Trailing Corsentino
An update on the PBA’ s resident Appalachian Trail trekker
■ BY JOSHUA SIGMUND
He’ s halfway there.
When we last left our intrepid Readington Township Local 317 recent retiree Vinnie Corsentino in April, he was around the Appalachian Trail’ s mile marker 130 in North Carolina heading north, and was anticipating snowfall that weekend.
Two months and 964 miles later, things are certainly heating up for Corsentino – so much so that the tradition of stopping at the Trail’ s halfway point in Pennsylvania’ s Pine Grove Furnace State Park to consume a half-gallon of ice cream came as a welcomed treat.( For the record, it was cookies and cream, and he finished it in 25 minutes.)
“ It’ s amazing that he’ s still learning about what’ s going to work for him out there,” reported Bernards Township Local 357 member Peggy Corsentino about her husband’ s season-and-terrain-changing environment.“ Now it’ s getting really hot and he has to make adjustments to hydration and getting food in him. If you ever see a real thruhiker, they really drop their weight. Their legs are in great shape but their arms, waist and butt get skinny.”
64 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ JUNE 2016
Vincent and Peggy Corsentino reunite in Washington, D. C., halfway through his Appalachian hike and following her Law Enforcement United bike ride.
This new stature was confirmed by Peggy when her husband had the opportunity to detour from the Trail thanks to a ride from his sister, who brought him to Washington, D. C. for a very special Police Week reunion. Alongside fitting in a tuxedo fitting for his daughter’ s August wedding, Vinnie was able to surprise Peggy, who had just wrapped her own extended trek, cycling the Law Enforcement United ride from New Jersey to the Iwo Jima Monument. In the capital, Peggy
As is tradition when reaching the Trail’ s halfway point, Corsentino ate a half-gallon of ice cream at Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania on June 3.
saw a man about 60 pounds lighter than she remembered, and one who now sports long hair and an unprecedented grizzly beard.
“ I don’ t mind the long hair but the beard is tough to get used to,” she admitted.“ Vinnie went directly from the military to police work so since he was 18 years old he’ s had to be clean-shaven with a crew cut. This is definitely a change of habit for him.”
A less-physical but just as significant perspective change for Corsentino seemed to appear like“ magic” thanks to his encounters on the Trail.
“ Trail culture is nice culture,” Vinnie described during his brief return to civilization.“ I just know cops and we’ re cynical all the time. The biggest surprise to me was something called ' Trail Magic.' It’ s people who come from across the U. S., usually people who have done the trail before, and they’ ll set up shop where a trail crosses a parking lot where they’ ll make burgers and have coolers and when you come across they feed you for nothing. Just out of the kindness of their hearts. They’ re just regular people putting out their own money doing something nice for the hikers. It’ s a super nice thing and gives you a whole new faith in humanity.”
Armed with positive spirits and some new insoles to remedy his aching feet, Corsentino eagerly returned to the Trail ready to conquer the remaining 1094.6 miles between him and Maine. d