Date: 2017-10-21
To: New Cumberland (Adam's House)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 94Saturday 10/21/17Mile 1043 (zero again)New Cumberland PAAdams House BedAfter all the planning, preparing, training. After all the miles, obstacles and set backs. After exploring all my options, I have a plan and I'm actually excited about executing it.Life is all about choices. Every choice or decision you make has consequences. Some good and some bad. Even if you choose to do nothing that is still a choice and there will be consequences. I believe that in life we are always being prepared for that next moment in time and that next choice. It is our job to choose the BEST next thing to do for ourselves and our families. Of course, there are always many options to choose from which makes life exciting, confusing and scary all at the same time. Here are my options at this next big moment in time:Option 1: Rest the next 2 days and start hiking again on Monday. This ends up leaving about 65 miles in PA unhiked and a very high risk of further injuring my leg. I don't have shin splints as I thought. I saw a PT and he said this is a soft tissue and tendon issue (tendinitis). My healing progress does not leave me confident that I would be ready to hike on Monday.Option 2: Quit the trail and restart my real life. Being gone for 3months from home is tough. I missed 3 months of growth of my kids, 3 months of connection with my wife and just missing home, family and friends. I've got a future to build and I'm excited and ready to get started. But I can't leave this adventure unfinished without giving it all I have. I want show myself, family and those who supported me that reaching for significant goals will be tough and there will be setbacks. The story is not finished yet.Option 3: Take time off to heal, go home and see my family. Then get back on the trail and finish what I started. The trail will have a lot less people on it as all the thru hikers will be gone. Phillip will be gone. The weather will be colder and will have to carry more gear and food to protect myself. But this is my BEST next thing to do.Choosing option 3 will require a lot of planning and help from many people. It's seems like this solo trek of hiking the Appalachian Trail takes about 10,000 people to succeed. Here is my plan:I'm going to stay with Adam (Catch Up) until Thursday 10/26. He was planning on going to Harper's Ferry to be a part of the Gray Beard celebration. Remember Gray Beard is the oldest person to finish the AT at 82 years old. I will meet my family there as planned but then I'm going to leave with them and come home!! Yay!!!!I'm going to stay home through Thanksgiving to visit, heal, recharge, train and prepare to get back on and finish the trail. Yay!!Adam is going to Hot Springs NC for Thanksgiving. This is a couple hours from home. I'm going to meet Adam in Hot Springs and ride back to PA with him.Adam will take me back to the spot on the trail that I came off of and I will continue to hike south to Springer Mt. GA. Yay!! I should be done by the end of January to early February. There are no guarantees that I will finish. But I can guarantee that I will have given it my BEST effort.Thank you Joy for standing beside me through all of this. Thank you Adam for making this possible. Thank you to all who supported and encouraged me continually a long the way.