Date: 2005-08-07
From: Belters Campsite

To: Mountain Side Cabins
Miles today: 1.0

I guess it would be a fair assumption to say that the Ms. and myself have hit a wall. It comes down to pain and dedication to your goal, how much can you take. You have to try and keep level headed as well, or you can easily become another victim to the statistics. 80% or so hikers fail to complete their thru hikes, thats the rumor around camp anyway.      For a long time we were a big happy family traveling together with a seemingly unbreakable bond. The GH3 family was Ms. Mileage, Bruce Spruce, Bruce Moose, Squid Jerky, Warlock, and Myself(PIKER). We went 700 miles strong as a crew and experienced a lot together. We shared food and equipement, happiness and pain, and life on the trail. The pull and pursuasion of non trail life is like an eppademic out here where carrying your life on your back is all you know. The Bruces were the first to go and it was a major shock to us. They left suddenly and with no warning, but thats how it goes out here. Mileage and I both felt genuinly heartbroken. The 4 of us were the groups originals, leaving Ms. Janets together with no other plans but to stay together and have a good time. They loved most aspects of trail life but obviously could not get over others. The first time I met those guys I was sure they were going all the way to Mt. K, you never can tell.      Our group was not the same but we pulled together and put the beatdown on Penn. Warlock is a great guy doing a 500 mile section that he missed in his 93 thru hike attempt. That section ended at the DWG and we had to say goodbye to him. I also became quite close to my buddy Lock, wish he was still out here, hope your doin well. Squid Jerky never quite seemed the same after Spruce got off and he sort of disapeared in New Jersey. He never claimbed to be a purist so he may or may not be skipping large sections, but it appears he has in his shelter registor entreys. No one we know has seen or heard from him.      Mileage and I came out here to do this hike together and that is the most important thing. We did the group traveling thing and it was fun. We lacked privacy in the group and appriciate having it now. The last few hundred miles have been more like I imagined it would be before we actually came out. The two of us working together to get thru the hardest thing we've ever tried before. This last heat wave along with this killer terrain has taken a major toll on us. Mileage has had a head ache for a week that won't seem to go away and some bad stomach aches. My knees both feel like a stew of crushed cartilage and bruised bone. I won't even go into the toenail loss or the loss of skin on our hands and feet. This is hard livin and it takes its toll day in and day out.            Together we decided to take the day off and just relax. Yes we are running out of money, yes we are running low on time, but why push yourself if it is torture. We are trying to look at the big picture, a single continuous hike from the southern terminous to the northern. People jump the gun all the time and just jump off the trail. I don't want regrets and don't want to throw so much dedication away. The trail experience is always evolving into something new, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. We will be strong and overcome these Appalachian Mountains. Sometimes all you need is a day off to get your priorities strait.         Hopefully now ours are.                              PIKERPost Script: I guess we rolled into this Cafe/Cabins looking pretty defeated because the owner let us stay for half price. The generousity of strangers on this trail is something I will never forget.