American Harvey Sutton went to his first day of school last week. The 5-year-old boy had a lot to tell his teacher and classmates about his summer. That is because Harvey just finished walking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, one of the longest footpaths in the world. The 3,500-kilometer-long trail passes through 14 states in the eastern United States. Harvey is one of the youngest people ever to walk the trail. He and his parents completed the trip in 209 days. It was hard work. But it was also fun. Harvey got to watch wild animals like frogs and lizards. He climbed over tall rocks. And he got to eat Skittles, a colorful sweet treat, to give him energy. “The rock scrambles were really fun and hard. We were not bored,” Harvey said from his home in Virginia, where he lives with his parents, Josh and Cassie Sutton. His parents tried hard to keep their little boy happy and excited. In fact, they said, they had little time to pay attention to their own physical pain from walking so many kilometers. “It gave us a bond and a strength that we hadn’t realized before,” Cassie Sutton said. Other young children have hiked the trail, which starts at Springer Mountain, Georgia and ends atop Maine’s Mount Katahdin. Even some babies have travelled the length with their parents. Harvey was 4 years old when he and his parents began their walk in January. He turned 5 before the family completed the trip earlier this month in Maine. He is several months younger than “Buddy Backpacker,” a boy who once held the record for youngest person to complete the trail. But the youngest of all may be Juniper Netteberg. The little girl finished the trail at age four with her parents and three siblings last October. It may seem like an extreme activity for a child, but Dr. Laura Blaisdell sees no harm. She is a children’s doctor and medical adviser to the American Camp Association. Dr. Blaisdell said children are strong enough for the experience if parents attend to their child’s usual social and emotional development. Harvey’s parents had been hiking with Harvey since he was two years old. Doing the Appalachian Trail seemed like a good next step. It was a mostly smooth experience, the family reported. They slept in a tent, waking at 5:30 in the morning and walking all day. Their daily life was simple. Josh Sutton said meeting and talking with other hikers along the way prevented boredom. They started calling his son “Little Man,” early on the trip. Harvey’s new name spread quickly among hikers all along the Appalachian Trail. Karl Donus Sakas hiked with the family from Pennsylvania to the end of the trail in Maine. He helped the family keep Harvey interested by creating a treasure hunt with maps. Little Man found hidden playthings and brightly lit sticks along the trail. Some other hikers gave Little Man toys, too, including a pet rock and Hot Wheels cars. At a Dollar General store, Harvey bought himself a calculator to keep track of all of the kilometers he had walked. The Sutton family completed the hike August 9 atop Mount Katahdin in Maine. Now it is off to school for Little Man and back to work for his parents.
Title: Five-Year-Old Boy Completes Appalachian Trail With Parents
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Five-Year-Old Boy Completes Appalachian Trail With Parents' data-article-id='5849'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='6854'>American Harvey Sutton went to his first day of school last week. </span> <span data-start-time='6854' data-end-time='15063'>The 5-year-old boy had a lot to tell his teacher and classmates about his summer.</span> <span data-start-time='15063' data-end-time='26354'>That is because Harvey just finished walking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, one of the longest footpaths in the world. </span> <span data-start-time='26354' data-end-time='36792'>The 3,500-kilometer-long trail passes through 14 states in the eastern United States.</span> <span data-start-time='36792' data-end-time='42542'>Harvey is one of the youngest people ever to walk the trail. </span> <span data-start-time='42542' data-end-time='48521'>He and his parents completed the trip in 209 days.</span> <span data-start-time='48521' data-end-time='50583'>It was hard work. </span> <span data-start-time='50583' data-end-time='53708'>But it was also fun. </span> <span data-start-time='53708' data-end-time='59021'>Harvey got to watch wild animals like frogs and lizards. </span> <span data-start-time='59021' data-end-time='62146'>He climbed over tall rocks. </span> <span data-start-time='62146' data-end-time='69021'>And he got to eat Skittles, a colorful sweet treat, to give him energy.</span> <span data-start-time='69021' data-end-time='72979'>“The rock scrambles were really fun and hard. </span> <span data-start-time='72979' data-end-time='82979'>We were not bored,” Harvey said from his home in Virginia, where he lives with his parents, Josh and Cassie Sutton.</span> <span data-start-time='82979' data-end-time='88667'>His parents tried hard to keep their little boy happy and excited. </span> <span data-start-time='88667' data-end-time='100292'>In fact, they said, they had little time to pay attention to their own physical pain from walking so many kilometers.</span> <span data-start-time='100292' data-end-time='108000'>“It gave us a bond and a strength that we hadn’t realized before,” Cassie Sutton said.</span> <span data-start-time='108000' data-end-time='118833'>Other young children have hiked the trail, which starts at Springer Mountain, Georgia and ends atop Maine’s Mount Katahdin. </span> <span data-start-time='118833' data-end-time='124250'>Even some babies have travelled the length with their parents.</span> <span data-start-time='124250' data-end-time='131458'>Harvey was 4 years old when he and his parents began their walk in January. </span> <span data-start-time='131458' data-end-time='138979'>He turned 5 before the family completed the trip earlier this month in Maine.</span> <span data-start-time='138979' data-end-time='149146'>He is several months younger than “Buddy Backpacker,” a boy who once held the record for youngest person to complete the trail.</span> <span data-start-time='149146' data-end-time='153729'>But the youngest of all may be Juniper Netteberg. </span> <span data-start-time='153729' data-end-time='162396'>The little girl finished the trail at age four with her parents and three siblings last October.</span> <span data-start-time='162396' data-end-time='170708'>It may seem like an extreme activity for a child, but Dr. Laura Blaisdell sees no harm. </span> <span data-start-time='170708' data-end-time='178750'>She is a children’s doctor and medical adviser to the American Camp Association.</span> <span data-start-time='178750' data-end-time='190417'>Dr. Blaisdell said children are strong enough for the experience if parents attend to their child’s usual social and emotional development.</span> <span data-start-time='190417' data-end-time='196229'>Harvey’s parents had been hiking with Harvey since he was two years old. </span> <span data-start-time='196229' data-end-time='202438'>Doing the Appalachian Trail seemed like a good next step.</span> <span data-start-time='202438' data-end-time='207896'>It was a mostly smooth experience, the family reported. </span> <span data-start-time='207896' data-end-time='214604'>They slept in a tent, waking at 5:30 in the morning and walking all day. </span> <span data-start-time='214604' data-end-time='218167'>Their daily life was simple.</span> <span data-start-time='218167' data-end-time='225833'>Josh Sutton said meeting and talking with other hikers along the way prevented boredom. </span> <span data-start-time='225833' data-end-time='231083'>They started calling his son “Little Man,” early on the trip. </span> <span data-start-time='231083' data-end-time='238104'>Harvey’s new name spread quickly among hikers all along the Appalachian Trail.</span> <span data-start-time='238104' data-end-time='246271'>Karl Donus Sakas hiked with the family from Pennsylvania to the end of the trail in Maine. </span> <span data-start-time='246271' data-end-time='252792'>He helped the family keep Harvey interested by creating a treasure hunt with maps. </span> <span data-start-time='252792' data-end-time='259563'>Little Man found hidden playthings and brightly lit sticks along the trail.</span> <span data-start-time='259563' data-end-time='267833'>Some other hikers gave Little Man toys, too, including a pet rock and Hot Wheels cars. </span> <span data-start-time='267833' data-end-time='277604'>At a Dollar General store, Harvey bought himself a calculator to keep track of all of the kilometers he had walked.</span> <span data-start-time='277604' data-end-time='284792'>The Sutton family completed the hike August 9 atop Mount Katahdin in Maine. </span> <span data-start-time='284792' data-end-time='291271'>Now it is off to school for Little Man and back to work for his parents.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/A.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17982 data-hint-location='26354' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/what_is_a_trail.wav'>What is a trail?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a marked or established path or route especially through a forest or mountainous region'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/an_act_of_weeping_or_grieving.wav'><span>an act of weeping or grieving</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/a_building_or_outdoor_area_in_which_plays_and_other_dramatic_performances_are_given.wav'><span>a building or outdoor area in which plays and other dramatic performances are given.</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/a_cruel_and_oppressive_ruler.wav'><span>a cruel and oppressive ruler</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/a_marked_or_established_path_or_route_especially_through_a_forest_or_mountainous_region.wav'><span>a marked or established path or route especially through a forest or mountainous region</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17983 data-hint-location='26354' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/how_many_states_does_the_appalachian_trail_pass_through.wav'>How many states does the Appalachian Trail pass through?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='fourteen'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/fourteen.wav'><span>fourteen</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/fifteen.wav'><span>fifteen</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/sixteen.wav'><span>sixteen</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/fourty.wav'><span>fourty</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17984 data-hint-location='53708' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/harvey_got_to_watch_wild__blank__like_frogs_and_lizards_.wav'>Harvey got to watch wild <span class='blank'>animals</span> like frogs and lizards. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='animals'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/gourds.wav'><span>gourds</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/animals.wav'><span>animals</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/feathers.wav'><span>feathers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/gymnasiums.wav'><span>gymnasiums</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5295/A.wav
Preview
