Date: 2013-11-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Hello!I hope everyone is holding on tight - it just blows my mind how fast things are going, especially since I've been home. I'm not going to lie. I miss the trail, a lot. I once asked Baltimore (Not Jack), "Why would you hike the A T more than once?" He looked at me and said, "In a year or so you'll miss it. You'll forget about all the bad stuff - the rocks, the pain, all the bugs (and speaking of bugs, I'm laying on my hammock and getting eaten alive! I'm going inside the house now) and the heat and so on and then you'll remember all the good stuff!" And that's we're I'm at now, missing the trail and so soon.I found myself looking up the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin one night and the next thing I knew, it was 1:30 in the morning! K Fox must have seen what I wrote on someone's blog about it because she texted me saying she's already booked her train travel to Wisconsin. She's always a step ahead of me. Wish I could go, but first I have to wait on my rich uncle to get out of the poor house. Looks like its back to work for me and I'm dreading it!Each day I find myself getting a little further away from Boo Boo, the hiker, and returning back to who I was before the hike. Tuesday I went and did it. I thought long and hard about it, but I did it - hair cut and a shave. I looked at myself and damn near jumped out of the chair. I told Bailey, my barber, to put it back! It's just another step closer to being Bruce. And for those who are wondering about my feet, the hole I put in it near the end of my hike healed up nicely. Both of my feet are still sore and swollen and my knees are sore and stiff when I get up in the morning and when I sit too long throughout the day - pretty much just like they were on the trail. I had quit taking my Vitamin I but I think I'm gonna have to start that back.Well, this is about it. I'd like to thank all of you that have kept up with my journal, why, I don't know, but thanks, and especially for all the prayers and all the encouragement you've sent me along the way. Every time you wrote in my guest book I'd get a text and when I had a cell signal, I'd read them and that would give me a boost of confidence to help me continue on my way. Thank you all! You can't get rid of me just yet. Here's a quick gear review:Gregory Baltoro backpack - I'll give it an A+. It's a little heavy, but it carried the load well. It held up great. The only problem I had was one of the side zippers on my waist belt broke.Western Mountaineering sleeping bag - Badger, 15 degree. In the winter, it's an A+ . In the summer I give it an F. Since it's a winter bag it is just too hot for the summer. So I switched to a Mountain Hardware bag, 45 degree bag. I give it a C as the zipper would stick.Exped pillow/pump and mattress - I give them both an A. They both gave out at about the same time and I give the company a big A+ for the easy and fast free service getting replacements. On the trail, everyone seemed to be jealous of these products when I was laying on them.Jet Boil Zip stove - I give it an A. In the cold, the gas would freeze up but otherwise, it would heat up water faster then anything out there.Henry Shires Double Rainbow two man tent - I give it a high B+. The zippers seemed to stick a lot but other than that, it was roomy enough for me, my backpack and my footwear.Darn tough socks - I give them an A+. I had two pair that I used. I never could wear a hole in them, but I did have to replace them because of stretching, I think in Massachusetts.Clothing - I can't grade them, but I give myself an F for buying way too many of them! In the winter I had so many clothes that there was no way I was going to freeze and in the summer I just had my black swimming shorts and a Nike short sleeve shirt to hike in. I had my zip off pants and an extra shirt with a pair of socks in a dry bag along with a wind jacket and a frog togg rain jacket but no rain pants (sent those home).Black Diamond hiking poles with shock arresters - I give them a B. The shocks would stick in compress and that would pinch the heck out of my fingers. I'd end up putting any kind of oil I could find on them and when I didn't have oil, I'd use spit. Then there are the pole tips - they broke off coming down into Port Clinton PA, and after slipping and almost sticking one in Freebird's eye, my wife ordered me a couple replacements. She told the company I was hiking the AT, but they still charged her for them.I think that about does it for my gear review. If there's something I can help anyone with, just let me know.All I have to do is go into my settings and check "Completed." I will also be donating to this Trail Journal website. I didn't realize when I started my journal just how important it would be to me and to my wife. It gave us a permanent way to mark my journey and it also gave you an easy way to keep up with me and to give me your thoughts, questions and encouragement using the guestbook. Why stop at the mountain top, when there are more trails to conquer!Boo Boo 2013 - AT Thru Hiker, at last!