Date: 2007-06-30
To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I decided to take a zero day today and try to get over this damn cold. My mail drop showed up this morning and I was glad to have some cash on me.I spent the first part of the morning walking around town, checking out all the neat little shops. I normally have trouble spending any length of time just hanging out and not doing much of anything, but I found I had no trouble at all here in Monson. Jeff and Rebekah, owners of the Lakeshore House, are great people. I spent a lot of time talking with them while I was relaxing on the patio. I also spent some time talking to the bartender at the pub and it turns out she grew up just a few miles from where I grew up in Cincinnati.The cold isn¢t getting any better and I don¢t think it¢s a good idea to be out in the woods alone considering my health history. After a long conversation with my family and several thru hikers, it is with heavy heart that I leave the trail. Yes, I could have pushed on and taken my chances. But that isn¢t a smart decision. I¢m still fairly young and have plenty of time to attempt another thru hike. There were several factors leading up to my decision: (1) My health. I had colon cancer when I was 12 years old and had a colectomy at the age of 13. The slightest stomach bug can send me to the ER in a matter of hours with dehydration. This cold could easily turn for the worse and put me in jeopardy out on the trail. A few years ago I would have probably sucked it up and taken my chances. But that type of decision making changed once I met my wife. My decisions now affect more than just myself. (2) I think I¢d feel safer on the trail if I was hiking with someone I knew and who knew my history. I¢d rather wait til next year or even 2009 and hike with a friend than attempt a solo hike and have a medical emergency on the trail. (3) I now would prefer to hike NOBO instead of SOBO. There is no comparing the beauty of the trail in the north with the bland scenery here in the south. I think it¢d be a lot better experience hiking through New England to finish my trip and I certainly would prefer having Baxter Peak as my destination as opposed to Springer Mountain. (4) Here are some words I thought I¢d never hear myself say: I¢d like to hike the trail at a slower pace. I found myself knocking out high miles from the beginning and would have preferred to slow down and enjoy parts of the trail more. I know how I am and hiking solo would not allow me to slow down. It¢s just in my nature. So I figure a hiking partner would help remedy this situation. (5) I had some gear failures during my first week on the trail: ¢¢ Somehow, lots of rain was getting into my hammock. I¢ve never had this issue and need to figure out what the hell is happening. ¢¢ Zipper on my convertible pants failed after the first day. So I was down to only rain pants and shorts. ¢¢ My purifier was not working properly. It¢s brand new and I¢ll need to return it to REI and get a new one. ¢¢ Pocketmail. Hmmm¢¦ not too impressed with this little gadget. The more I tried to use it the more issues I came across. Great concept but I don¢t think it¢s quite there yet. ¢¢ Custom inserts. I didn¢t take enough time to get my feel acclimated to wearing them and paid the price with some substantial foot pain. ¢¢ I like the Heinecan cooking pot but it¢s not what I should have taken on this trip. ¢¢ I love the Ring of Fire stove but will need to order a new model that has pot supports for using a regular pot.