Date: 2014-10-15
To: Final Thoughts
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

RW Means: Really Worth it. The first question many ask is: "Would you do it again?" There are many sections of the trail I plan to hike again, someday, but no thru-hike. I accomplished far more than I wanted or planned. The trail is like entering the Land of Oz, and I traveled the Yellow Brick Road. My adventure was wonderful, and I met many people who I could easily call "friends for life." I miss several of them already and hope to find a way to remain in contact. The trail forced me to do new things: stay in hostels, hitchhike, confront rattlesnakes, live in the woods for a prolonged time, befriend the homeless, rely on the generosity of strangers, and become involved in a trail culture I didn't even know existed. The trail changed me and brought me closer to God. Before I started, I thought I would spend my days involved in a great physical test of endurance, alone with my thoughts. A test of endurance it was, and I had plenty of alone time, but the trail also provided a richness of experiences that I didn't expect. I now understand why so many hike the trail repeatedly. Trail life is infectious and a good alternative to the daily grind. Once I climbed Mt. Katahdin, I felt like Dorothy after she clicked her heels, then suddenly found herself back in Kansas. "There's no place like home!" The A.T. ended that quickly for me, and I was back to my normal life. Before I started the hike, my doctor performed a comprehensive metabolic panel of tests. After my return, he repeated the tests. Despite losing 17 pounds, walking 2,185 miles, living in the woods for nearly 7 months, and eating poorly, my test results didn't change significantly. I was in good health before I started, and remain in good health today. I had a Lyme Disease test performed. I didn't get it, even though I was bitten by many ticks.I was taking about 1600 mg of Ibuprofen a day by the end, and I went cold turkey after I climbed Mt. Katahdin without any side effects, other than feeling the pain in my knees and Achilles. My knees hurt for about 2 weeks after the hike and my Achilles are still sore, but my feet are fine. I quickly gained 5 pounds back, but have managed to stop gaining any more weight back. I lost upper body strength. My dentist is concerned about my wisdom teeth, but no cavities or other dental issues. I will see my eye doctor later this week.The hike was far more expensive than I planned. The medical bills, travel expenses, cost of hostels and motels, shuttles, replacement of worn out equipment, and food, were all under-estimated. I don't know what it cost, but it was a lot more than the books said it would cost.The second question I hear is: "What would I do differently?" Experience is a wonderful teacher. I wouldn't worry so much about resupply and hitchhiking, and I wouldn't spend as much time in hostels. I would monitor my weekly mileage and not worry about a daily hiking plan. As far as equipment changes, there are several.Trekking Poles: I used Black Diamond poles. They worked fine but I wore out the pointed bottom on one pole once, and the other pole twice. I would hike with Leke poles instead because replacement parts are abundant, whereas Black Diamond parts are difficult to find. I wouldn't attempt the trail without trekking poles.Tent: I love my Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2. It worked well, never leaked, and the two person tent is ideal. I would use a hammock if I did it again. The trail is much more suited to a hammock than a tent.Water Filter: Forget the Sawyer Mini, use the full size Sawyer.Backpack: I used 2 packs: a Granite Gear 60L and a Gossamergear Mariposa. Both worked well for me, but had flaws. The Granite Gear is tough, but is just a big sack on your back. No condition issues with the pack on the trail and I hiked 1240 miles with it. The Gossamergear pack is lighter and more organized, but a far less durable pack. Gossamergear agreed to replace the hip belt because the pockets blew out, but will not do anything about the holes in the pack. I only hiked with the Gossamergear pack 945 miles and owned it only 2 months. I would consider a ULA backpack or a Z-pack if I did it again.Sleeping Bag: I liked my Sierra Designs 12 degree bag and will continue to use it. It was perfect for the cold days at the start and end of the trail. My REI 45 degree bag proved to be inadequate at times and I would move to a warmer summer bag, or supplement it with clothing. I used a silk bag liner and recommend its use to everyone. It keeps the bag clean and adds comfort.Sleeping Pad: I used two. My favorite is the self-inflating Thermarest. I didn't like the Gossamergear sponge 3/4 length pad; it was light but grossly inadequate.   Stove: I used the Esbit Alcohol stove and found it worked fine for me. Fuel is easy to get and the yellow bottle of Heat works great. A canister stove is also good and fuel is easy to obtain. I am looking into a chimney alcohol stove set-up for future hikes because it appears to be more efficient. Cook set: I had a 30 oz. pot and a cup. I only needed a 20 oz. pot with a lid.Headlamp: I would get a headlamp with a strong red spot light. My current headlamp only has a wide angle red light. It is rechargeable and that worked fine.Shoes: Get what works for you, but recommend getting a size at least 1/2 size larger and wider. Your feet will swell. I used trail shoes and waterproof Gortex boots. I found Gortex desirable for the first month and from Massachusetts north. These are wet sections of the trail, and wet feet and wet socks took a terrible toll on my feet and were the cause of blisters. The advertising that your feet will dry in trail shoes is only partly true. That only happens if the trail is dry, otherwise your feet will be wet as long as the trail is wet, which is frequently for days.Socks: Darn Tough, the best there is. Trail Journals: This is a great site and I highly recommend it. Write your journal daily and post it when you can.Phone: Verizon is it. ATT didn't work much south of mid-Virginia and then worked poorly far north in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The other carriers are worse. Hikers with Verizon seemed to have much better luck getting a signal.Good luck and thanks for all the well wishes. Keep in touch and contact me if you plan to thru-hike. I would like to follow your progress and provide encouragement. Maybe I will be doing some trail magic next year, and will see you on the trail!