Date: 2006-07-26
To: As I look back
Miles today: 0.0

It's been just over 2 weeks now since I completed my dream of hiking the entire A.T.. I am just getting where I can sleep without dreaming of climbing mountains. I have enjoyed being with Kelly every day since I got back, up until this past Monday (the 24th.) when she had to go back to work. We have been trying to get my journal up to date and I have started picking out photos I want to attach to my journal. Hopefully I will have them on the journal entries soon. I think back over the many days, weeks and months which I was hiking the A.T. and have fond memories of the sights I saw and people I met. I made some friends which I would like to stay in touch with. Even though some I only saw a few times I still think of them and wonder how they are doing. I guess we will always feel as though we are all connected in some way through the Appalachian Trail. How can one walk 2,170+ miles following a white blaze and not feel connected to the others who have the same desire to suffer such pain. I still question what makes a person leave a wonderful wife, good home, warm/dry cloths, plenty of good food in the ref., good cars to ride in, soft warm bed, heat/a.c., and all the comforts of life and go into the wilderness and live for 6 months eating noodles, mac&cheese, cereal bars, packaged tuna and such. Wear the same wet cloths every day putting them on every morning when they are cold and clammy. Walk all day in the rain/sleet/snow/hale/heat, or whatever else may come, you must keep going. I wouldn't take anything for the experience ,I thank God for the ability and opportunity He has given me to accomplish this. I give Him all the praise and credit, without Him I would not have been able to take the first step. What a miracle, just 10 years ago when I broke my knee and spent 6.5 hours in surgery as the doctors put it back together with a pin to hold it in place untill it healed. In a cast from my toes to my hip. A wheel chair for 2 months, out of work for 3 months and then the Dr. telling me I would not be able to walk again as I had been doing. He didn't mean I wouldn't be to get around, but I was doing competitive walking at the time of my accident and he meant I would not be able to do any competitive or heavy walking. He said that I would be able to walk short distances but it would be so painfull that I would not want to do it. The cartilage in my knee was completely destroyed and cartilage doesn't heal. Wow what a shock, I loved walking and didn't want to think about not being able to compete and walk long distances. After the cast came off the Dr. said I might want to think about knee replacement surgery. I didn't want to think about that. I just prayed and trusted God to allow me to recover completely. After many months of therapy and many prayers by myself and others, I started to walk around the neighborhood and soon was walking 3 or more miles each day. I got back up to 6-8 miles without any pain Praise the Lord. Soon thereafter, I started entertaining tht idea of walking the entire A.T. I wanted to do it as a thru-hike and as you have seen from my journal I tried twice but after 4 weeks the 1st. attempt in '04, and 2 months on the 2nd. attempt in '05, I decided to just finish the remainder this time and that was good enough for me. I am not sure I could stay away from my wife long enough to do a Thru-Hike. I am pleased at being able to just cover the entire length.