Date: 2013-12-28
To: Epilogue
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I thought I would take a few minutes to close out the year. 2014 is only a few days away and I have put this epilogue off until now, in order to gather my thoughts and hopefully come up with something that is a little bit informative about what happened and what my chances are of returning to the trail next year. On the day I left the trail my feet were so sore that I could hardly walk with what I thought was the proverbial hiker hobble. I had hiked all during the month of June with increasing pain in my forefeet but had endured because everyone else was having their own problems and still continuing on. With the building pain, heat, bugs and incessant evening thunderstorms I finally came to the decision to leave the trail. I don't think there was another day left in me. So,, I was able to accept leaving without remorse and leave the trail satisfied that I had given it my best shot.As the weeks turned into months and my feet were still not healing at a rate that I thought should be normal I became worried and made an appointment with my Doctor to check things out. Turns out I have Diabetic Neuropathy (yes, I have type II Diabetese) and there is a possibility that my feet won't ever return to normal. Only time will tell and in the interim I have to watch my diet pretty closely and exercise as much as my feet will allow and keep my blood sugar under control and hopefully then I can return to the trail and finish next year. I did not carry my blood sugar monitor with me due to weight considerations but have since decided that was a mistake. I had made practice hikes in the Ozarks with my monitor before heading to Springer and had concluded that the amount of work I was doing kept my blood sugar within parameters and was certain I did not need to test. I won't make that mistake again.I have attempted three thru hikes and I doubt I will try again until I complete the trail. If I am able to hike again next year, I will return to PA. and start from there. Even if I'm not able to complete the trail next year then I will try to just do section hikes until I climb Katahdin. After that I will think about trying another thru.I just had my 72'nd birthday, so I can realistically see that my window of opportunity is closing. No, I'm not saying I think I'm getting too old to finish the trail,, but I AM saying that the older I get the odds increase that I won't be able to finish. So, section hikes until I finish then I might try another thru, always with the knowledge that it may turn into a section hike,,,,, and that will be okay with me. There were so many people that I hated to loose sight of when I left the trail. Some posted on Trail Journals and some kept blogs that I was able to follow but, still, there was that place inside of me that wanted to be with them and see them on Katahdin; Pacemaker, Runner up, Siren and Stretch who I started the trail with but only got to hike with a short time were people I held dear to my heart and others like Monk, Roadrunner, CBW, Peanut, Mountain Goat, Yank, Bluebonnet, Nutella, Wooden Spoon, Subaru, Kristina (the badass) Jigsaw, Fire Hazard and Funky Town, all of whom I would hike with then loose only to run across further up the trail were people who accepted an old man into their midst just because he was a fellow hiker. Then there was Cabo who was my first true hiking partner, and Violet B., Pathfinder, and then Rabbit, all of whom could hike circles around me but still hiked with me in order to have a partner. I'm sure I left someone out and apologize for it but hide behind the excuse of "CRS" disease due to advanced age. I don't know if I will ever re-connect with any of them but they will always be forever in my memories.I won't return to the trail until, probably, the middle of May in 2014,, if I am able to return at all. Weather will be a limiting factor for when I return, and, my health. I would like to be in Damascus for Trail Days too, so that will be a limiting factor also. To the Class of '14 I wish you good hiking,, and, say hi when you pass me further up the trail.SparkyOn-On