Date: 2004-06-09
To: Thoughts on the 2004 Hike
Miles today: 0.0

Well, it¢s been almost a month since I finished this year¢s hike. I am well satisfied with the trip and the continuation of my trek north on the AT. Another hiker who completed the trail in sections signed my guestbook and mentioned the challenge it is to do the trail that way, over many years. I felt like she read my thoughts some as I hiked along the first two or three days this year, because it takes awhile to get back into the swing of things physically, and sure enough, at the end I was hitting my stride pretty well, but it was time to head back to the real world for another year. What I did notice though was the ease with which I got into the experience of life on the trail and how easy it was to be out there and handle all the basic ¢stuff¢ a hiker has to do. I left my office, traveled to Erwin TN, and the next morning I was in the woods. It all felt very natural. I am comfortable with my gear, following the white blazes, the change of menu, knowing where stuff is packed, setting up camp, breaking camp, sleeping outside, getting water, and just looking forward to what I see and who I meet. I had great times alone, and with the other hikers. For me, leaving normal life behind for two weeks and getting into this outdoor experience is becoming second nature. Leaving my wife behind for the extended period is the only thing that nags at me a little while I¢m away. I should be thankful, since on the trail, and in everyday life, I regularly run into people who look forward to an escape from that other person. I¢m fortunate that way, I guess. When you hike a section once a year it seems like a long time coming and then it¢s over so quickly. This was my third year. The first year it was all new, and there were real questions about whether I could actually do the hike, plus all the ¢newbie¢ stuff to work through. It seemed to take forever to get on the trail once I decided to do it a year earlier, but I think that experience for me was almost as exciting as a thru hike is for others, even though it was only 165 miles. Now I have my third section done. It¢s hard to believe that I¢ve been out three times with a year in between. It makes you think about how fast you are burning up the years and getting older! I still have not committed myself to hiking the entire AT as a ¢must do¢ goal. Each year I just tackle the next section and take it as it comes. Likely I will do the sections in order, heading north, rather than skipping around. I¢m just made up that way. If I am able to go next year, that¢s almost another year away. But, as I look back, that time will fly by and I¢ll be out there again. It is actually starting to add up to some pretty significant hiking. It¢s just the passage of time related to this adventure that is interesting to ponder. So, what about this year¢s hike? Funny but I did not see any bears or even one snake. It is not all that unusual for a hiker not to see any bears. Many I met this year commented that they still had not seen one. I did see at least one bear my first two years but not a one this year. Snakes, on the other hand, are a mystery to me this year. Everyone around me was seeing snakes, but not me. People hiking in front of me would comment about rattlesnakes, copperheads, even a cottonmouth, and various harmless snakes. People hiking behind me that day would compare notes with them on the size and location of some snake they both saw. I came by in between and saw not a one on the entire trip. That seems unusual to me, especially since I was looking closely for them once I knew they were out on the sunny afternoons. I like having pictures of the snakes, but didn¢t especially miss the startle they give me. I hiked about one month earlier this year than the previous two trips. I really like being out in April and May rather than in June. I like the cooler weather and better views since the leaves are not out, especially in the higher elevations. The underbrush is not crowding the trail or blocking the views into the forest itself, or off the ridges for a view into the valley. I had changed up my gear a little, anticipating cooler days and nights. I am sure now that I could hike with this equipment even earlier and do fine. I did have some hot afternoons, but mostly it was very comfortable hiking weather. I enjoyed feeling good as I hiked along and feeling almost cool when I would stop, or top a summit and catch the breeze. It was refreshing. It rained some this year but it was nothing like last year. Trouble is, I can already see that April next year will be an awful time for me to be gone from my job. We expect to be finishing up a multi-year project sometime between March and June, so I¢ll have to wait and see how it all turns out. Another plus for hiking earlier, and starting a few hundred miles north on the trail is that I met a lot of thru hikers and other section hikers. I really enjoyed that. On the other trips the thru hikers were mostly far north of me. On future trips I will probably be in the thick of the thru hikers. Meeting good people out there is really a big part of the experience. You always get into trouble when you start naming people, BUT, I enjoyed meeting Milo, Flamingo Joe, Meanderthal, Pilot, Poler (and Jack), K2, Mushroom, Mayagues, Spot, Kat, Little Chicken and her mom Big Bird, Half Moon (Excellent-Good), Hobbes, Batch, Lumber, Ski Bum, Southern Man, Jet Ski, AKA, Patapsco, Chef, and many other hikers. I enjoyed meeting Rufus Marlow in Hampton TN at the restaurant. You can read about Rufus in the May 4 journal entry. Also, if you have read my journal you are aware of my friend Tom, who died a couple of weeks before we were to begin the hike together. I met his wife, and some of her family, and many of the members of Tom¢s church the night before I began the hike. They helped me along with transportation and it was good to meet them in person after we all experienced losing Tom so suddenly and unexpectedly. It¢s funny how people that are so different can relate and add to each other's experience on the trail. I especially enjoyed hiking the same sections with Milo and Flamingo Joe. Under normal circumstances we would probably have very little in common. I am in my mid-50¢s (actually 55 today!) and they are in their 20¢s, about post college age. They are young, into the scene enjoyed by people as they enter adulthood, and pretty much into the current of life in keeping with their time of life. "Irreverent" might be a good adjective to describe them! I am fairly conservative and have made my decisions on what will be a part of my life and what will not be. However, they seemed to accept me for who I am and we could enjoy the hiking experience with no questions asked. I never felt out of place and they did not seem to have a barrier in relating to me. I saw both of them as more experienced hikers than me, and genuinely enjoyed asking questions and listening to the stories they told. Where else but on the trail¢¦ By the way, I have no way to contact Flamingo Joe, so if anyone knows where he is on his thru hike, or has his email address, please let me know. I am now about 525 miles into the AT trek. I could stop here and not have any regrets. And, I can continue on and not lose interest. I have completed Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Getting into Virginia seemed like such an accomplishment to me. First, it was good to complete NC/TN. I like to have things neat and orderly, and I could not claim either state as completed until I almost completed both, since the trail meanders across the state line between them for a long, long way. I was familiar with the trail in the first three states since I had hiked short sections in each in the past. Getting to Virginia puts me in completely new territory. I have not seen any of the trail north of my present location (Partnership Shelter). Getting to Damascus was a real highlight for me. I don¢t know why, but it just seemed like such a milestone to get there, see it and some of its trail landmarks, and be a little ways into Virginia. Virginia holds some mystery because of the change of scenery. This year the bald mountains and the Grayson Highlands were atop the all-time list of great experiences for me. Funny thing is that I have almost no idea what to expect ahead. That¢s ok, but typically I like to have some idea so I can look forward to the highlights. Maybe someone can tempt me with the info on what¢s ahead in the next few hundred miles. All in all, I really had a great time. With years of hiking ahead, at my current rate of progress, there are many unknowns. Each year I must determine if I can go at all. Then I decide how long to be away and work that into the rest of my busy life. Looking ahead there can be no real plan. There are probably 8 to 10 hikes remaining if I hike to Katahdin at the present rate. That¢s a lot of individual hikes to be planned and experienced over a lot of time, with many other life events that could be involved. Sounds like I don¢t know where I¢m going, when I¢m going, or how I¢ll get there. Exactly. PS. If you enjoyed my journal, or even if you didn't, please sign the guestbook so I will know of your visit. It's fun to see who reads my story.