Date: 2003-01-08
To: My mind
Miles today: 0.0

Well, today we are going to talk about "why"... You know... Why am I doing this? Why hike the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain in Georgia, to Mount Katahdin in Maine, in one continuous hike.Why walk 2168 miles (or whatever the official mileage is this year)in rain. sleet, hail, snow, freezing winds, ice, heat, drought and mud. The short answer... I don't know, I can't pinpoint any one reason...We'll work on the long answer today...It's a dream I've had for the last 8 years or so.... I'd hiked on parts of the AT before, but never thought of "Thru" hiking it. I just hiked bits of it in my wanderings through Harriman State park in NY. Usually en route to a scenic camp site, to enjoy the views & drink beer... Hoo haaa, a manly trip... Somewhere around 1995, I was looking at the Appalachian Trail web page on the internet, and saw a mention of an Appalachian Trail mailing List, and joined it. Little did I know that this was a move that would forever change life... For the better... Shortly after I joined, I found out about a long Distance Hikers "Gathering" that was taking place in Carlisle PA. So I said, " Hey, I gotta check this out". The rest is history. It turns out that this was a gathering of the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association (ALDHA), and I learned more about long distance hiking that weekend, than I had ever imagined. In particular, I learned about hiking the whole Appalachian Trail. I was hooked.. I knew that some day I was gonna do this thing.... Well, 7 years and 5 Gatherings later, here I am.. getting ready to realize my dream.. Only about 51 days to go.... Till I start walking North with Spring.So back to why.... First of all.. This is not a "socially" acceptable thing for a person to do.. Hike a trail for 6-7 months, not working, leaving a spouse behind to take care of the house & bills, and in his/her spare time, send packages of gear & food, to towns along the trail where I will pick them up as I hike. It is an odd breed of people that would "want" to do this.... And I am glad I am one of them... They are a breed apart, intrepid travelers that appreciate things that we have long forgotten in our rushed lives... To stop & smell the flowers along the path of life. To enjoy the journey, as well as the destination. That there is more to life than being a corporate puppet, dangling on a string ( but dang, it sure payed good..... oh well...). Anyway... The "Why"... For me, it will be a journey of discovery..... The ellusive thing I am trying to find is me..... I got lost a long time ago, and need to find myself again, and in doing, maybe find my path in life again. What do I want to do with the rest of my life? What do I want to do when I grow up? Do I want to grow up? Will I like what I find, when I find myself? These and many other questions remain to be answered. 6 months in the woods, should should help me start finding the answers. If not, there is always the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and the Continental Divide Trail (CDT)... :-)I know... This is sounding a little deep for me.. I am usually a joking, smart assed kind of guy. He's still here, I just let him out for the day.. He'll be back again tomorrow...Life is good... Live it...