Date: 2021-07-23
From: VT Rt. 11/30 (1654.0)

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Epilogue:Leaving Rutland Regional Airport, I could see Vermont from the air and it is beautiful; a lot of green, small farms and tidy villages, ski runs and wind turbines, and mountains. Lots of forests.But, from the trail you are in the forest and the scenery does not change much. It does however change, but slowly, as you hike north with vegetation and tree species gradually changing. But as the trail gets harder, you focus down to a 5 foot by 15 foot box in front of you, planning your next step, and the step after that, avoiding roots, slippery rocks, mud, sometimes probing with your trekking pole for soft spots in deep mud or solid rock. You use your poles to lift yourself for high steps or brake on the downhills. Your focus for 9, 10 or 11 hours a day is totally on the trail tread in front of you. Usually you're only stopping for water or lunch, which are the few times to admire the beauty around you. I think the monotonous grind is one of the reasons I¢m leaving the trail.I haven't worn sunglasses since the first couple of days on the trail back in April. The AT hike is below the tree canopy almost the whole distance I hiked. You get very filtered sunlight poking now and then when there is no cloud cover. We had many days of cloudiness, or if clear in the morning, it would cloud up by afternoon. I never saw a sunrise or a sunset, never saw the stars or the moon, an unobstructed clear view rarely happened for me. Many peaks were in clouds or fog. I did not see where I hiked from during the day, or where I was going. I think these were other issues that made me leave the trail.One of the things I will miss the most from this trail are the bird songs. Much more varied and continuous than in California. I can listen to the birds while hiking and concentrating on the trail at the same time. As we hiked through spring time, I could hear the chicks chirping then later the adolescent birds calling for food. I heard the Whippoorwills at night and morning bird calls telling me it was time to get up. I never set an alarm because of the birds, and MoJoe only had to come by once or twice to see if I was awake in the morning. Then there were the evening bird songs playing taps for me at dusk as I laid in my tent.I will also miss how the trail heightens your senses. You are more attuned to noises and smells in particular. You hear a branch breaking far in the forest and the way the trees creak in the forest. You hear the frogs and insects, sometimes a little too well. If the wind was right, I actually could smell a day hiker standing still before I saw them (no joke). We always remarked how day hikers smelled so sweet and somewhat chemical-like, probably from the laundry soap, shampoos and deodorants.I¢d like to thank all of the volunteers that maintain the trail, the organizations that support the trail, get funding, and support the hikers. The trail angels were wonderful and generous and caring. My first trail Angel was one of best friends, Chris. Thank you so much. The hikers and community were wonderful. I feel I made some special friendships with Jetpack, Smiles, and Kitty Hawk. And of course, I would not have been on the trail but for MoJoe. Thank you MoJoe for all the miles and smiles.I could not have done the trail without the support back home from Donna taking care of the house with Daniel, and sending me packages with special treats, and encouraging me to hike the trail.As I head back home to the brown dusty hills of smoky California, I know I will miss the green trail and hiker camaraderie that had been part of my life the last three months. I will shave my beard, my feet and wounds will heal, but the trail memories will linger with me. I end my journal as I did with my PCT hike:Some trails are happy ones,Others are blueIt¢s the way you ride the trail that countsHere¢s a happy one for youUntil we meet again, Happy trails to you.