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[gentle orchestral fanfare]

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♪

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[resonant strings lead 
building orchestration]

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(male narrator) 
Welcome to Our State ,

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a production of UNC-TV

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in association 
with Our State magazine--

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for over 75 years

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bringing readers 
the wonders of North Carolina.

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On this edition...

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B represents 
Battery B.

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(narrator) 
...we'll meet Fred Johnson 
of Wilmington,

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whose ancestors 
fought in the Civil War

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and who works tirelessly 
to honor their service.

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And we'll watch Trevor Thomas 
take the trek of a lifetime

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against almost 
impossible odds.

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Once I decided 
I was gonna do it,

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there was gonna be no way 
on earth that I wouldn't go

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and, number two, 
that I would quit.

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[woodwind score concludes]

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♪

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[gentle piano melody]

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(male announcer) 
Since 1872,

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BB&T has been supporting 
the people and communities

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of North Carolina.

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From our small-town roots

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to the banking network 
you see today,

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we've always been here 
for all our clients,

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stretching from Manteo... 
to Murphy.

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We're proud of our heritage

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as the oldest bank 
in North Carolina,

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and we're very proud 
to provide funding

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for Our State .

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♪

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Quality public television 
is made possible

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through the financial 
contributions

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of viewers like you,

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who invite you to join them 
in supporting UNC-TV.

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[somber 
pi 
ano 
me 
lody]

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♪

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[gunfire ringing]

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♪

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[rustling]

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♪

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[gunfire continues]

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(narrator) 
Here in the quiet pinewoods

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south and east 
of downtown Wilmington,

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a battle was fought 
nearly 150 years ago,

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a battle that turned the tide 
of the Civil War

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in favor of the Union.

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[gunfire ringing]

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[snare drum introduces 
sustained strings]

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Fort Fisher had fallen

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after a huge, sustained 
bombardment from the sea.

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The fort guarded access 
to Wilmington to the north,

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the last Confederate city 
open to trade.

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Eventually, defenders 
south and west of Wilmington

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were forced to retreat

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and chose to make their 
last stand here at Forks Road.

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Although outnumbered 
three to one,

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the Confederates 
nearly wiped out

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the first assault 
by Union troops,

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but they could not hold 
and had to abandon Wilmington.

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♪

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Obscured in the smoke 
of battle

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and largely lost 
to the times

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was an astonishing fact.

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The wave of Union troops

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who first assaulted 
the Confederate earthworks,

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the troops who had done 
most of the fighting

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on the east side of the river, 
were colored soldiers.

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♪

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(man) 
There were more than 179,000 
African Americans who fought

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for the United States 
military, um.

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Here, there were 
two brigades of, uh,

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United States Colored Troops,

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comprising about 3,300 men.

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One brigade was, uh,

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principally 
the combatant unit here--

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1st, 5th, 10th, 27th, 
and 37th U.S. Colored Troops,

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and about 50 of them 
were casualties here.

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[gentle piano melody]

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(narrator) 
The Battle of Forks Road 
was small

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as Civil War combat went, 
despite its significance,

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and it was little noted 
as the war came to a close.

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In time, Wilmington 
got back to business

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and grew into the city 
that it is today

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while the battlefield 
slumbered beneath the pines.

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(Fonvielle) 
I got very interested 
in the site.

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We were able, through 
archaeological surveys,

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prove that there was, 
indeed, a battle here,

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but there was not much, uh,

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known about the battle 
through documentation.

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And so I started un-- 
you know,

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turning over every stone 
that I could find,

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looking 
in the official records,

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newspaper articles, 
regimental histories,

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and didn't find much,

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but I found enough to prove, 
uh, that, uh, indeed,

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this is where the Confederates 
made their last stand

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and that the principal 
Union combatants

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were United States 
Colored Troops.

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United States Colored Troops 
fought in 39 major battles,

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and they fought 
in over 400 minor skirmishes

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and other smaller battles,

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but this particular one here 
in, uh, Forks Road

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is important 
because the majority

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of the federal troops, uh, 
were USCTs.

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Coming up from, uh, 
Fort Fisher,

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this was the next stop

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before the fall 
of Wilmington,

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and Wilmington, 
of course,

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was a major, uh, asset 
to the Confederacy

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in keeping 
their supply line open.

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So the fact that the, uh,

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USCT were victorious 
here at Forks Road

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is a very important part 
of our history.

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[cannon fire resounding]

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And I must honestly say that, 
within the black community,

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the stigma of the Civil War 
still runs deep.

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It still runs deep.

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I've been a reenactor 
for over, uh, ten years,

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and a friend of mine 
came to me some years ago

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and said they had a traveling 
Underground Railroad show

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and they needed some blacks 
to portray the slaves.

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And I told him, 
I said, uh,

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"I'm not--I don't--I'm not 
portraying slaves this week."

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You know, it's--"I'm not 
doin' slaves," just honestly.

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And after I hung up 
and I thought about it,

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and I said, uh, 
I could be a soldier,

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but I couldn't be a slave.

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(narrator) 
Every February, 
the patch of Wilmington woods

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that was the battlefield

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is transformed 
into a Civil War encampment

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with all the accoutrements 
one would expect of the era,

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Confederate and Union.

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[easy banjo and bass tune]

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♪

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[clanking]

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(man) 
This is my tent here,

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and I have all the equipment 
that goes along with it.

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Every--every person 
has their own equipment,

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and we come out, 
and we just have a good time.

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(narrator) 
Fred Johnson 
is tightly woven

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into the fabric 
of Forks Road.

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(Fonvielle) 
He is so active

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in the historical community, 
uh, around Wilmington

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and has done so much to, uh,

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not only investigate 
but further interest

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in the role 
of African Americans

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during the Civil War, uh.

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He is an active participant 
in Civil War reenactments,

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serving on an artillery crew,

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but he goes around 
to local schools, uh,

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and portrays, uh, 
an African-American soldier,

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dressing out in uniform,

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even going so far 
as to make hardtack,

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which was kind of 
a staple among, uh,

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Civil War soldiers 
for eating--

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it's like a hard biscuit--

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and, uh, encouraging students, 
uh, black and white

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to take a greater interest 
in their--in their past.

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So have a good trip; 
I hope you learned 
somethin'.

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(group) 
Thank you.

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So anyhow, I asked 
this one young girl

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that was in this class, 
"How would you like

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to have eaten hardtack 
all the time?"

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She says, 
"I wouldn't."

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I said, 
"What would you have did?"

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"I'd go 
to Burger King."

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[group laughing]

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(narrator) 
Fred is full of stories, 
like the one

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about how the shoes 
Civil War soldiers wore

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didn't come 
in lefts and rights.

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The reason bein', 
they only had to make one shoe.

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They didn't have 
to make a left or right.

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If I were to get shot, 
fall dead,

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you come by and see my shoe 
was better than yours--

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your left shoe 
or right shoe--

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you'd put my shoe on 
and wear it.

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(narrator) 
For Sergeant Johnson, 
Battery B 2nd Regiment

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United States Colored Troops

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and a 79-year-old veteran 
of the Korean War,

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Forks Road and the Civil War 
run deep in his blood.

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Fred's roots 
are in Pennsylvania,

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and two of his ancestors 
fought with the USCTS.

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I learned that 
my great-great grandfather,

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00:08:02,882 --> 00:08:06,586
Peter Quomony, he was 
with the 3rd U.S. Infantry,

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00:08:06,686 --> 00:08:08,888
his brother, Abraham Quomony,

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with the 24th USCT Infantry,

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and then I did learn later on,

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they had a brother-in-law, 
Edward Ford,

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with the 25th USCT Infantry.

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(narrator) 
The first day 
of this year's reenactment

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dawns gray and chilly, 
and the camp awakens slowly.

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Reenactors are sticklers 
for detail,

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sharing a cup of morning brew

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made right here in the field,

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practicing formations 
and skirmish lines...

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(man, distantly) 
Ready, aim, fire!

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[gunfire ringing]

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(narrator) 
...and even drawing 
soldier's pay.

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00:08:45,091 --> 00:08:46,792
Hey, have you boys 
been paid?

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00:08:46,893 --> 00:08:48,528
(group shouting) 
Hip, hip, hooray!

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00:08:48,628 --> 00:08:50,696
Hip, hip, hooray!

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00:08:51,964 --> 00:08:55,268
(narrator) 
But what of the real men 
who fought and died here,

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many of whom rest 
in unmarked graves,

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00:08:58,104 --> 00:09:00,006
the U.S. Colored troops--

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00:09:00,106 --> 00:09:02,074
who remembers them?

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00:09:02,174 --> 00:09:03,876
The answer, 
of course, is Fred

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00:09:03,976 --> 00:09:05,845
and other USCT reenactors.

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00:09:05,945 --> 00:09:07,580
[woman singing 
"The Star Spangled Banner"]

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00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:10,983
Later in the spring, they don 
their uniforms one more time

213
00:09:11,083 --> 00:09:13,219
for some long-overdue 
formal recognition

214
00:09:13,319 --> 00:09:16,822
of soldiers who fought here 
in the Battle of Forks Road

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00:09:16,923 --> 00:09:18,291
and were buried

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00:09:18,391 --> 00:09:20,426
in Wilmington's 
National Cemetery.

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00:09:20,526 --> 00:09:24,096
(Fonvielle) 
And they really have not 
gotten the due recognition

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00:09:24,196 --> 00:09:25,565
that they deserved,

219
00:09:25,665 --> 00:09:28,267
and Fred Johnson 
applied for and, uh,

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00:09:28,367 --> 00:09:31,103
a highway historical marker 
has been approved,

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00:09:31,203 --> 00:09:33,973
and that will be erected 
sometime this spring.

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00:09:34,073 --> 00:09:36,809
So, uh, Mr. Johnson, uh, 
is, again,

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00:09:36,909 --> 00:09:38,244
as an African American,

224
00:09:38,344 --> 00:09:40,379
in the vanguard 
of our Civil War history.

225
00:09:40,479 --> 00:09:42,281
(narrator) 
It took many trips to Raleigh

226
00:09:42,381 --> 00:09:45,051
to meet with the state 
archives and history division

227
00:09:45,151 --> 00:09:47,954
and long talks with the 
Wilmington National Cemetery,

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00:09:48,054 --> 00:09:49,722
but he got it done.

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00:09:49,822 --> 00:09:51,891
Just like Fred's 
great-great-grandfather

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00:09:51,991 --> 00:09:54,894
who walked from Florida 
to Pennsylvania after the war

231
00:09:54,994 --> 00:09:56,662
to return to his family,

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00:09:56,762 --> 00:09:59,098
Fred persevered.

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00:09:59,198 --> 00:10:01,167
And thanks largely 
to his efforts,

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00:10:01,267 --> 00:10:04,070
a highway marker now informs 
the thousands of people

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00:10:04,170 --> 00:10:06,072
who drive by this cemetery

236
00:10:06,172 --> 00:10:09,709
that brave men 
of all colors rest here.

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00:10:09,809 --> 00:10:13,212
(Johnson) 
Today's event centered 
around the many tombstones

238
00:10:13,312 --> 00:10:14,981
that are 
in the National Cemetery

239
00:10:15,081 --> 00:10:17,283
that have never been given 
any type of recognition.

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00:10:17,383 --> 00:10:18,951
As the mayor stated today,

241
00:10:19,051 --> 00:10:21,287
thousands of people drive 
up and down Market Street.

242
00:10:21,387 --> 00:10:22,755
They never know.

243
00:10:22,855 --> 00:10:24,490
Why did it take so long?

244
00:10:24,590 --> 00:10:27,660
No one made any effort 
or had an interest to step up

245
00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:29,495
and start to do somethin'.

246
00:10:29,595 --> 00:10:33,366
Well, I did; I'm very proud 
and happy that I did.

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00:10:33,466 --> 00:10:35,134
[fading trumpet note]

248
00:10:36,435 --> 00:10:38,371
[sparse 
pi 
ano melody]

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00:10:38,471 --> 00:10:46,846
♪

250
00:10:46,946 --> 00:10:49,982
(narrator) 
Life's trails 
are filled with surprises.

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00:10:50,082 --> 00:10:52,585
♪

252
00:10:52,685 --> 00:10:55,755
The more interesting 
and memorable ones

253
00:10:55,855 --> 00:10:59,058
offer twists and turns 
to negotiate

254
00:10:59,158 --> 00:11:01,827
and steep summits to climb...

255
00:11:01,927 --> 00:11:03,429
sometimes after you think

256
00:11:03,529 --> 00:11:05,531
you've found 
your footing at last.

257
00:11:05,631 --> 00:11:07,400
Do you wanna hike 
in the rain?

258
00:11:07,500 --> 00:11:09,301
I don't care-- 
either way.

259
00:11:09,402 --> 00:11:11,103
Thank you 
again.

260
00:11:11,203 --> 00:11:13,839
(narrator) 
But it's the most challenging 
of life's trails

261
00:11:13,939 --> 00:11:16,242
that play forever 
in your mind,

262
00:11:16,342 --> 00:11:20,012
the ones that both frustrate 
and enliven your journey

263
00:11:20,112 --> 00:11:22,481
in undreamed-of ways.

264
00:11:22,581 --> 00:11:24,950
Just ask Trevor Thomas.

265
00:11:25,051 --> 00:11:27,920
(Trevor) 
Yeah, 2004 
was a good year for me--

266
00:11:28,020 --> 00:11:29,522
got out of law school.

267
00:11:29,622 --> 00:11:32,591
I was going to go into 
the JAG Corps with the Navy.

268
00:11:32,692 --> 00:11:35,494
The only thing I had to do 
was take a physical,

269
00:11:35,594 --> 00:11:37,363
which included an eye test.

270
00:11:37,463 --> 00:11:39,031
(narrator) 
The news was shocking

271
00:11:39,131 --> 00:11:40,866
and came out of nowhere.

272
00:11:40,966 --> 00:11:43,302
(Trevor) 
She said, "Glasses 
are not gonna help you.

273
00:11:43,402 --> 00:11:44,870
"I can't help you.

274
00:11:44,970 --> 00:11:48,441
I would recommend highly 
that you go see a specialist."

275
00:11:48,541 --> 00:11:51,177
He said it could be central 
serous chorioretinopathy.

276
00:11:51,277 --> 00:11:53,979
He said, "but not like 
anything I'd ever seen.

277
00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,482
Twenty-five percent 
of my eyesight, one week,

278
00:11:56,582 --> 00:11:58,350
gone just like that.

279
00:11:58,451 --> 00:12:01,787
(narrator) 
And soon, probably gone 
entirely...with no cure.

280
00:12:01,887 --> 00:12:04,256
(Trevor) 
I never met a blind person.

281
00:12:04,356 --> 00:12:07,626
I certainly didn't ever 
envision myself being blind.

282
00:12:07,727 --> 00:12:11,363
God knows, I didn't know 
how to exist as a blind person.

283
00:12:11,464 --> 00:12:13,099
First two or three years,

284
00:12:13,199 --> 00:12:14,734
as he was realizing

285
00:12:14,834 --> 00:12:16,502
that blindness had occurred,

286
00:12:16,602 --> 00:12:19,572
uh, one, we didn't know 
what to expect at all.

287
00:12:19,672 --> 00:12:21,640
I'm not sure 
he knew what to expect,

288
00:12:21,741 --> 00:12:23,242
but it was 
pretty harrowing.

289
00:12:23,342 --> 00:12:25,311
I did not want 
to leave my house.

290
00:12:25,411 --> 00:12:27,880
I didn't even 
know how I was going to get

291
00:12:27,980 --> 00:12:29,749
to the mailbox 
without getting hurt.

292
00:12:29,849 --> 00:12:32,084
You know, in my eyes, 
you know, life--

293
00:12:32,184 --> 00:12:33,719
life was over.

294
00:12:33,819 --> 00:12:35,454
So then you gotta 
figure out,

295
00:12:35,554 --> 00:12:37,556
am I just gonna 
curl up and die

296
00:12:37,656 --> 00:12:40,860
or am I gonna just, 
"OK, what am I gonna do?"

297
00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:44,063
One friend called and said, 
"You are going out,

298
00:12:44,163 --> 00:12:47,933
and we're gonna go see 
a blind guy speak."

299
00:12:48,033 --> 00:12:50,736
The same problems I had 
and I was going through,

300
00:12:50,836 --> 00:12:52,171
he'd already gone through,

301
00:12:52,271 --> 00:12:54,707
so I instantly 
could identify with him.

302
00:12:54,807 --> 00:12:57,877
Turned out to be 
a very, very monumental point

303
00:12:57,977 --> 00:12:59,245
in my life.

304
00:12:59,345 --> 00:13:00,846
[piano chords rise]

305
00:13:00,946 --> 00:13:03,616
Well, uh, 
he climbed Everest.

306
00:13:03,716 --> 00:13:06,051
If this guy can climb Everest 
and he's blind,

307
00:13:06,152 --> 00:13:08,053
why can't I do 
whatever it is

308
00:13:08,154 --> 00:13:09,955
that I wanna do 
in life?

309
00:13:10,055 --> 00:13:13,159
It was like a catharsis; 
it really was.

310
00:13:13,259 --> 00:13:15,327
[door squeaking]

311
00:13:15,427 --> 00:13:18,731
(woman) 
He realized at that moment 
that he could be

312
00:13:18,831 --> 00:13:20,900
a blind person 
that could do something

313
00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,669
other than sit on the sofa 
and do nothing.

314
00:13:23,769 --> 00:13:27,339
(narrator) 
With the help of an orient 
and mobility instructor,

315
00:13:27,439 --> 00:13:29,708
Trevor took 
those critical first steps.

316
00:13:29,809 --> 00:13:31,877
(Trevor) 
The first time was terrifying.

317
00:13:31,977 --> 00:13:33,879
[traffic noise]

318
00:13:33,979 --> 00:13:35,981
[resonant arrangement]

319
00:13:36,081 --> 00:13:38,851
She would make me 
go up and down the streets

320
00:13:38,951 --> 00:13:40,853
all around 
in the neighborhood.

321
00:13:40,953 --> 00:13:43,989
You push that comfort zone 
a little bit.

322
00:13:44,089 --> 00:13:47,993
Then you push it again, 
and then again and again.

323
00:13:48,093 --> 00:13:50,296
I've done 
so many miles hiking.

324
00:13:50,396 --> 00:13:52,765
I know by the speed 
that I'm walking

325
00:13:52,865 --> 00:13:55,067
and time basically tell me 
how far I've gone,

326
00:13:55,167 --> 00:13:57,670
and how far I've gone 
will get me to markers

327
00:13:57,770 --> 00:13:59,538
and let me know 
where to turn

328
00:13:59,638 --> 00:14:02,508
to go different places-- 
down the street,

329
00:14:02,608 --> 00:14:04,977
up the hill, 
turn right,

330
00:14:05,077 --> 00:14:07,880
then turn left, 
then walk down that street,

331
00:14:07,980 --> 00:14:11,250
and the minute 
we hit the greenway,

332
00:14:11,350 --> 00:14:13,252
it was freedom.

333
00:14:13,352 --> 00:14:14,720
(narrator) 
A Charlotte greenway

334
00:14:14,820 --> 00:14:16,889
was Trevor's ticket 
to a future

335
00:14:16,989 --> 00:14:19,925
he couldn't have imagined 
at that time.

336
00:14:20,025 --> 00:14:22,494
(Trevor) 
There's not a day 
that I don't go out

337
00:14:22,595 --> 00:14:24,964
and hit the greenway 
for either training,

338
00:14:25,064 --> 00:14:26,866
enjoyment, 
or for transportation.

339
00:14:26,966 --> 00:14:28,868
(narrator) 
Trevor's home away from home

340
00:14:28,968 --> 00:14:31,470
often meant 
20 to 25 miles a day

341
00:14:31,570 --> 00:14:33,038
of disciplined effort.

342
00:14:33,138 --> 00:14:36,041
(Elizabeth) 
He had to find something 
that worked for him,

343
00:14:36,141 --> 00:14:39,311
and the hiking was, you know, 
what was the answer.

344
00:14:39,411 --> 00:14:41,447
(narrator) 
But not just any hike.

345
00:14:41,547 --> 00:14:44,450
Trevor decided 
to take on the big one,

346
00:14:44,550 --> 00:14:47,253
the Appalachian Trail, 
end to end,

347
00:14:47,353 --> 00:14:49,788
all 2,175 miles of it,

348
00:14:49,889 --> 00:14:53,726
from Georgia to Maine, 
through 14 states.

349
00:14:53,826 --> 00:14:56,795
I do think my parents 
wanted to have me committed.

350
00:14:56,896 --> 00:14:59,565
And I said, "You didn't 
join the Boy Scouts.

351
00:14:59,665 --> 00:15:01,800
"You didn't-- 
you never camped in your--

352
00:15:01,901 --> 00:15:03,402
never did any of that."

353
00:15:03,502 --> 00:15:05,271
Yeah, I thought 
he lost his mind

354
00:15:05,371 --> 00:15:07,573
and his eyesight 
all in the same pipe, yep.

355
00:15:07,673 --> 00:15:10,376
Once I decided, there was 
gonna be no way on earth

356
00:15:10,476 --> 00:15:14,380
that number one, 
I wouldn't go

357
00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:16,782
and number two, 
that I would quit.

358
00:15:16,882 --> 00:15:18,384
We still didn't 
really think

359
00:15:18,484 --> 00:15:20,419
he was going 
to go.

360
00:15:20,519 --> 00:15:22,755
(narrator) 
A thru-hike 
of the entire trail

361
00:15:22,855 --> 00:15:24,757
typically takes 
five to seven months.

362
00:15:24,857 --> 00:15:27,860
It's best to start 
in Georgia in the spring

363
00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,397
and walk north to Maine, 
following the warm weather

364
00:15:31,497 --> 00:15:34,767
up the spine 
of the Appalachians.

365
00:15:34,867 --> 00:15:37,336
(Trevor) 
When it became real 
that I was gonna go,

366
00:15:37,436 --> 00:15:39,905
my sister was the only one 
that would take me.

367
00:15:40,005 --> 00:15:41,774
(Elizabeth) 
I watched him as he went,

368
00:15:41,874 --> 00:15:44,843
and I thought, "OK Trev, this 
is your one and only chance

369
00:15:44,944 --> 00:15:46,745
to show that you 
can do this."

370
00:15:46,845 --> 00:15:50,149
Part of me was like, you know, 
as much gumption as he had,

371
00:15:50,249 --> 00:15:51,750
yeah, he could do it,

372
00:15:51,850 --> 00:15:54,086
but then the other part of me 
was thinking,

373
00:15:54,186 --> 00:15:56,989
"Oh my gosh, you know, 
have I just sent him off

374
00:15:57,089 --> 00:15:59,625
in the sunset 
to come home in a pine box?"

375
00:15:59,725 --> 00:16:01,193
[harp introduces 
bright droning]

376
00:16:01,293 --> 00:16:03,429
(narrator) 
D-day was April 6, 2008,

377
00:16:03,529 --> 00:16:05,164
and the way 
Trevor figured it,

378
00:16:05,264 --> 00:16:07,032
it would work 
to ask other hikers

379
00:16:07,132 --> 00:16:09,101
if they would trust 
having a blind guy

380
00:16:09,201 --> 00:16:10,469
tag after them.

381
00:16:10,569 --> 00:16:12,671
(Trevor) 
The first 24 groups of people

382
00:16:12,771 --> 00:16:14,506
that I asked, 
absolutely not.

383
00:16:14,606 --> 00:16:17,309
Most people did not want 
to be responsible

384
00:16:17,409 --> 00:16:19,945
for getting 
the blind guy killed.

385
00:16:20,045 --> 00:16:23,716
(narrator) 
Finally, a hiker named Kevin 
took up his challenge,

386
00:16:23,816 --> 00:16:27,086
and they were off, 
much like you see Trevor here

387
00:16:27,186 --> 00:16:29,154
following his friend Dave.

388
00:16:29,254 --> 00:16:31,290
But like any new venture,

389
00:16:31,390 --> 00:16:33,359
there were 
some learning experiences.

390
00:16:33,459 --> 00:16:35,494
[resonant arrangement]

391
00:16:35,594 --> 00:16:38,764
(Trevor) 
The AT is a very rugged trail.

392
00:16:38,864 --> 00:16:41,367
It was nowhere close 
to the greenway,

393
00:16:41,467 --> 00:16:44,770
which is where 
I got all my practice.

394
00:16:44,870 --> 00:16:48,941
We had to figure out a way 
for me not to get killed.

395
00:16:49,041 --> 00:16:51,343
We figured out 
if he tapped on rocks...

396
00:16:51,443 --> 00:16:53,979
All right, rocks 
there to your left.

397
00:16:54,079 --> 00:16:56,248
(Trevor) 
...then I would know 
they were there.

398
00:16:56,348 --> 00:16:58,450
We got better 
and better and better.

399
00:16:58,550 --> 00:17:00,319
(Dave) 
Uh, we have a little blowdown,

400
00:17:00,419 --> 00:17:01,820
but it's 
notched out.

401
00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:03,222
(Trevor) 
All right.

402
00:17:03,322 --> 00:17:05,657
I got quicker 
and quicker and quicker...

403
00:17:05,758 --> 00:17:08,827
and hence started falling 
less and less and less.

404
00:17:08,927 --> 00:17:11,397
(Dave) 
All right, watch 
the rhodies on eye level.

405
00:17:11,497 --> 00:17:13,499
(Trevor) 
It's not true 
that when you lose

406
00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:16,101
one of your senses, 
your other senses get better.

407
00:17:16,201 --> 00:17:17,703
(Dave) 
All right, first step.

408
00:17:17,803 --> 00:17:19,071
(Trevor) 
They don't.

409
00:17:19,171 --> 00:17:20,939
(Dave) 
Go right--a little wobbly.

410
00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:22,741
(Trevor) 
You become more aware,

411
00:17:22,841 --> 00:17:25,778
and you pay attention 
to your other senses more.

412
00:17:25,878 --> 00:17:29,314
My sense of touch-- 
I'm a very tactile person now.

413
00:17:29,415 --> 00:17:31,350
I have noticed 
that the feeling,

414
00:17:31,450 --> 00:17:34,787
ironically enough, in my feet 
has become much more acute.

415
00:17:34,887 --> 00:17:38,357
I need to be able to feel 
the subtle gradient on a trail

416
00:17:38,457 --> 00:17:40,692
to make sure 
that I'm on it.

417
00:17:40,793 --> 00:17:43,262
(narrator) 
Inevitably, Trevor 
and his first hiking partner

418
00:17:43,362 --> 00:17:44,696
had to part company.

419
00:17:44,797 --> 00:17:46,465
(Trevor) 
We made it seven days

420
00:17:46,565 --> 00:17:48,634
before he had to leave 
and go on.

421
00:17:48,734 --> 00:17:50,235
I figured I'd just stop.

422
00:17:50,335 --> 00:17:51,970
I'd sit down, 
and I'd wait.

423
00:17:52,071 --> 00:17:54,273
The great thing about the AT 
is there are

424
00:17:54,373 --> 00:17:56,341
thousands of people 
that do it every year.

425
00:17:56,442 --> 00:17:58,911
So you meet a lot of people 
along the way.

426
00:17:59,011 --> 00:18:00,512
(narrator) 
And Trevor was fortunate

427
00:18:00,612 --> 00:18:03,148
to find fresh hiking partners 
willing to take him on.

428
00:18:03,248 --> 00:18:05,017
(Trevor) 
They said, "Come with us,"

429
00:18:05,117 --> 00:18:07,319
and it went 
on and on like that.

430
00:18:07,419 --> 00:18:10,022
Groups would form; 
people would get off.

431
00:18:10,122 --> 00:18:12,524
(narrator) 
In the beginning, 
trusting others to help him

432
00:18:12,624 --> 00:18:14,359
along life's way 
was difficult...

433
00:18:14,460 --> 00:18:16,095
(Dave) 
We have some steps here.

434
00:18:16,195 --> 00:18:17,863
(narrator) 
...on and off the trail.

435
00:18:17,963 --> 00:18:20,099
Step up 
and then go left.

436
00:18:20,199 --> 00:18:21,834
(Elizabeth) 
He always had the position

437
00:18:21,934 --> 00:18:24,736
that it was "trust no one" 
except for family members,

438
00:18:24,837 --> 00:18:27,406
and the most ironic thing is, 
now with his blindness,

439
00:18:27,506 --> 00:18:29,274
he's gotta trust people.

440
00:18:29,374 --> 00:18:31,143
He's gotta trust 
total strangers,

441
00:18:31,243 --> 00:18:33,212
and that's been 
a turning point for him

442
00:18:33,312 --> 00:18:34,947
'cause he's 
never been like that.

443
00:18:35,047 --> 00:18:37,015
So now he trusts 
a lot of people,

444
00:18:37,116 --> 00:18:39,751
which has made 
a big difference in his life.

445
00:18:39,852 --> 00:18:43,055
(narrator) 
It's common for hikers 
to take on a trail name,

446
00:18:43,155 --> 00:18:45,390
an easy way 
to personalize your trek

447
00:18:45,491 --> 00:18:48,527
and to remember others 
you meet along the way.

448
00:18:48,627 --> 00:18:51,330
On the trail, 
Trevor is known as Zero,

449
00:18:51,430 --> 00:18:53,165
after zero-zero,

450
00:18:53,265 --> 00:18:55,834
a rock climbing term 
for zero visibility.

451
00:18:55,934 --> 00:18:57,736
(man) 
All right, Butterfly; 
let's roll.

452
00:18:57,836 --> 00:19:00,305
(woman) 
I heard about the blind guy 
on the trail,

453
00:19:00,405 --> 00:19:02,941
and it was funny 
because I got to a shelter.

454
00:19:03,041 --> 00:19:04,810
I heard somebody, 
and it was Zero.

455
00:19:04,910 --> 00:19:07,379
He'd been there 
for like a day and a half,

456
00:19:07,479 --> 00:19:09,448
waitin' for somebody he knew 
to come along.

457
00:19:09,548 --> 00:19:10,816
Switchback 
comin' up.

458
00:19:10,916 --> 00:19:13,385
(Sherry) 
We hiked together 
for 3 1/2 days.

459
00:19:13,485 --> 00:19:16,722
He's got the hiking poles, and 
everybody else has as well,

460
00:19:16,822 --> 00:19:19,124
so it's like he doesn't 
feel any different.

461
00:19:19,224 --> 00:19:20,926
People can't tell 
he's blind.

462
00:19:21,026 --> 00:19:22,861
[resonant droning]

463
00:19:22,961 --> 00:19:24,396
He'll tell me sometimes,

464
00:19:24,496 --> 00:19:27,299
he just feels like 
this is his element out here.

465
00:19:27,399 --> 00:19:30,135
♪

466
00:19:30,235 --> 00:19:33,872
(narrator) 
The trail has over 250 
shelters and campsites.

467
00:19:33,972 --> 00:19:36,375
Shelters are spaced 
about a day's hike apart.

468
00:19:36,475 --> 00:19:38,377
[guitar melody leads]

469
00:19:38,477 --> 00:19:41,079
Zero's daily objective 
was simple--

470
00:19:41,180 --> 00:19:43,081
reach a trail shelter 
every night...

471
00:19:43,182 --> 00:19:44,449
[running water]

472
00:19:44,550 --> 00:19:46,285
(Trevor) 
Sounds like good flow.

473
00:19:46,385 --> 00:19:48,287
(narrator) 
...and find water.

474
00:19:48,387 --> 00:19:50,455
♪

475
00:19:50,556 --> 00:19:52,191
And if things work out well,

476
00:19:52,291 --> 00:19:54,092
on the days 
he really needed one,

477
00:19:54,193 --> 00:19:55,994
Zero would find 
a new hiking partner

478
00:19:56,094 --> 00:19:58,497
and let family know 
where he was

479
00:19:58,597 --> 00:20:00,966
via a GPS spot locator.

480
00:20:01,066 --> 00:20:03,302
♪

481
00:20:03,402 --> 00:20:06,438
Anybody's who ever been hiking 
in unfamiliar territory,

482
00:20:06,538 --> 00:20:08,207
even for an afternoon,

483
00:20:08,307 --> 00:20:10,475
can recall 
the heart-pounding feeling

484
00:20:10,576 --> 00:20:14,313
that can come with being alone 
in the wilderness.

485
00:20:14,413 --> 00:20:16,315
(Trevor) 
It's one thing to be alone

486
00:20:16,415 --> 00:20:19,151
and a little bit freaked out 
in the backcountry

487
00:20:19,251 --> 00:20:22,454
when you're by yourself 
in the daytime,

488
00:20:22,554 --> 00:20:25,824
but when it turns to night 
and you're by yourself...

489
00:20:25,924 --> 00:20:27,326
[pronounced breathing]

490
00:20:27,426 --> 00:20:29,328
is very, very unnerving.

491
00:20:29,428 --> 00:20:33,332
You sit and you wait 
for the day to come.

492
00:20:33,432 --> 00:20:35,567
I mean, 
you're just praying for,

493
00:20:35,667 --> 00:20:39,137
when am I gonna feel 
that light on my face?

494
00:20:39,238 --> 00:20:41,340
[guitar introduces 
echoing arrangement]

495
00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:46,478
♪

496
00:20:46,578 --> 00:20:48,580
(Dave) 
All right, we're comin' down.

497
00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,249
Sun's feelin' good.

498
00:20:50,349 --> 00:20:52,851
This is a shot 
that I need for my camera,

499
00:20:52,951 --> 00:20:54,586
with the dew 
on trees.

500
00:20:54,686 --> 00:20:56,655
(Trevor) 
Yeah?

501
00:20:56,755 --> 00:20:58,090
What about it?

502
00:20:58,190 --> 00:21:00,259
Oh, it's the sun 
shootin' through,

503
00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:02,628
and all that dew 
that we had last night.

504
00:21:02,728 --> 00:21:04,363
(Trevor) 
Oh, so it's, like, sparkly?

505
00:21:04,463 --> 00:21:06,098
(Dave) 
Like a Christmas tree.

506
00:21:06,198 --> 00:21:07,733
(Trevor) 
Nice.

507
00:21:07,833 --> 00:21:10,135
♪

508
00:21:10,235 --> 00:21:13,839
(narrator) 
This is a story 
of a man transformed

509
00:21:13,939 --> 00:21:16,708
who has learned 
to step out of self,

510
00:21:16,808 --> 00:21:19,311
and, in turn, inspire others.

511
00:21:19,411 --> 00:21:20,912
(Trevor) 
The amazing thing was--

512
00:21:21,013 --> 00:21:23,248
is that I was doing 
the AT for myself.

513
00:21:23,348 --> 00:21:25,250
Wow, it's so nice 
to meet you.

514
00:21:25,350 --> 00:21:27,552
(Trevor) 
Just the-- 
the vast number of people

515
00:21:27,653 --> 00:21:29,655
that came up to me 
and said,

516
00:21:29,755 --> 00:21:31,657
"What you're doing 
is amazing."

517
00:21:31,757 --> 00:21:33,759
And they're like, 
"No, you inspire me."

518
00:21:33,859 --> 00:21:35,193
My name 
is Zero.

519
00:21:35,294 --> 00:21:36,628
You're 
the blind guy.

520
00:21:36,728 --> 00:21:38,063
I've heard 
of you.

521
00:21:38,163 --> 00:21:39,331
Oh, thanks.

522
00:21:39,431 --> 00:21:41,333
So, I'm, uh, 
really impressed.

523
00:21:41,433 --> 00:21:44,970
(Trevor) 
Knowing that by me walking 
was inspiring people

524
00:21:45,070 --> 00:21:47,639
to do things 
was just really cool.

525
00:21:47,739 --> 00:21:49,408
And I was like, wow,

526
00:21:49,508 --> 00:21:52,010
maybe I can make 
a difference doing this.

527
00:21:52,110 --> 00:21:54,112
(Elizabeth) 
He kept going 
and going and going,

528
00:21:54,212 --> 00:21:55,847
and I thought, 
"I'll be darned,

529
00:21:55,947 --> 00:21:58,884
my brother's gonna do this; 
I can't believe it."

530
00:21:58,984 --> 00:22:00,319
(narrator) 
There's hiking,

531
00:22:00,419 --> 00:22:02,921
and there's the grueling 
100-Mile Wilderness

532
00:22:03,021 --> 00:22:05,190
from Monson, Maine, 
to Mount Katahdin,

533
00:22:05,290 --> 00:22:08,060
the last leg 
of the Appalachian Trail.

534
00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:10,128
(Trevor) 
And they even 
have this gigantic sign

535
00:22:10,228 --> 00:22:11,730
before you enter that says,

536
00:22:11,830 --> 00:22:15,067
"If you do not have at least 
ten days of food on you,

537
00:22:15,167 --> 00:22:17,469
don't enter, 
because there is no out."

538
00:22:17,569 --> 00:22:19,471
(narrator) 
And then there was Kyle,

539
00:22:19,571 --> 00:22:21,573
the remnants 
of a late-season hurricane

540
00:22:21,673 --> 00:22:23,175
that brought 
enough weather misery

541
00:22:23,275 --> 00:22:25,410
to nearly get 
the best of him.

542
00:22:25,510 --> 00:22:27,012
(Trevor) 
I'd almost drowned myself.

543
00:22:27,112 --> 00:22:29,314
I was freezing, 
and I was in a shelter,

544
00:22:29,414 --> 00:22:30,749
and I was alone.

545
00:22:30,849 --> 00:22:33,318
The only thing that saved me 
was I heard people.

546
00:22:33,418 --> 00:22:36,154
They hiked pretty much all 
night so they could catch up

547
00:22:36,254 --> 00:22:39,024
and make sure that I was able 
to complete my trek.

548
00:22:39,124 --> 00:22:40,892
(narrator) 
But they had not yet reached

549
00:22:40,992 --> 00:22:43,495
their ultimate goal, 
Mount Katahdin,

550
00:22:43,595 --> 00:22:45,297
because 
the National Park Service

551
00:22:45,397 --> 00:22:48,533
had closed the trail, 
sidelining hikers for a week.

552
00:22:48,633 --> 00:22:50,268
When the weather 
finally broke,

553
00:22:50,369 --> 00:22:52,471
Zero headed out 
toward his goal

554
00:22:52,571 --> 00:22:54,473
and had plenty of company.

555
00:22:54,573 --> 00:22:57,843
(Trevor) 
There were more hikers 
on that day, October 8th,

556
00:22:57,943 --> 00:22:59,711
that stood on top 
of that mountain

557
00:22:59,811 --> 00:23:02,347
than has ever stood 
on top of the mountain ever.

558
00:23:02,447 --> 00:23:03,949
All these people 
are making

559
00:23:04,049 --> 00:23:05,817
as much noise 
as they possibly can

560
00:23:05,917 --> 00:23:07,552
'cause they're excited 
and number two,

561
00:23:07,652 --> 00:23:09,154
'cause they know 
I'm listening

562
00:23:09,254 --> 00:23:11,723
so I can get up 
the rest of the hill.

563
00:23:11,823 --> 00:23:14,292
Just being able to share that 
with so many people

564
00:23:14,393 --> 00:23:16,027
that you've shared 
so much with,

565
00:23:16,128 --> 00:23:17,596
it was utterly surreal.

566
00:23:17,696 --> 00:23:19,598
(narrator) 
Six months, two days

567
00:23:19,698 --> 00:23:21,600
and over 2,000 miles--

568
00:23:21,700 --> 00:23:24,770
Zero had beat the odds-- 
his own.

569
00:23:24,870 --> 00:23:26,972
[warm orchestration concludes]

570
00:23:27,072 --> 00:23:29,007
♪

571
00:23:29,107 --> 00:23:30,942
(Trevor) 
I'm not encouraging everybody

572
00:23:31,042 --> 00:23:32,377
who's losing their sight

573
00:23:32,477 --> 00:23:34,446
to run out and do 
the Appalachian Trail.

574
00:23:34,546 --> 00:23:37,015
That was something 
that I chose to do for myself.

575
00:23:37,115 --> 00:23:39,317
What I want people 
to take away from it--

576
00:23:39,418 --> 00:23:41,153
sure, there are 
gonna be things

577
00:23:41,253 --> 00:23:44,222
you can't do any longer, 
so let 'em go.

578
00:23:44,322 --> 00:23:46,291
Find what it is 
that is your passion,

579
00:23:46,391 --> 00:23:48,693
whether you think 
you can do it or not,

580
00:23:48,794 --> 00:23:50,695
and just go out and try.

581
00:23:50,796 --> 00:23:52,697
Everybody has 
their own summit.

582
00:23:52,798 --> 00:23:55,434
[resonant guitar melody]

583
00:23:55,534 --> 00:23:57,502
(Trevor) 
Hey Dave?

584
00:23:57,602 --> 00:23:58,904
Say somethin' else.

585
00:23:59,004 --> 00:24:01,206
(Trevor) 
People take photographs.

586
00:24:01,306 --> 00:24:05,010
Well, I have those, 
but they don't do me any good.

587
00:24:05,110 --> 00:24:07,145
♪

588
00:24:07,245 --> 00:24:11,316
Every time I get 
to the summit of anything,

589
00:24:11,416 --> 00:24:16,087
I pick up a rock or two rocks 
and put 'em in my pocket.

590
00:24:16,188 --> 00:24:19,825
That way, when I get home, 
I can lay my rocks out,

591
00:24:19,925 --> 00:24:21,560
and I can feel the rocks.

592
00:24:21,660 --> 00:24:23,562
I remember 
just like if you,

593
00:24:23,662 --> 00:24:25,564
say, would 
look at a photo.

594
00:24:25,664 --> 00:24:27,566
♪

595
00:24:27,666 --> 00:24:29,234
[traffic noise]

596
00:24:30,502 --> 00:24:34,840
I just navigated 
2,175 miles.

597
00:24:34,940 --> 00:24:36,441
I'm out there doing things

598
00:24:36,541 --> 00:24:40,145
that 99% of the population 
wouldn't even consider doing.

599
00:24:40,245 --> 00:24:42,747
What to most people 
would seem to be the mundane,

600
00:24:42,848 --> 00:24:45,484
is a great deal 
of challenge for me--

601
00:24:45,584 --> 00:24:48,553
being alone and going 
to the grocery store.

602
00:24:48,653 --> 00:24:49,921
I'm Trevor.

603
00:24:50,021 --> 00:24:51,923
I'm Carol; 
good to meet you.

604
00:24:52,023 --> 00:24:54,292
(Trevor) 
I need to do 
a little shopping.

605
00:24:54,392 --> 00:24:55,794
No worries.

606
00:24:55,894 --> 00:24:57,662
(voice-over) 
I can't see the boxes.

607
00:24:57,762 --> 00:24:59,264
And it's a good one?

608
00:24:59,364 --> 00:25:01,600
(voice-over) 
I can't see the cans.

609
00:25:01,700 --> 00:25:03,735
It's a reality check.

610
00:25:03,835 --> 00:25:05,804
[cart clacking]

611
00:25:05,904 --> 00:25:07,806
[sparse piano melody]

612
00:25:07,906 --> 00:25:11,343
♪

613
00:25:11,443 --> 00:25:13,411
That's going to do 
it for produce,

614
00:25:13,512 --> 00:25:15,413
but thank you 
very much.

615
00:25:15,514 --> 00:25:18,450
One thing that was 
most detrimental to me,

616
00:25:18,550 --> 00:25:22,187
and I listened to it 
for a while--

617
00:25:22,287 --> 00:25:24,856
as my vision grew worse,

618
00:25:24,956 --> 00:25:28,927
there was the increased 
societal expectations

619
00:25:29,027 --> 00:25:31,663
on me being able 
to do less and less.

620
00:25:31,763 --> 00:25:34,099
I gained weight 
on the trail last time.

621
00:25:34,199 --> 00:25:35,834
(Elizabeth) 
You were kind of skinny.

622
00:25:35,934 --> 00:25:38,003
(Judith) 
You were really skinny, 
I thought.

623
00:25:38,103 --> 00:25:40,872
(Trevor) 
I realized that, no,

624
00:25:40,972 --> 00:25:45,810
I can do whatever I want to 
because I know I can.

625
00:25:45,911 --> 00:25:48,313
What's in the future?

626
00:25:48,413 --> 00:25:50,415
I'm doin' 
a lot more hiking.

627
00:25:50,515 --> 00:25:52,450
[guitar chord 
introduces resonant droning]

628
00:25:52,551 --> 00:25:53,785
(Trevor) 
OK.

629
00:25:53,885 --> 00:25:59,591
♪

630
00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,129
[gentle piano composition]

631
00:26:04,229 --> 00:26:18,510
♪

632
00:26:18,610 --> 00:26:20,312
Fire!

633
00:26:20,412 --> 00:26:36,528
♪

634
00:26:36,628 --> 00:26:38,296
It's kinda cool 
in the mist.

635
00:26:38,396 --> 00:26:40,198
(cameraman) 
I--I can't shoot 
through this.

636
00:26:40,298 --> 00:26:41,866
It's gonna look bad.

637
00:26:41,967 --> 00:26:43,702
(man) 
It's starting to let up.

638
00:26:43,802 --> 00:26:45,704
[guitar introduces 
easy arrangement]

639
00:26:45,804 --> 00:26:49,908
♪

640
00:26:50,008 --> 00:26:51,977
Ahh! 
Hah, hah, hah!

641
00:26:52,077 --> 00:26:54,412
I'm sittin' there 
trying not to be 
shiverin'.

642
00:26:54,512 --> 00:27:01,386
♪

643
00:27:01,486 --> 00:27:03,321
You're almost 
at the top.

644
00:27:03,421 --> 00:27:08,994
♪

645
00:27:09,094 --> 00:27:11,296
(man) 
You guys are standin' 
in Tennessee right now.

646
00:27:11,396 --> 00:27:14,199
If you keep going ten feet, 
you'll be in North Carolina.

647
00:27:14,299 --> 00:27:16,801
(Trevor) 
Ah, cool-- all right, 
we're goin' to North Carolina.

648
00:27:16,901 --> 00:27:18,570
We'll see you 
in another state.

649
00:27:18,670 --> 00:27:21,139
Captioning by Caption Perfect 
www.CaptionPerfect.com

650
00:27:21,239 --> 00:27:23,108
(man) 
How y'all doing out there?

651
00:27:23,208 --> 00:27:25,043
Doing well-- 
that's quite a bit

652
00:27:25,143 --> 00:27:27,912
of video equipment 
to be hikin' with.

653
00:27:28,013 --> 00:27:30,382
(man) 
Throw this thing 
off the mountain.

654
00:27:30,482 --> 00:27:32,550
Say 
something, 
please.

655
00:27:32,651 --> 00:27:34,152
Somethin'.

656
00:27:34,252 --> 00:27:35,420
OK.

657
00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:36,955
[grunting]

658
00:27:38,490 --> 00:27:41,126
(announcer) 
To subscribe 
to Our State magazine,

659
00:27:41,226 --> 00:27:44,963
visit the Web site 
ourstate.com or call...

660
00:27:49,701 --> 00:27:52,203
[strings support 
gentle piano melody]

661
00:27:52,303 --> 00:27:55,807
From the time BB&T 
opened its doors in 1872

662
00:27:55,907 --> 00:27:57,609
in the town of Wilson,

663
00:27:57,709 --> 00:27:59,678
we've supported 
the people and communities

664
00:27:59,778 --> 00:28:01,246
of North Carolina

665
00:28:01,346 --> 00:28:04,416
from the Outer Banks 
to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

666
00:28:04,516 --> 00:28:07,318
We've been in business 
for 136 years,

667
00:28:07,419 --> 00:28:10,388
making us the oldest bank 
in North Carolina.

668
00:28:10,488 --> 00:28:12,290
We're proud 
of this distinction,

669
00:28:12,390 --> 00:28:14,192
and we're also very proud

670
00:28:14,292 --> 00:28:16,594
to provide funding 
for Our State .

671
00:28:16,695 --> 00:28:18,496
♪

672
00:28:19,764 --> 00:28:21,766
Quality public television 
is made possible

673
00:28:21,866 --> 00:28:23,268
through the financial 
contributions

674
00:28:23,368 --> 00:28:24,736
of viewers like you,

675
00:28:24,836 --> 00:28:28,673
who invite you to join them 
in supporting UNC-TV.