Date: 2009-06-24
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Walker Gap
Miles today: 1.3

Due to itching all over my body caused by a number of things, I never really got to sleep last night until 3:00 a.m. so the others hiked out early this morning and left me to sleep in the shelter.Yesterday evening I had done the math and realized that I was now beyond the 25% point of the AT. I began to think that this might be a good time to assess my situation so I decided to get off the trail for two days and see where I was.After packing up, I hiked 1.3 miles down the mountain to a gap with Forest Service road access and turned off the trail towards the farm lands at lower elevations. Within minutes I was walking, quite unexpectedly, through some of the prettiest countryside I have ever seen ... an area called Burke's Garden or "God's Thumbprint" ¢¦ see the incredible photo here.From there, I hitch hiked to Bland, where I was to meet up with PoliPoli and Plowboy for resupply in two days, and got a motel room.So now, after 550+ miles of hiking, about 1,250,000 steps, 2.5+ months of living in a totally different world, and after 2 days of thought, I have decided to end my hike of the AT at this point. My decision is based on two major factors ¢¦1) Having completed one quarter of this hike through the woods, I feel that doing the remaining three quarters will not be nearly as rewarding as the first quarter, much like additional helpings of dessert are not as satisfying as the first helping. I have had an absolutely wonderful time, seen much, learned much, met and hiked with a wonderful, diverse group of people who have come to this long, thin village from all over the world, and would not trade my experiences for the anything. But, given how much I have already gained, hiking further would inevitably be a matter of diminishing returns. I have no regrets about the trip; nor about ending it now. It is time to move on to the next adventure!2) I have accumulated a fair number of minor health issues as I have hiked along. Taken one at a time, none of them are show stoppers, or worth going into detail about here, but given their number, as the weather heats up and gets more humid, and more bugs come out to enjoy the summer, my medical situation would surely get worse if I stayed out on the trail. In short, my gut tells me I am beginning to push my luck, medically. On the plus side, I have lost 50 pounds as a result of this hike and am better shape than I have been at any time in the past 30 years! So, this morning PoliPoli and Plowboy, and I bid our farewells, for now, and later this afternoon (6/26) my longtime friend, Chuck, is driving up from Charlotte, NC, to go for a short hike with me on the AT before we go back to his home where I will catch my breath for a couple of days and start to look for a flight home. I should be home in California by Wednesday or so!Still to be done ¢¦ Once home, I will be going through the 8,000 photos I have taken along the way and will add several to each page of this journal to provide a more visual record of my journey. I will also add photos of the many folks I met along the way, and the many others who helped me have this wonderful experience.I can already say, however, that many of you, readers of this journal, have played an important role in making this the trip of a lifetime. Encouraging messages, emails, phone calls, offers to help, and other assistance and acts of kindness have all been part of the experience and almost overwhelming! It is truly amazing how many folks have been interested in following my wanderings! Thank you for being with me as I walked along.PhotosForest Service road crosssing at Walker Gap ... The end of my hike on the AT12 minutes later I was back in civilizationThe first of five rides to get to Bland, VirginiaA stop at a rural general store to get a snack and directions to Bland.Farewells with PoliPoli and PlowboyCeremonial half-mile hike on the AT. I let Chuck wear my pack