WHO 13 NEWS – Iowa veteran Joedy VanVelzen made it to Maine on the Appalachian Trail, the final state in a journey of nearly 2,200 miles through 14 states.

He surpassed the 1,900-mile mark last week and called it the “toughest week of the journey so far.”

That’s when VanVelzen and his hiking buddy Greg, a fellow veteran through Warrior Expeditions, were hiking through the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

The mountain range has a reputation for cutting daily mileage in half. VanVelzen reports they were averaging well over 100 miles a week and it took them longer to meet the latest milestone due to terrain and weather conditions with near-zero visibility, high winds, and rain.

They stayed one night at a shelter and stopped at a veteran supporter’s house for a hot shower, meal, and sleep.

VanVelzen has less than 300 miles to go until the finish line. He hopes to regain his daily mileage average and finish as planned in a couple of weeks.

If you’d like to follow along, follow his Facebook page: On the Appalachian Trail with Joedy.