Birthday Girl Thru Hike Attempt Appalachian Trail

Hello, my name is Kathy Porupski, also known on the trail as Lil Bird,

I am reaching out to ask for help and support for Birthday Girl, Pamela Clark a 76 yr. old retired special needs school teacher from Tampa Bay Florida who is trying to complete her dream to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. She started this epic journey for her 76th Birthday on March 30th, 2022 and needs to complete it by her 77th Birthday on March 30th, 2023. Should Pam complete this 2,190+ mile walk from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Mt. Katahdin Maine. It is believed she will take and hold the record for the oldest female to complete this epic journey.

While hiking and having completed over 1,300+ miles and 6+ months on the Appalachian Trail Pam sustained an elbow injury that required extensive orthopedic surgery back in Florida in late October. Now healed and medically released to resume activities Birthday Girl can't let this dream that was nearing completion not get completed. She says the trail and title have been calling to her and she cannot leave it undone despite the dangers and risks that the cold weather of winter will bring.

Pam/Birthday Girl and other volunteers are and have been working on and implementing safety precautions to support her return to the Trail on New Year's Day where Pam and James will be driving to Harper's Ferry - The Appalachian Trail Conservancy in West Virginia to continue her trek North towards Maine.

We are ever so grateful to announce that trail angel Kevin Ryan II known as Kitchen - (K1tch3n) Sink on the trail has once again volunteered to accompany Pam for safety and support. Kevin is an accomplished winter backpacker who helped Birthday girl accomplish some of the toughest sections of Maine. Another volunteer, James, will be ground support for Pam and Kevin with his truck and a purchased trailer, meeting them at available crossroads to resupply them and offer safe harbor, if possible, from dangerous inclement weather.

She has an 800+ mile stretch of trail from Harper’s Ferry to New Hampshire to complete hopefully by March 30th for the 12-month completion ruling to clench the record of the oldest female to accomplish this feat. Pam says regardless of the title or time constraint she always finishes what she starts and it will get done!

The addition of the unexpected length of time for Pam to accomplish her dream and the expenses of her pets being cared for properly as well as the extra winter gear, support crew expenses, fuel, and the trailer has put a huge unexpected dent in Pam’s life savings of which she now draws upon to accomplish.

If anyone would like to contribute to the funding of helping Birthday Girl achieve this epic endeavor every dollar donated is much appreciated and will be used to help support Pam and her two volunteers Kevin Ryan II and James achieve her dream as safely as possible by March 30th, 2023.

They are also in need of extra Trail Angel support to have additional resources of willing and available people per state for safe harbor, transportation, meals, extra winter gear etc. as safety measures should it be needed. As the more people who are familiar with their area of the AT should she need assistance the better in the states she has left to finish. She will start in West Virginia at Harper’s Ferry Just shy of entering Maryland heading North to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and finishing in New Hampshire.

We are compiling a volunteer list per state and if you would be interested in assisting if needed in any of the above states during the upcoming three months of 2023, please use the contact box under organizer Kathy Porupski at the bottom of the page.

You can join to follow for updates on Birthday Girl's epic journey here on her Facebook Group Page: Birthday Girl's Thru Hike Attempt of the AT

You can find and watch her local news story on 10 Tampa Bay here:

Pam's Tampa Bay Channel 10 New's Story

It's been an honor and a privilege to be a part of Pamela Clark's epic journey! To all of the other supporters, Pam thanks every one of you for your support, best wishes and the positive energy which has been the wind beneath her wings... Walk on Birthday Girl… Walk on!! You got this.

Birthday Girl/ Pamela Clark and I thank you with MUCH APPRECIATION FOR ANY AND ALL SUPPORT of her dream/endeavor to complete this daunting and long walk of 2190+ mile journey through 14 states. Known as the Appalachian Trail. ⛺️