Date: 2009-07-20
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

So, as many of you know now, my trip has come to an end. I am very happy with what I was able to accomplish, with 100 days on the trail and over 1325 miles completed. I am a bit disappointed that I will not be able to reach the summit of Katahdin and stand there as a thru hiker, but I think I will like life a lot better as a section hiker. I made it to High Point State park, New Jersey, and got a ride to Newark airport from my Dad and flew home. Instead of 2 more months of hiking, I was home in an hour. What a strange feeling. I am happy with my decision though, now being home for a little over a week. There is no comparing the mental struggle of a thru hike to anything in normal life, but I must say it contributed to my decision to get off the trail. The AT, as physically demanding as it is day in and day out, is merely 1% of the battle. After the first month, the entire trip becomes mental, and I have simply gotten burnt out. I have pushed myself through the pain and struggle since Harper's Ferry, but hiking simply isn't fun anymore, the bad finally outweighs the good and I've decided to stop.It's a good thing I chose to as well, as I may have been forced off the trail soon as it was. I have come home and suddenly my entire body hurts like it never did on the trail. On the AT, I simply got up every day and hiked 15 or 20 miles, never minding the pain. Now that I have stopped, everything is setting in. My back is out of line and the joints one of my lower vertebrae, where it connects to my right hip, is "stuck". It explains the numbness and dull pain I've been feeling in my hip since Tennessee, and the numb toes. I was also in risk of plantar faciitis, which is a painful condition affecting the arch of my feet. The tissue connecting my heel to my toes is torn and swollen. It always hurt to take the first steps in the morning; I could barely put weight on my feet, and now I know why. Oh well, enough sniveling.I will finish this hike someday, there's no question about that, but the mental and physical strain of a thru hike proved to be too much for me. I really, really enjoyed my time on the trail though and I was able to do so much, see so much, and meet some pretty awesome people. When I first started, there was Rocket, Donny, Walking Home, GoodWill, RLB, Ketchup, Hardcore, Ninja, Tully, EatsALot, Beeman, Nothai, Voodoo, Chef, Ginger, Bluto, and all sorts of other great people. Hiking 400+ miles with Bon Bon was a ton of fun, and I hope we can stay in touch, even if she does live in lousy PA (haha). Most recently there was Flatlander and Flicka, a great set of trail friends who I wish the best of luck to. There was no time on the trail like the time I spent with Bow and the Sis, though. We had so much fun, and I look forward to being able to do some more hikes with them for a long time to come. I talked once about hiking without finish lines, well, this has proven to me how true that can be. I feel fulfilled, enlightened, happy, and proud of the time I spent on the trail, and feel that I have truly accomplished a "transition" in my life. Unfortunately, it's back to reality now, but I will take the lessons learned from the trail with me. Special thanks to all of the supporters, friends, family, Hannafordians, and complete strangers (sometimes your guestbook entries helped the most). I hope I have entertained you for a little while, and maybe helped to inspire some future hikers. Remember, you have to be tough, resilient, and a little crazy to attempt anything like this. Oh, and any old trail friends that read this: If you need a ride from Katahdin when you're done (as I know many of you are worried about it), I'll come pick you up for the cost of gas, I can fit 4 people at a time. I'd love to see you guys when you finish, and provide one final "trail magic" for you. Email me @ mattsathike@gmail.com or call @ 207-232-4178.To everyone else: thanks for reading, and being a part of my journey.Happy Trails,Transition