Date: 2023-03-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

With only a few days left before I begin my hike, I thought now would be as good a time as any to write up my first entry.When I tell people about this trip, one of the most common questions I get is "why?" It's usually either why am I doing something like this in general or why did I specifically choose to do the Appalachian Trail as opposed to something else? The second question is easier to answer, so I'll do that one first.I chose to hike the Appalachian Trail because, at least to my ignorant mind, it's not something that requires a lot of technical skill to accomplish. There are some logistical challenges to be sure, but if you can put one foot in front of the other and can pitch a tent, then there isn't much else required to be successful. However, despite the technical simplicity, the extreme distance, rugged terrain, and limited time frame make the actual difficulty much greater. I've read that out of all the people who attempt a thru-hike, only about 20 - 25% actually complete it. This should give you an idea of the challenge involved.The first question is a little bit more difficult to answer. Mainly because I haven't completely figured it out yet, but also because there isn't just a single reason. One reason, and probably the biggest contributor is that it's something different than what I'm doing now. I don't know this as fact, but I suspect that most people at one point or another fall into life ruts. They are more or less doing the same thing in the same general location day in and day out and that kind of thing can take a mental toll on a person. Most people my age are married with kids, so they have to find other less intrusive ways to manage those ruts. They try new restaurants or take up hobbies. They go on vacations or just do something so that not every day feels like the day before. The benefit of not having a spouse or kids is that I can do something much bigger... like take off six months from work to go hiking.This can't be my only reason though, because if it was, I don't think I would have a good chance of succeeding and making it to Katahdin. If this was all the motivation that I had, then once the newness of the experience wore off (which might be within the first 24 hours if the current weather forecast at Springer Mountain holds), I wouldn't have any reason to continue. So, I'm also doing this for the challenge itself. I think it's human nature to want to have something that can be looked back upon with a sense of accomplishment whether it's kids, a business, a cause, or something else. We all want to know that we did something meaningful with our lives. For me, right now, I just want to be able to say that I undertook this incredibly difficult task and through grit and determination I was able to accomplish what I set out to do. And while I am mostly doing this for myself, I also do hope that it inspires other people as well. For example, I have a niece that I absolutely adore. She's young now so, relatively speaking, she doesn't have much in life to worry about. But, I hope that someday when life truly does get difficult, she can find at least a tiny bit of solace or inspiration in my own experience.There are other reasons, both conscious and unconscious, for this trip, but they are relatively small compared to the above I think. Despite my best intentions, there's no guarantee that I will be able to make it all the way to Maine. Of the 75-80% that don't make it, most quit because of either injury, family emergency, or some other unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstance. However, I believe that I can confidently say that if I do quit, it won't be because I just don't want to do it anymore.