TRAVERSE CITY -- When Tim Keenan set out to hike the Appalachian Trail last March he was looking for an adventure -- what he got was an unexpected opportunity to heal.
"I was really able to make peace with myself," said Keenan, an Army veteran and president of the Traverse City chapter of Veterans for Peace who served in Vietnam during the late '60s.
"The woods had been an uneasy place, I was always on edge. Now things are much more peaceful," said Keenan, who hiked the 2,178-mile trail, from Georgia to Maine, in just under six months.
Keenan, who retired from his position as Grand Traverse County community corrections manager a year ago, says he didn't know what he was in for when he set out on the trail that travels through 14 states.
"I didn't realize the physical challenge, that the mountains were so huge, but it made reaching the top that much more sweet," said Keenan, who after a few days on the trail, decided he should be using his hike for a greater purpose.
"All you do is think while you are hiking, and I got to thinking this could benefit someone besides me," said Keenan.
He decided to raise funds for two projects that are special to him, the Women's Resource Center and Veterans for Peace. Taking the next available opportunity to use an Internet connection, Keenan contacted family and friends with his idea.
"One friend didn't think I would make it very far and pledged one dollar per mile. He came through and wrote a check for $2,178 when I got back," Keenan said.
To date Keenan has donated $5,000 as part of a scholarship fund for the Veterans for Peace organization and $3,000 to the Women's Resource Center.
With the Appalachian Trail experience under his belt, Keenan is considering his next challenge.
"I have thought about the Pacific Crest Trail, but for now I'm enjoying my zero days," he said.
"Everyone needs to reward themselves with a zero day -- to get out of bed when you want, do what you want, relax. And to do it without guilt."
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