MARQUETTE -- Two Marquette residents are preparing to hike the Appalachian Trail this summer, and they got a little help from a local business.
Elliot and Karen Kasprzak will be traveling 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine.
The owners of Switchback Gear in Marquette volunteered at the youth and family center where Karen worked. When hearing of the Kasprzak's journey, they decided to sponsor them and provide them with gear such as a sleeping bag, guiding poles and plenty of socks.
Elliot and Karen expect plenty of bad weather and hard days, but also something else.
"One of the things a lot of people that have hiked the trail really talk about is something called trail magic and just a great sense of camaraderie on the trail," said Karen.
The couple plans to start the trail on April 10 and expect it to take about five or six months.
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