mary Lois said. “We surrounded the plaque and felt the power, the significance of the moment!”

Afterward, the entourage drove to Byron’s house for a celebration before heading home to Pennsylvania the next day.

Looking back on the hike, the Shenk daughters enthusiastically agree that having Collins as a trail angel was an “unanticipated delight.”

“When we headed out to the trail we knew that God would take care of us but we had no idea that He would send such an amazing trail angel,” Autumn said.

Mary Lois agreed. “I really don’t know how we would have survived without Byron’s help! I had no idea how much we would need him. My only consolation is believing him when he assured us that it was good for him also.”

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