Date: 2015-05-28
From: Daleville, Virginia

To: Daleville, Virginia
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: broken clouds

May 28, 2015   Why I am Thru-Hiking the AT. I put thought into this post. I hope it¢s not bragging or arrogant. Some is facts. Some is my opinions. I am blessed by God, or diligent effort, or luck, or all of them. It is in Two PartsPart 1 Because I canPart 2 Because I want toPart 1 Because I Can Do ItI have Time, Money and Energy, the three items required for an AT thru-hike, themselves the subjects of a previous lengthy postTime: I retired from 3M Sept 1, 2014 So I have no work responsibilities. (I thought 3M might call me back to work part-time, but, alas, 3M seems to be doing fine without me.)   I have the required six months to do this,   My only time deadline is closure of Katahdin/Baxter State Park Oct 20th or so and (practically speaking), Oct 1st, when cold weather is likely in Maine. I¢m from Minnesota, so I know I don¢t want to be hiking in cold weather.) My two kids are responsible adults, ages 31 and 25. They are done with college. Both married.   None living at home, semi-permanently.   David & Stephanie temporarily at our place, just back from South Africa, prior to their departure to Stephenville, Texas in mid-August, for David¢ masters program. I have two grandkids, but no direct responsibility for my 2 kids, since they are functioning adults. My wife is independent enough to have me gone for 6 months + occasional visits to see me. Money: Our family has lived within the more-than-adequate means that my 40 year 3M employment provided.   Our mortgage is paid, we have no Home Improvement Loan.   The only debt is from one child from college, and we took that on because both kids did everything we asked them to do in both high school and college. They used their student time wisely. 3M has provided me a pension, plus I¢m collecting Social Security, so I have enough money to do this ¢relatively¢ inexpensive $5000 trip, even though it is a long one. Energy:   My toughest challenge of the three.   I have remained physically fit, even at age 62. I never go to the gym, but stay active, generally doing fixing/building something. Even watching grandkids takes lots of energy and keeps me active.   I don't watch much TV (but sometimes I do) I eat at least semi-health (but too much Coke, I suppose.)   My weight is mostly constant. I have been blessed with an active metabolism, active, like my dad. I did not play organized sports in high school, so I avoided those injuries.   I played mostly unorganized sports in my youth, that is, organized by just the players, no adults. Now such a thing is unheard of.   I did play organized Little League Baseball, organized by adults, but at the tender age of 11 or 12, at my tryout for the ¢Major Leagues¢, I was told/informed I was not a good enough baseball player and to go home.   And I reluctantly did.   Such a thing does not happen nowadays.   In current adult-supervised sports, most of the participants self-opt out if they know they are not good enough.   (Of course, in high school, there are tryouts and lots of people ARE cut.) A shout out to my fellow BroomBall players. Although my broomball attendance was spotty last winter, it has still kept me active in the winter.   I¢m not nearly the best player (I¢m in the bottom of broomball skills), but I can and do still hustle.   I remember last fall catching a 30 year old player on a breakaway, and I said to myself YES, I can still move fast enough to catch those guys. But not Daniel Johnson. Because I Can - NOW I¢m age 62, and will turn 63 in about Vermont.   Most retirees on this trail are age 55-59.   There are a few older than me, but just a few.   I have good health and I have the time, now.   Little in the future is certain, certainly not health.   I may not be able to do this later. So don¢t wait. Do it now. And I am. Part 2 Because I want to¢¦ Why I want to. Several of these reasons overlap.   Here are all I could think of now. #1 I like walking¢¦ in the woods.   I walk at home when I can, in our neighborhood, and even at the megamall in the winter. Unless I have a good reason to run (such as broomball), I despise running. Just me.   I¢d rather walk than run. I enjoy being in the woods.   Growing up in the woods near my Duluth home, Boy Scouts, some family vacations, and a couple dozen BWCA canoe trips have made me comfortable in the woods.      I'm not (much) afraid of snakes, wood ticks, bugs, bears nor of (too much) rain and cold. I do respect the damage deer ticks and west-nile-virus mosquitoes can carry, and hope to avoid it.   I have learned to deal with most ¢bad¢ things the outdoors has, and have gear that enables me to (mostly) do so.   I dislike heat, but it¢s unavoidable. I don¢t/have not recently hunt nor fish.   (I hope to fish with the grandkids, however.) I like just being in the woods, just walking.   I don¢t need to shoot or catch anything.   I love to eat fish, but don¢t know much how to do that.   I like the scenery, and the views on this hike.   God¢s creation.   An AT thru-hike is a hike in the woods, on steroids. #2 I like backpackingI am proficient at it, or reasonably so.   My gear weight is higher than some, for which I am slightly embarrassed, but make due.   I have some luxury items that others chose to do without, such as a freestanding tent, with ground cloth, and steri-pen for water treatment. (Most use filters, or chlorine).Is backpacking a ¢sport¢? Certainly it¢s not a team sport like football or baseball.   But an AT thru-hike is not lonely.   There are people on these trails, plus plenty at the shelters. #3 Backpacking is a simple lifestyleAll I need for four days is on my back. I have food, water, shelter, clothing, all totalling (in my case) 22-36 pounds.   This proves I can do without all my other ¢stuff¢ (at least while I¢m in the woods).   Also, I concede, this makes me appreciate a warm bed and a shower when on a town stay.   So I have little attachment to material things.   I can live without them, or appreciate them more when I have them.      So this is a simple lifestyle. All I really care about when on the trail is: Do I have enough food (for energy), water and dry/warm clothes/tent/sleeping bag. Also, that I am not lost, IE, that I am on the AT trail and heading north.   Nothing else really matters. #4 related to lifestyle, is the radical change in lifestyle to what I had been used to. House, car, traffic, news radio (but I still have one and sometimes succumb to listening to it, but it doesn¢t impact me). This is a complete change of pace.   This, sadly, includes loss of fellowship of my loved ones, but that¢s unavoidable.   But I still see them occasionally and talk to them when I have a cell signal. #5 Related to #4, and a bit selfish, is a complete abdication of prior responsibilities. I had 12 dozen of them, including watching grandkids, and multiple responsibilities at Bethesda Church. As I was about to embark on the trip, I made preparations to transfer any responsibilities to others, but I also selfishly thought, yes, in X weeks, I won¢t care about that anymore.   They are all on hold for 5-6 months.   I will return to them, but fo now, they do not apply to my life. A reason that does NOT apply to me is ¢I get away from my family or all my troubles¢.   I get along fine with my family, and I have really no significant troubles. Really.   I have met a couple hikers who have said they are doing the trail for kind-of negative reasons, that they are homeless of nothing better to do.   This does not apply to me. Another reason that does NOT apply, but is related to #5 is ¢I can do whatever I want (on this AT hike), whenever I want¢.   I thought this thought on my flight to Atlanta (when I wasn¢t suffering from GI troubles). Briefly I thought, I¢m free - Nobody will or can tell me what to do for the next six months.   But in fact, I traded one set of responsibilities for my current, different set.   I must get up early, typically 6AM.   I should be hiking by 7AM. I should walk 15-20 miles per day, except for a few days off. Of course, I can take a nap anytime I want, but I must still steadily walk towards Maine almost every day, or I won¢t get there, by October.   Point is, I have different priorities and responsibilities than my previous retired life.      But I can¢t just goof off and do nothing, or not very long at least. And my trail record is that I am perhaps going even faster than I planned to. When I was hiking with Brad, each morning we agreed upon a camping destination each day, and I got to it. albeit at a slower rate than BRad, IE, 1-2 hours after he got there.   But I have an hiking objective every day. #6   It¢s a big personal challengeIt¢s hard to do this.   I am doing a Hard Thing.   That is the subject of a book I read, Do Hard Things.   I believe in that. Doing the easy thing is not the right thing. Completion will show that I can do this hard thing   That I am in fact a tough guy.   Sorry if this sounds like bragging, but an AT thru-hike can be bragged about. If I wanted to. Many others try and fail. (I¢m not done, so we will yet see if I make it.)   But most don¢t try to do this, both because they think it¢s nuts, or they can¢t do it.#7 Related to #6, do this as an example to others, to get them to aspire to do hard things. ¢Others¢ would include my kids, grandkids, and Bethesda AWANA boys. Hi-C Boy Scouts at one time, but not anymore.   Not that my own kids slacked off much.   They didn¢t.   But I set an example for them as they were growing up, not to shirk away of hard things. #8 Meet interesting peopleThey may be complete strangers otherwise, but we are all on this adventure together.   This trail attracts interesting people.   My distance and hiking duration, IE, most of the day, does not give me much time to meet know people, however.   I somewhat regret that. #9 For the AdventureSurely this is an adventure. I took 2 adventurous trips in my youth, both by bicycle.   Europe/2000 miles in 1972, and Canada & USA/3000 miles in 1974.   I put that on hold for 40 years. A long time to wait.   I can resume these types of adventures now, for awhile at least.   But I don¢t expect to repeat the AT hike (contrasting to some who are on there 2nd-4th thru hike), nor will I likely do the entire Pacific Crest Trail.   The AT is the toughest, and once should be enough. At least that is my thinking now, while I am in the midst of it.   Will be interesting to see if my ambitions for the PCT change. #10   Other Reaons?   But I can¢t think of anymore now, and I better stop using this single motel computer. Addendum, still today, May 28 Dave B asked me ¢What keeps me going?¢ (Or, apparently...Why have I not quit?)Answer: I have never considered quitting.   Even during the week or rain, r the cold in GSMNP, nor frustration with all the trail vertical ups and downs. The trail goes from sea level to the top of Mt Everest 15 times, up and down, over the course of 2180 miles, or about 90 vertical miles.   And the 90 vertical miles IS tough, much harder than the 2180 horizontal miles.   And frustrating.   Why can¢t they keep the trail more level, other than the obviously necessary dips for rivers and rises for mountain passes?   The simple answer I have not quit is that I¢m not done.   I plan to quit at the top of Mt Katahdin, at mile 2180 in Maine. (Then walk down, of course.)   The only other exception is a debilitating injury, which can and does happen.   But has not happened, yet. My kids gave me a nice picture, done by Stephanie, with the word ¢Steadfast¢. It has 9000 dots, the number of days I worked at 3M over the past 40 years. So I have that going for me. I have not been (much) scared off by physical labor or hard work.   I also intentionally told ~100 people I was doing this, per advice in the book ¢Appalachian Trials¢. So I won¢t ¢let them down¢ and slink home and tell them ¢It was too hard¢. Another hiker recently asked me 2 days ago ¢Why do you go so fast/far (15-20 miles per day). I don't have any deadline other than everybody else has, October cold weather in Maine.   I have no good answer to this speed/distance question other than to say similarly ¢Because I can and I want to¢My wife suggested I do a 2-year section hike, IE, hike half in 2015 and half in 2016. But I said no, I¢d rather just do the entire thing in one year.   That is the definition of an AT thru-hike, the entire trail in 12 calendar months. Others can do the entire trail over many years, then they have accomplished section hiking the AT. I wanted to thru-hike it and be done with it. OK, that¢s enough of that.   This ends my long-promised teaser post why I am thru-hiking the AT.   If I think of other reasons why I am doing this I may add them.   But I think that¢s most of them.