Hiker rescues rooster on Appalachian Trail.

Hiker Finds Lost Rooster In Trail And Takes It With Her

Many people try to find the time to travel and experience nature. That is why Exploring and having a great adventure is an absolute part of an adventurer's bucket list.

Meet Heather Bolint. Her lifelong dream was to hike the Appalachian Trail, the famous trail that runs 2,190 miles from Maine to Georgia. And in June, she started hiking it, from Maine.

Hiker Heather Bolint

When she reached Pennsylvania, little did she know that three months after she started the trail, she would meet a very unlikely hiking buddy.

"So this happened," Bolint wrote this week on Facebook. "Yesterday I found a 'Polish crested' rooster in the middle of the trail near a road with no houses."

Appalachian trail

Heather loves animals and a self-proclaimed "chicken whisperer." That this rooster, with very distinctive feathers, was just standing there seemed like nothing less than kismet.

She knew that the domesticated farm animal wouldn't survive out there in the wilderness, with all wild animals, the coyotes, snakes and other predators around. "I was able to scoop him up," she said, "and decided the only thing to do was to start hiking with him."

Heather and Eddie, the rooster.

It was frantically hot, and Heather was just north of the Mason-Dixon when the rooster, whom she called Eddie, just calmly nestled up to her. "I held him in my arms and continued 15 more miles in 80 degrees, humid weather until the sun began to set," she said.

Heather and Eddie met nice people along the way. Some even wanted to take their picture. Eddie was more than happy to oblige.

"He hardly ever made a peep and was quite content with just sitting in my arms or in my raincoat while we hiked," Bolint said.

Heather stumbled upon a strange sight: a Polish crested rooster.

When it got dark, Heather and Eddie set up camp. At the campground, Eddie had a chance to meet even more nice hikers. "A nice guy at the campsite (and fellow chicken lover) gave him some of his dog's kibble to eat. I also fed him oatmeal, nuts and apple cores," she said.

They hiked about 27 more miles to reach the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters in West Virginia and arrived late in the morning. They had set foot in three different states and had covered 46 miles together by then.

When Bolint and Eddie entered the building together, the staff remarked, "Now we've seen everything." It's believed that Eddie is the first rooster ever to hike the famous trail.

Heather Bolint and Mason (formerly Eddie).

But Heather needed to think of Eddie's future so she decided to find a forever home for him and found out about Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville, Maryland. So it was time for Eddie to take a drive.

Eddie settled in perfectly at Poplar Spring, where the people at the sanctuary were more than happy to have such a charming and brave rooster. There was only one problem. "I named him Eddie, but the sanctuary named him Mason because they already have a peacock named Edward," Heather said.

Mason is now settling into his new life at Poplar Spring.

Mason now has new friends to meet at his new forever home. While Heather had continued hiking and hoping to finish the whole trail before the year ends.

"I'm so grateful that I got to experience life on the trail with a rooster and to witness the joy he brought to others. This little guy was the sweetest rooster," she added, "and totally stole my heart."

“There is always an adventure waiting in the woods.”

- Katelyn S. Bolds