Date: 2014-11-17
From: Three Ridges Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway mm 13.1,

To: VA 56, Tye River Suspension Bridge mile 1357.3
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

It is finished. In the immortal words of the old hamburger joint TV commercial ¢I can¢t believe I ate the whole thing.¢As predicted, the weather made us earn the last day of the through hike. We started in a cold rain and as we climbed the last mountain the trail gods added wind to the mix. Still it was a good day. Our gear kept us reasonably comfortable and the temperature was cold but not freezing. The rain stopped mid way through the day and most of the trail was smooth enough to allow a reasonable hiking pace.While I was focused on doing the miles and getting finished Nathan kept reminding me of the beauty around us pointing out the golden glow of the haze filtered daylight reflecting off the yellow leaves that covered the ground, observing impressive rock formations, and noting beautifully twisted trees. I am blessed to have a son who keeps teaching his dad how to observe and appreciate the world that surrounds us.We reached the trailhead at the Tye River Bridge at about 4:15 where May Louise was waiting to greet us and photograph the last steps of the journey. The bridge is a beautiful little suspension bridge across a wild river built just to serve AT hikers. It made a picturesque end point for the journey. To add to her welcoming hug and my tears of joy May Louise concocted a ceremonial picture with rocks from along the trail she has collected over the last eight months including a rock she picked up at the top of Springer Mountain in Georgia and one Nathan brought her from the top of Katahdin Mountain in Maine.I ought to have something profound to say about my through hike adventure, but I don¢t. It started as a retirement bucket list project that I wanted to try, but I did not have any great emotional commitment to complete the whole trail. Most of the adventure was fun, and like almost everything else in life the most valuable part was the people I met and the stories I heard along the way. I did not become strongly invested in completing the through hike until I finished the Presidential Mountains in New Hampshire and was two thirds done. At that point with the hardest parts behind me and growing encouragement from family and friends I knew I wanted to finish the through hike. I would not have been able to finish before winter weather took me off the trail without May Louise¢s decision to increase the considerable sacrifice she had already made to support me on the project and provide daily support so I could slack pack every day. Walking daily with just a light pack and having loving support waiting at the end of the trail each day to take you to a good meal and a warm dry bed is a luxurious way to hike. I did not miss camping out at all the last couple of months, but I did miss some of the camaraderie with other hikers as the campsites. On the other hand, having May Louise and the van available each day, we were able to help some other hikers along their way and get to know them better than a shared night in a shelter would allow.I have been lucky that my health and stamina held our for the whole journey and that I did not injure myself along the way and I have been blessed by May Louise, Nathan, other family members and old and new friends who aided and encouraged me along the way.Life is wonderful and my bucket list is long. I am really looking forward to pulling it out, crossing off the AT hike, and starting some new projects.