Date: 2004-09-19
From: Somewhere in the whites

To: Somewhere in the Whites
Miles today: 0.0

Entry by Donna: Well, I know it's been a long time, but things get in the way sometimes...like life. Just like my son Ryan,(Backdraft), I've taken a few zero days from reporting on his trailjournal site. I took a little sidetrail to Hawaii this summer, then I took another side trail to visit my other son, Russ (Backdraft's brother). We took a trip ourselves to Huntsville to visit his new college campus, Sam Houston State University. After that I took an aqua-blaze trip myself to "tube" down the Guadalupe River, one last fling before the madness that is "1st Grade at Bellaire" begins again. That and taking 9 hours towards my masters this semester has plunged me into a deep morass of paperwork and activity (not to mention depression and despair). But, finally, routine is beginning to set in and I find myself with a few hours a week that I might be able to catch up with things. Ryan is doing great. In fact, his dad got to go and visit him around the end of August so I went back and posted an accounting of his visit back on the Sept. 3rd date of this journal. Be sure and go back and see it. I am also, oh so slowly, adding his pictures into the photo section of the journal and onto journal pages that go with them, so go back and recheck that also. I have some new stories from Ryan and I will be adding them as I can. The pictures will come first as Ryan has told me those are the most important to him. It's all important to me and I am sorry I am so deliquent in updating this journal.....but as Ryan has explained, zeros are sometimes as important as the hike. Since I last posted, Ryan has put in many miles as well as taking some time to enjoy some side trips along the way. Probably his most enjoyable was stopping off to catch the final Phish concert. He has been a fan for some time and it was important to him to see them while he still had the opportunity. Aside from the fact that the area was a quagmire and he got separated from his group, he was able to finally meet up with them and spend some time with his good college buddy Brook and DigDug's brother Sean and enjoy the concert weekend. He did note that it was an extreme "culture shock" to be suddenly thrown among thousands of people after the solitude of the trail. He also found it difficult to engage in conversation with these strangers because he was used to speaking only the language of the AT and they knew nothing of life on The Trail. After the Phish finale, it was back to the trail and putting in the miles. I last heard from Ryan Thursday, the 9th of September. He was doing fine and waiting out some rain from one of the hurricanes, (they all run together at this point), before he headed into the dreaded Whites. Backdraft didn't dread them, I dreaded them for him. Apparently, by viewing his guestbook entries, he was in the middle of the Whites this Wednesday, the 15th. I hope he is through them by the time the rains from Hurricane Ivan reach that area. Anyway, as Arnold S. would say....."I'm Back!!!" And I will be trying with a vengence to catch up with all the stories and pictures I have before Ryan makes his ascent and descent on Mt. Katahadin and returns home. Which, by the way, he plans to do sometime around the 11th of October. How's that for cutting it close? Again, apologies........and I'll update when I hear from him, in the meantime, go back and check for new entries and pictures daily as I'll be adding them as I can.