E.Y., that his last know location was Atlanta was in the article My Girl linked to.

The Appalachian Trail doesn't go through South Carolina. I just looked on Google Maps. It's over a 4 hour drive to the trail head in N. Georgia (near South Carolina) from Columbia, S.C.. It's a 2 hour 20 minute drive from Atlanta to the trail head.

Plus, other people could have been flying in to go hiking with him. Atlanta is by far the easiest airport to get to via air in the region.

The article also says they've gotten frustrated with him a lot that he's not following security detail. Disappearing for 5 days by far the largest security breach. Could have been his wife was just scared when all kind of official people started asking where the fuck he was, she knew he'd fucked up and didn't wanna get involved. Or, maybe she's just a ditz he's sick and tired of anyway so he didn't tell her.

The ignoring the security issues is just his way of rebelling against the microscope his life is under?

I of course have no personal knowledge of where he was. Just playing detective.