Human beings have often been able to apply universal philosophies in their lives by relating them to whatever passions may drive them. Scott Thomas Noethen is no exception.

Noethan's life has been filled with travels, traversing on foot both coasts of North America from southern Canada to the ends of Mexico and the southernmost tip of Florida.

"Being able to pull yourself through emotional, physical, and spiritual turmoil and embrace the luck that you receive along the way," Noethen says, is the most addicting aspect of through-hiking, Noethan's personal passion that keeps him on the trail for as long as 21 months at a time.

It is this addiction to the trail that keeps him coming back for more.

Noethen's early years were spent in Michigan, where he moved from the suburban Jackson to rural Manitou Beach. Many associate the rural lifestyle to being the catalyst in Noethen's predisposition to the outdoors.

Noethen said that this was not the case when he discussed how people tend to judge him based on his appearance. Noethen's big stature and large beard automatically lead people to assume that hiking is something he has grown up with.

The "antithesis of ego," as he called it, or separating oneself from material possessions, appearance and status to truly be alone with nature, is one of of Noethen's favorite aspects of backpacking.

An able student, Noethen never found much fulfillment in academia. He changed his college major four consecutive semesters before deciding to take some time off and look for adventure. He was making plans for a backpacking trip through Western Europe when Noethen's father suggested that he backpack domestically before venturing to a land where he could not speak the language.

His father mentioned the Appalachian Trail, and after doing some research, Noethen decided that this would be his first major feat.

"My first hike was 1500 miles long," Noethen said."My first hike was 1500 miles long," -Scott Noethen

In June of 1999, Noethen embarked from Mount Katahdin, Maine traveling south on the Appalachian Trail, a national wonder he only learned of several weeks earlier.

Though left unfinished, Noethen learned many lessons on the Appalachian Trail, and his time on the trail planted the seeds of desire for future hikes. 

At the very first stop of the night, Noethen realized that he had grossly over-packed and shed fifteen pounds from his nearly 80 pound pack that night. In addition to the excessive amount of weight that he was carrying, Noethen had not yet learned the use of his backpack's lumbar strap which was to balance the weight evenly between shoulders and lower back.

Despite the turbulence at takeoff, Noethen's maiden voyage lasted all the way to Waynesboro, Virginia before he caught the protozoa parasite Giardia and had to get off the trail to receive medical attention.

Noethan had not completely filtered water that he had drank, resulting in the parasite entering his intestines and producing flu-like symptoms until Noethen could no longer continue.

Leaving the trail was difficult for Noethen, who at the time saw it as a pride issue to finish the trail in its entirety, but age and experience have refined that standpoint.

"Whether it's a ‘failed' six-month venture, or a twelve-month excursion, at least you have that time," Noethen said about the amount of growth and introspection that has been done throughout his hikes.

The downtime that was spent recovering from Giardia gave Noethen an opportunity to map out his next great hike, and he was determined to not only finish the next hike, but make it more extensive than the first.

Cap Gaspé, Quebec was the launch point of Noethan's next big journey, and this one would not only span the Appalachian Trail, it would encompass it as part of a larger hike running from Canada to Key West, Florida called the Eastern Continental Trail.

From Jul. 4, 2003 to Feb. 2, 2005, Noethen covered the trail from end to end, spending an astonishing 21 months completing it.

Noethen followed this hike just over a year later with the Pacific Crest Trail, running from Manning Park, British Columbia, to Campo, California, lying right at the border of the U.S. and Mexico.

During the hike, Noethen made a pit-stop to quench his thirst for a new exhilarating experience, and climbed Mt. Rainier despite never having climbed a mountain.

After finishing both hikes, Noethen finally felt as if he had nothing else to prove.

"I'd like to think that success in hiking is a metaphor in life," -Scott Noethen

"I'd like to think that success in hiking is a metaphor in life," said Noethen, as he introduced the personal philosophies that he has learned on the trail.

Noethen had to discipline himself on the trail to work efficiently, leave behind as little as possible, waste nothing, and be thankful for the simplest of things, such as good weather or a beautiful sunset, which has in turn translated to life off of the trail.

Noethen loves to speak of his experiences and has an extensive collection of photos from his trips. He has spoken at a variety of venues ranging from Boy Scout groups to Wildlife events, as well as The University of Southern California, and Dartmouth University.

The next path is being charted right through the heart of the North American continent. Noethan wants to connect Canada's Great Divide Trail with the Continental Divide Trail running through the U.S. at some point next year.

To Noethan, it isn't about proving something to himself anymore. It is just the thing that he feels most comfortable with:

" It's not important about finishing, it's what's in between."