Date: 2016-07-09
From: Boiling Springs

To: Harrisburg PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Thursday July 7th ¢ Boiling Springs PA to the end to a journey of my lifetimeI told myself I would never make a major decision on a bad day. I was coming off an absolutely great week and feeling good. I spent the evening reflecting on my trip. The trip had many great events throughout and nearly most of my initial goals achieved. One of my major reasons for the trail was to have an adventure of a lifetime, explore the country I have never seen before, experience things and most important have fun. As I walked I asked myself what my expectations were going forward. At age 62, why I would invest three more months. I proved I am capable with nearly 1200 miles behind me but this was not supposed to be about just completing the hike at the cost of everything else.The Appalachian Trail passes through nearly all of America¢s History from the Revolutionary War, Civil War and the Industrialization of America. It passes through two National Parks, Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah. It went through countless wilderness areas and national forest. It went by some of the most beautiful scenery in America and yet nearly the entire trail rarely provided access to those places. With few exceptions we bypassed mountain rivers or falls instead giving way to a pattern I am simply tired with, a green tunnel with little views on endless boulders that filled a destroyed trail. The trail by design was to follow the ridgeline of the Appalachians. Translation: A trail that very seldom allowed you to stretch out your legs hiking with stride, instead a hike requiring shorten and squatted steps constantly climbing or descending in a balancing act constantly looking down for your footing. A trail by design intending to conquer every single rise for no other purpose than to get to the top followed by a steep descent repeated over and over all day long. A trail incredibly damaged due to poor design and overuse steeply straight down. A trail 5 feet across and 2 feet deep like a small canyon filled now with rocks and washed out from rains that stripped the land away. Roots lined the trail, remnants of trees that once stood there now long gone and washed away.I cursed the builders wondering on why they would create such a difficult and damaged trail that bypassed nearly every natural beauty most hikers expect like rivers and streams, waterfalls, etc. After all, the trail is called the Appalachian NATIONAL SCENIC Trail. Just where are the sceneries. After three months I had to accept that nothing was going to change.The museum, recognized people like Ed Schaeffer who hiked to find solitude and cope with his experiences of WW2. Benton and MacKay wanted complete solitude and escape from others in a wilderness setting. They were about the challenge of the trail and as one ATC representative stated.I left that morning planning to go to the shelter 17 miles out but after only two hours I came to the accept this journey had become a job with little attractions few and far in between. Getting up each morning, hiking 10 plus hours, finding a location to stop, set up camp and cook dinner before falling to sleep. Like any job, the hike itself became the mission and really nothing else.So I turned east at the first opportunity and five miles later came to a state road. I put my hand out for a ride and got very lucky as a driver came by. He asked where I was going and I told him Harrisburg to find a Greyhound bus. By five pm I was at the airport with ticket in hand for a 7 am departure the next morning.While at the airport I used the men¢s room to clean up. I took a small towel and completely washed down the best I could then into clean clothes, brushed my teeth etc with hopes of not offending anyone with stink. I smelt my pits and was satisfied that I was good to go¢¦¢¦but¢¦..when Marilee arrived at the Denver Airport her first words were: ¢¦..OMG you stink !!!¢¦¢¦¢. oh well for those poor passengers on the plane.When I got home we relaxed out on the patio and watched storms in the distant mountains. I reflected on the trip and my decision to end it. I slipped into complete peace with myself. I knew I had accomplished a great feat, completed a great adventure that I will never forget, came to understand myself better, accepted who and what I am, and most important, made a good decision. I am proud of my accomplishment. I asked myself if I had changed and was I a better person for this trip and the answer was a resounding yes.As for the trail I am now an Appalachian Section hiker with nearly 1200 miles behind me. If I come back and complete the remaining 900 miles then I would be recognized for hiking the entire AT. The question is will I? I will leave that decision until next year and for now enjoy Colorado Marilee and Riley as we watch the night skySome reflections.Longest hiking day: 30 milesLongest hiking week: 154Total Miles hiked: nearly 1200Best Trail Section Hiked: Rice Field to CaptainsBest Trail Hiking Buddy: Riley of courseBest Meal: 5 Guys in Gatlinburg TN with extra cheese, extra bacon, large sweet tea and large fries.Best Town: Wesser NC, home of the Nantahala River and the world white water championship courseBest Person: Daniel the American Indian from New HampshireBest Wildlife View: Those synchronous flashing fire flies in Shenandoah National ParkBest Night View: Cowboy camping in grass field along Blue Ridge Mountains ParkwayColdest night: 10 degrees Georgia mountainsHottest day: 97 with heat index of 102Scariest moment: Allens Gap Rock scrambles in rain/snow/ice pellets. 8 miles in 6.5 hoursBest Camp Fire: Uncle Johnny¢s HostelBest Trail Angels: 1st Baptist Church at Fontana HiltonFunniest Moment: Commissioner returning to bunkhouse and putting ear plug into m ear so I cazn listen to his music while he played the air drums.Hardest Climb: Jacob¢s Ladder