Date: 2008-12-29
To: Prologue: Because I can...
Miles today: 0.0

A long distance hike isn't everyone's cup of tea. Even for those who enjoy an occasional trip into the "backcountry", the prospect of hiking from Georgia to Maine may not have much appeal. In my case, when I first encountered the idea, I had two reactions. The first was one of unconstrained enthusiasm -- OMG,I would LOVE to be able to do something like that! My second reaction was a bit more realistic, and took into account the reality that I had never done anything more than car camping, did not own a backpack or any of the other required gear, was physicaly totally out of shape, had a full time (24/7-type) job, and -- oh yeah -- a wife and three young kids still at home: OMG, I would KILL to be able to do something like that!My instincts turned out to be absolutely on the mark. All of the things that I hoped for from the experience came true -- and then some -- during my first AT Thru-hike in 2005. I learned not only that I could hike for 10-12 hours a day, climbing and descending thousands of feet of mountain terrain, carrying a 35 pound pack containing everything I need to survive on for up to a week, and not only DO it, but ENJOY nearly every waking minute of it! I also learned to live in the woods, and even sleep in the woods by myself, with all of the rest of the wild animals. I never lost my paranoia about falling to my death, however, and dreaded those few occasions when the trail took me up and down cliffs where losing ones grip, or one's nerve, could result in a fatal encounter with the rocks below. (More on my fear of hights later. See also the pre-hike journal entry #9 from my 2005 journal.) Those few occasions notwithstanding, I reached the conclusion during the final days of my hike that I would do it again someday. Indeed, the only question in my mind was: how soon? How soon could I get away with ditching life as I mostly knew it, and the comforts of home and hearth, and return to the woods? I knew it wouldn't be the next year, as I had some unfinished business with my right knee, and the desire to cover tuition expenses for all those strange, short persons running around my house, without resorting to my IRA, suggested that my next hike might be as much as five years out. Ok, I said to myself. I'll just plan to make it an every-fifth-year event. I set the date for my knee replacement surgery for December, 2005, and my next through hike for March 2010. Even while going through rehab on my knee, however I suffered through a bad case of "Springer fever" in March 2006, and it's gotten worse with every passing year. It's not just the physical joy of hiking, the incredible vistas, and the people -- and the people are truely an incredible lot. It's the feeing you get, every so often, of being totally alive (see, for example, journal entry for August 31 in my 2005 journal.) So, for me, the reason for going again is quite simple: because I CAN! For which I feel blessed. As luck would have it, I have been able to advance the timetable by a year. Thanks to the wisdom and selflessness of the financial wizards on Wall Street, my IRA seems to be missing a few zeros at the moment, but I've worked as much as I can for this year and I need a break.   Maybe while I'm away President Obama can figure out how to get the economy back on track and the stock market going in the right direction again. Meanwhile, I can't wait to get back out there again. For one thing, I've managed to gain back almost all of the weight I lost during my first hike. In fact, I was probably in the best shape of my life when I got back, except for that knee thing. For the first time in a long time, my actual self bore a striking resemblence to that 18 year old mental image I have of myself and steadfastly refuse to abandon despite the daily reproachments of my bathroom mirror. I'm strategizing now about how to avoid that outcome the next time, but at least I won't be making the mistake I made on return from my '05 hike when I donated all of my larger size clothing to Goodwill, thinking I'd never need them again.... Oh, and one other thing, for those of you who might be interested in furthering a good cause. I've decided to make this hike a fund raising event for my high school graduating class's "Memorial Scholarship Fund". I've challenged my classmates, and other alumni, to pledge a penny a mile toward the scholarship fund. With a total distance of 2,175 miles, that would yield a contribution of $21.75. If I could get five such contributions, we'd raise $100. With 50, we'd raise a thousand bucks. That would go a long way toward our hope of doing an annual scholarship of $2,000 for some deserving high school graduate of our ol' aler matter. And in these hard economic times, with even student loans harder to come by, my guess is that more of those kids will be needing help than normal. Of course, if I slip and fall and break something the first day out, you'd get away with contributing less than a dime, so feel free to bet against me. On my side, I'll just have that much more incentive to keep going -- just to get that last penny from those who are so bold as to risk their capital on a pledge. To make a pledge, simply visit our class web page( http://www.ghhsclassof62.org/ )and click on "scholarship fund" where you'll find the instructions. And a special "shout out" to my classmates from GHHS. Whether you're in for a pledge or not, please feel free to come along with me on this little walk in the woods. Sign my guestbook, and whatever message you leave will reach me via my pocketmail. I'll look forward to hearing from you!