Date: 2016-01-06
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¢Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance.¢ - Bruce Barton"While adventure reading is thrilling and adventure watching is exciting, nothing compares to living your own adventure and having your own story to tell." - Big SteveOn March 12, 2016, I will depart Springer Mountain, Georgia, and attempt to thru-hike the 2189.2-mile Appalachian Trail. During a family visit, my dear mother-in-law inquired about my plans and motivations for hiking the AT. I spent a solid ten minutes explaining my rationale to her. I made a thorough and compelling case. It was so convincing that, upon finishing, I was certain she would not only heartily endorse my trek, but might even join me. Instead, she looked at me, shook her head, and said, ¢Now why in the world would you want to go and do something like that?¢Why in the world? That¢s a fair question¢¦one that all aspiring thru-hikers should try to answer at some point. Here then, in no particular order, are my Top 10 reasons¢¦1. I love adventure. In my mind I have traveled across the continent with Lewis and Clark, thanks to the novel Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose. I have mentally journeyed into space with the crew of Apollo 13, battled snakes and Nazis with Indiana Jones, and scored the winning goal in Quidditch with Harry Potter. I have imagined picking up giant-slaying stones with David in a hundred Bible classes, and floating with Rose on the raft as Jack sank to the bottom of the ocean in Titanic. In my mind¢s eye, I have hiked the AT a thousand times through countless movies, journals, YouTube clips, and books. In fact, the original seed was planted while reading A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson and later Through Hiker¢s Eyes, Volumes I and II, by Larry Alexander. While adventure reading is thrilling and adventure watching is exciting, nothing compares to living your own adventure and having your own story to tell. Whether my story will be a tragedy or comedy, featuring a devastating injury or a thrilling final summit, remains to be seen. Either way, it will be an adventure.2. I love the outdoors. Nothing lifts my spirits, gets my blood pumping, and connects me more with my Creator than a good hike. Lil Jan and I have hiked some impressive trails this year and each time have been amazed at God¢s handiwork. His presence is whispered to me throughout the day in all sorts of ways, but God seems to shout his awesomeness when I¢m out hiking and thinking in nature. I know I will live to regret this next statement but¢¦I even enjoy hiking in the rain. I will walk two thousand miles in all sorts of conditions. I will get wet and dirty, and will carry a stench like none other. But I¢ll be outdoors, staring at countless stars from a mountaintop on a clear night, hanging out with wild ponies and squirrels¢¦and it will be amazing.3. I love a challenge. Thru-hiking the AT is really, really difficult. It ranks somewhere between running 83 marathons and clothes shopping with your wife while your favorite football team is playing. The total elevation change on the trail is the equivalent of hiking Mount Everest 16 times! Of the 2000 or so crazies who attempt an AT thru-hike each year, about 75-80% fail. Those are bad odds. It has to be difficult in order for the eventual summit at Maine¢s Mount Katahdin to mean something. There¢s little joy in accomplishing the ¢Easy¢ Sudoku puzzle or beating a 5-year-old in chess. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. As my friend, Terry Reeves, once said about mission trips to 3rd world countries, ¢If it were easy, everybody would be over here doing it. There¢s a reason why most people haven¢t done it.¢ Or as a hiker in the movie Everest said, ¢You suffer for a few days. But for the rest of your life you¢re a guy who got to the top of Everest.¢To be continued..