Date: 2007-05-14
To: Starting Location = Duncannon, Pennsylvania
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Never in a million years did I think that I would ever get the opportunity to return to Duncannon, Pennsylvania, and continue hiking northbound on the Appalachian Trail. I feel very fortunate. I ended my 2004 Appalachian Trail hike nearly three years ago in Duncannon when I learned that my father passed away suddenly.After leaving the Trail on June 27, 2004, I dealt with family issues, slowly recovered from the pain I was feeling in my feet, and planned on returning to "life as usual." Sure, I thought about the past experience of three and one-half months on the Appalachian Trail with fondness and appreciation ¢ it was such a unique experience and quite an adventure, but I convinced myself that "what¢s done is done" and I probably would never return to the Trail. I was O.K. with that.Several months ago, I had the desire to do something different with my life this year and to escape from a characteristically unfulfilling job. Spring was just around the corner and I was eager to get out and do some camping and hiking. A few more thoughts popped into my head and I worked out a scenario to make some more progress hiking the Appalachian Trail. I began discussing the idea with some friends and former thru-hiking companions from my trip in 2004 and received an abundance of encouragement and support.The encouragement from my friends, a bit of my own motivation, and some luck thrown in, opened this window of opportunity. It just "feels right" to go hiking this year. However, the planning phase was not without some predicaments that I had to think through.One thing to consider was the financial costs involved ¢ especially since I will be leaving my job. Another thought I reflected upon was the "cost" of wondering if I could have made it to the end of the Trail in Maine this year if I did not try to finish or if I would ever get the opportunity to continue northbound from Duncannon again.I also had to weigh the expected sense of accomplishment of continuing on the Trail with the accomplishments that I feel at my job. Well, when you consider that I don't have anything at work that I can tell my grandkids about (figuratively speaking), then it became clear that I needed to make the decision to hike some more.As I contemplated whether or not to continue, I asked myself, "Why?" Why do I want to go back and continue hiking the Trail? There are times of struggle and challenge, but it is also a rewarding experience, too. In my opinion, hiking the Appalachian Trail is quite an athletic event. It¢s like going to the gym for eight hours each day and not being able to shower at the end of that day and then going to bed still a bit hungry. Then, you get up early the next morning and you do it again. It was difficult to convince myself that I should get back on the trail when I was lying in my bed at night, warm, clean, and comfortable. Then again, why does a marathon runner or tri-athlete do what he or she does? It must be, in part, because of the potential for personal achievement and it¢s probably not because it will always be fun. When hiking the Appalachian Trail you are going to feel a wide-range of emotions and be exposed to various conditions. Quite often, you will alternate between being excited, lonely, tired, hot, cold, miserable, social, and yet it¢s a unique, one-of-a-kind event that will produce a feeling of accomplishment and memories that will make you smile when you talk about them for the rest of your life.With all that said, I will be leaving my job, pre-paying my expenses, and driving to Duncannon, Pennsylvania during the second week of June with an estimated start date of June 12, more or less. This will put me back in Duncannon two weeks ahead of my 2004 schedule so that I can get "up to speed" (hopefully) by the time the 2007 thru-hikers, who left Springer Mountain, Georgia, in March, join me. My intention is to make some progress northbound and continue to get some miles behind me. I still have 1,042 miles to go. I am not telling people that I¢m going back on the Appalachian Trail to "finish" the trail, because I¢m uncertain of completing it, especially since I had some incredible foot pain that I experienced three years ago. I am simply going to go hiking until the foot or knee discomfort becomes greater than my desire to finish and impedes my enjoyment of the Trail. However, I¢d sure like to make it to Katahdin this year and I am going to try to get there.