Date: 2016-07-19
From: Camp...

To: camp
Miles today: 0.0

51 questions with NOWA: While I was hoping this next piece would have some of the spontaneity and spunk of Vogue's "73 Questions with Taylor Swift" (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XnbCSboujF4), I'm no T Swizzle and some of these questions deserve more than a pithy response. Sorry for the length but it covers about 4 months of walking in the woods...Leslie Bonacum is the interviewer.1. NOAH like the biblical figure? No, NOWA like No One Walks Alone. My trail name, which just about everyone on the AT has, represents the community of family, friends, and healthcare professionals that walk with the Alzheimer's patient on their journey during their last phases of life. My dad passed away from this terrible disease and I coupled my walk with raising money for the Alzheimer's Association to support their mission. Friends and family also gave me the names of over 125 people they knew who have the disease or who have died from it. It was an honor and an inspiration to carry these names in my backpack from GA to ME. 2. What surprised you most about the journey? How quickly people from all walks of life adopt the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the tribe they are suddenly part of. One of the strongest beliefs of the trail culture is that you should "hike your own hike." It's a good metaphor for life.3. Most valuable piece of advice given to you before or after the trip? "Hike your hike" meaning it's your journey - experience it in a way that is respectful of others and of the environment, while enjoying the trail in a way that best suits you and your purpose for hiking. 4. Most valuable piece of gear? My hiking poles! They helped propel me up hills and soften the impact on my knees during downhills. I was also prepared to fend off an overly aggressive Ruffed Grouse if she took one step closer to me. Can't imagine hiking without them. 5. How many pairs of shoes did you go through? Five. The hiking experience may be priceless but it's not cheap.6. How much weight did you lose? I had lost about 17 pounds in the first month before bouncing back with changes to my diet, and the assistance of family and friends who were genuinely concerned about me. I am now down about 10 pounds which I'd like to figure out how to maintain without exercising 10-12 hours a day! My waist size is the smallest it's been since high school!7. Were you lonely? I was alone much of the time, but never lonely. There's a quote by Anne Frank that I think help explains that and it goes, "The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be." I wasn't afraid, lonely, or unhappy before the hike, but being "...quiet, alone with the heavens, nature, and God" made things feel even more "...as they should be."8. How much money did you raise for the Alzheimer's Association? As of July 18, just over $30,000 with more donations coming in. Go to dougswalk.com if you are interested in donating. 9. What advice would you give to would be hikers? Know yourself. And put away your ear buds - the sounds of nature are as peaceful as the sights. 10. Your favorite trail angel? My sister Beth! She drove to Hanover NH from upstate NY to join me and my wife Kim for a day on the trail and to leave some great home-baked trail magic at the trailhead out of Hanover for others to enjoy. I also want to give a shout-out to the Russian immigrants Leo and Anna who I met in early June on the trail and enjoyed their trail magic only to find they later placed a huge stash of magic with my name on it about 100 miles up the trail. I was very popular on the trail that day. 11. Hardest moment? Suffering heat rash all over my body and chafing in some areas so badly I was bleeding, followed closely by being so cold in a shelter one night in The Smokey Mountains during a snow storm that the thought of becoming hyperthermic became a little too real. These were the hardest in a physical way. Mentally and emotionally, it's the "tranquil tedium" of walking miles and miles a day, day after day, after day, that makes or breaks you. 12. Favorite moment on the trail? Anytime I read a word of encouragement from friends and family who were following my hike on Facebook or TrailJournals. I also used a meditative phrase throughout the trip that went like this: "Present moment, beautiful moment. Present moment, beautiful moment. Present moment, what a moment." So I got to the point, no matter how spectacular or bad things seemed to get, the present moment was in fact my favorite, because it's all I had. 13. Favorite moment off the trail? Surprising my son Alex and wife Kim by having Enterprise Car Rental pick me up from the trail in Front Royal VA and me then driving to Alex's college graduation in Boston. My favorite moment Somewhere between off and on the trail was getting an $8 haircut by a 90 year old barber in Port Clinton, PA. I also want to give a shout-out to my college roommate, Chip Dean, who drove and walked hours to find me, and had two of my favorite foods - IPA and Chocolate frosted Entenmann's donuts.   14. Most emotional moment? Walking the footbridge over the MA turnpike that I would drive under to visit my father in his last years of life. I cried like a baby.15. Most beautiful spot? Well, the present moment of course, wherever that was, but in terms of "Kodak" moments I'd say there's no one spot that stands so clearly above the others. For me, some of the more beautiful included the first time I saw Mount Katahdin, the summit of Mount Lafayette in NH with incredible panoramic views of the White Mountains, Sages Ravine along the CT-MA border, Sunfish Pond in NJ, Grayson Highlands State Park in VA, many of the reclaimed pastures that the ATC has established, and anywhere I was when I saw a white trail blaze on a tree after an uncomfortably long time of not seeing one! That was always met with me saying to the blaze, "there you are my friend." Is that weird?16. Did you think about stopping? Probably every day between the middle of Virginia up to descending Mount Madison in NH which was brutal - big crooked boulders, stupidly steep, and strides that often involved both feet off the ground at the same time. Hiking the AT is absolutely no "walk in the woods." It's by far the hardest thing I've ever done including struggling 4 years through Chemical Engineering in college, bicycling across the US, and being under water in a submarine for 90 days at a time going 4 knots to nowhere in the North Atlantic during the Cold War. Here's an extract from a book by through-hiker Zach Davis that provides some perspective: "It¢s the thick, sweltering heat while scaling a shadeless, rock-face mountain. It¢s trying to sleep through sub-freezing temperatures, hoping that wearing every damn article of clothing in your pack and wrapping your sleeping bag over your head will provide enough warmth to grant a few hours of sleep. It¢s the constant swarm of mosquitoes, flies, and gnats. It¢s the boredom that comes from another day of walking through lackluster terrain. It¢s the pain that strangleholds every muscle of your body upon waking. It¢s putting on sweat soaked clothes for the fifth morning in a row. It¢s trying to sleep next to that snoring asshole six inches from your face. It¢s waking up in a shelter to sound of a mouse eating his way through your backpack. It¢s pooping in the rain; have fun trying to wipe. It¢s drinking discolored stream water. It¢s wandering a mile off trail before realizing you have no idea where you are. It¢s checking your nether regions for parasitic and disease carrying ticks at the end of an exhausting day. It¢s living in a constant coat of filth. It¢s walking consecutive days with a set of throbbing blisters between your toes and on the sides of your heals. It¢s veering off trail to go to the bathroom, only to look down and notice that you¢re standing in poison ivy. It¢s rocks eating through your boots and insoles, making it feel as though you¢re hiking barefoot. It¢s running through a storm while hearing lighting crash down on every side of you. It¢s the rustling of an animal prowling outside of your tent just moments before you were going to fall asleep. These are the reasons people throw in the towel, not because a climb is too daunting..."17. Did you pray. For what? Everyday, after I got settled in to the rhythm and flow of the trail which probably took me about two weeks. It was always in the morning as I began hiking and always went something like this - "Open my eyes to what they have been blind to; My ears to what and who they have been deaf to; My mouth to what it will not or can not say; My heart to love in new ways; and My Spirit to believe more richly and deeply."18. Were you ever scared? Once when I met a young man in fatigues in the middle of nowhere who had nothing but the clothes on his back with him. He was just so out of place that it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up; and several times when I was so wet and cold that my hands stopped being able to do things like zipper my jacket. 19. Secret to your success? Three things -   A. Good luck;B. Having a purpose bigger than just myself to hike for (supporting the mission of the Alzheimer's Association); and, C. Having such a supportive group of family and friends. To that end, let me give a special shout out to my wife Kim who was behind me all the way, ensured my mail-drops always showed up where and when they were suppose to be, joined me on the trail several days, and took me off the trail several days when I really needed it; and to my three sisters (Lynn, Leslie, and Beth) who sent me great snacks via maildrops with inspiring letters and cards; to my cousin Eileen who slack-packed me across the entire Garden State; and to my friend Carol who did the same in Vermont. And finally, to Kristin at Kaiser Permanente where I worked until March 11th, for all the technical support she gave me in advance of the hike and for her linking me to The Alzheimer's Association.I also had three simple rules to guide me:Stay safeStay dryStay hydrated.All rules actually follow from "stay safe."20. What did you think about? Most often, nothing, for long periods of time actually, which I quite enjoyed! In the words of Bill Bryson, "...you exist in a kind of mobile Zen mode, your brain like a balloon tethered with string, accompanying but not actually part of the body below. Walking for hours and miles becomes as automatic, as unremarkable, as breathing.¢When faced with physically challenging parts of the trail, I'd think about the next micro-goal or hurdle in front of me and nothing else. When emotionally challenged, I used the "at least" principle - if it were raining cats and dogs I'd say something like "well at least there's no lightening", or "at least there will be plenty of water in the springs and streams to drink;" or if I mistakingly got off the trail, "well at least I know I'm lost and just need to retrace my steps", or if an ascent up a mountain was ridiculously steep, "well at least it's only for another mile." When I purposefully and proactively thought, which was more in the last quarter of my adventure, it was about things like what kind of school teacher I wanted to become, what I had to be grateful for, and what I had learned on the trail.21. What surprised you in a good way? The generosity of complete strangers, the incredible simplicity of life on the trail, and how positive, positive self talk can be. 22. What surprised you in a negative /neutral way? People leaving trash in shelters and writing offensive stuff on the walls inside of privies. 23. What would you have done differently? Incorporated down hill work-outs more in my training. Knee problems almost did me in during the first 45 days on the trail and it was all related to descending steep gradients. I would have also liked to have taken a photography class and spent a little time learning what birds, plants, and trees I was going to see so that I could name them when I did finally see them.24. Did the experience change you? It certainly has impacted me. Whether it changes me is left to be determined as I re-enter the world I largely left for 126 days. Later this week I'll share what I think I've learned and what I hope to do with it. 25. Mental or physical strength - which was more important? To the people who leave the trail because of Lyme disease, a fall which dislocates a shoulder, shin splints, knee / foot problems and the like, it's clearly physical. That said, for me, and for most through hikers, it's mental strength and resilience which gets you through the hike. 26. Who were the most memorable people you met? Every single trail angel I had the pleasure of seeing face to face and every single person who picked me up while hitchhiking. Memorable because they made me feel like I mattered to them and they cared about me even though I was a complete stranger. I hope to find that same place in my heart and spirit for others. 27. What do you wish someone had told you before you hit the trail? A mouse will eventually crawl on your face in a shelter, so tent whenever you can..and don't scream like a child when it does happen - they're harmless and you are a big boy.28. Would you do it again? No. It was an awesome experience but there are far too many things I have never done to spend another 4 months of my life re-walking the AT.29. How many thru hikers are there in any given year? I believe the Appalachian trail conservancy was expecting between 3 and 4 thousand this year. About 20 percent will complete what they started. 30. Most interesting animal you saw or experienced? The ruffed grouse which chased me numerous times in numerous States in protection of her chicks and the orange salamanders which made me smile every time I saw one. I also really enjoyed the wood-carving of beavers and getting to see one for the first time. 31. Scariest animal experience? Coming inches away from stepping on a snake and meeting a porcupine face to face.32. Did you ever ask yourself - why did I think this was a good idea? Often33. An ideal day would end with...a shower, clean laundry, and something other than freeze-dried food eaten directly out of the bag.34. What time would you usually start / stop hiking. That changed as Spring turned into Summer, but most recently I'd say I was hiking by 6:00 a.m. and finishing between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.35. Why are Snickers bars a trail favorite? High content, fat, and protein; both sweet and a little salty; a near perfect food for the weight!36. Favorite trail food / Worst trail food? My favorite snack were Dream Bars that were mail-dropped to me by my sister Leslie. The first three ingredients are butter, wheat flour, and brown sugar. 400 calories of pure deliciousness. They also have rolled oats, chocolate, coconut, and a gewy caramel in them. My Favorite trail dinner was a tie between a freeze-dried Cuban Beans and Rice dish and freeze- dried Pad Thai. My least favorite was trying to down powdered milk mixed in water to boost my fat intake. Yuck. 37. Did you ever hike for long distances with someone you met on the trail? No, although this is rather common on the trail. Not my style. What did happen however, was often going days, weeks, and even months without seeing someone whose company I enjoyed, only to see them again when least expected. That was always very nice.38. In one word, how would you describe the experience? Life-changing. Is hyphenating cheating the one word aspect of the question?39. Did you talk to yourself out-loud a lot? Only under two circumstances. When I finally saw a white trail blaze after an uncomfortably long time of not seeing one ("There you are my friend") and several times after a hard fall (It always began with an "F").   I silently talked to myself positively in the White Mountains after having several difficult days going down tortuous hills and whining to myself and others. It very much helped me stay positive and focused. Warren Doyle who has hiked the trail 17 times advises:- Don¢t expect the Trail to respect or to be sensitive to your man-made comfort level and desire to control your environment. In your avoidance of discomfort, you may become more uncomfortable. You can¢t make a mountain any less steep; a hot summer afternoon any cooler; a cold morning any warmer; and, daylight any longer. - Time, distance, terrain, weather, and the Trail itself cannot be changed. You have to change. Don¢t waste any of your energy complaining over things you have no control over. Instead, look to yourself and adapt your mind, heart, body and soul to the Trail.- The Trail knows neither prejudice nor discrimination. Don¢t expect any favors from the Trail. The Trail is inherently hard.40. How many times did you fall / walking poles did you break? I probably fell about 25 times which I still haven't quite figured out other than my pack's weight didn't help. I never tripped and fell, so my mom would be proud that at least I was lifting my feet. I broke 3 carbon poles, all while trying to stop falls, before switching to metal poles in Rangeley, Maine. I still fell but my poles are in one piece.41. Biggest rookie error? Countless. My longest and only overnight hike before this undertaking was around a Lake near Oakland CA where I hiked about 10 miles. That was big mistake. On the trail, my most laughable error was leaving my tent in a densely packed campsite to find a place to pee away from the other hikers. When I turned back to crawl into my tent, all of them looked very similar and it took about 15 minutes to find mine, waking up a few hikers in the process.42. Luckiest moment? Everyday I had the opportunity to walk because I was physically and emotionally able to, I thought about how incredibly lucky I was. Every time I fell and got up, I thought how lucky I was. Every time I picked up a maildrop from family, read a note of encouragement from friends on Facebook, or experienced trail magic, I thought about how lucky I was. When my cousin Eileen slack-packed me throughout NJ and my friend Carol throughout VT I thought about how lucky I was. I think I'll go play the Lottery!43. How long did it take you? 126 days.44. Was that shorter or longer than you thought? Shorter. I originally thought I'd be ending the second week in August, somewhere around day 145 - 150. 45. Woods or outhouse? Both are equally comfortable now for me...and that took awhile. Growing up, I'd be the type of kid who's go away to camp and not poop for a week. Give me good tree to scootch behind now or a privy with at least 3 walls, and all is good.46. Biggest thrill - Finally admitting to myself that I was going to make it, which oddly enough didn't happen until I was half-way through Maine.47. Biggest disappointment - missing the side-trail to McAfee Knob which is one of the most photographed spots on the Appalachian Trail. 48. What weren't you ready for? How much pain and discomfort I was in for the first month and a half of the trip. My feet ached and were heavily blistered, my knees were swollen and incredibly sore everyday. I had sprained my ankles several times and had several bouts of significant diarrhea. I don't think it necessarily has to be that way, but it did help validate the slogan, "No pain, No rain, No Maine." 49. What did you miss most on the trail about your (other) life? My family. 50. What did you look forward to most upon finishing? Besides having feeling return to my toes, I look forward to the challenge of turning some of my "learnings" into action, becoming a better person in the process, and having a more meaningful and positive impact on the lives of others. 51. My first day off the trail, I...did absolutely nothing, and it felt very good. I think I'll try it again tomorrow.