Date: 2019-04-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hi! Thought I'd give folks an update on my condition (just in case anyone is remotely interested), and what my future plans are for completing the AT.That C. Diff that I came down with last September while in NH, and which ultimately knocked me off the trail, really did a number on me. Between the C. Diff and the antibiotics I was on, it completely wiped out the biome in my GI tract. I was a hurting puppy for quite awhile, and have been seeing a GI specialist back home in Rochester. I am happy to report that I am on the mend, and although not yet 100% back to normal, I am close. The doctor told me it could be a year before I am completely back to my old self! I was on a rather restricted diet (low lactose, low fiber, low fat) for awhile, which was a real pain. No fruits, no veggies, no salads, no dairy products, no fried food - it seemed like all foods that I love were off limits. However of late my condition has improved considerably and I have been incorporating heretofore restricted foods back into my diet with no apparent ill effects. Yea! I've also been varying the probiotics that I'm taking, and have settled on a combination that seems to be working for me. All good stuff.I haven't been brave enough to go on any weekend backpacks, but have taken a few modest day hikes. I also participated in the Adirondack Mountain Club - Genesee Valley Chapter's (ADK-GVC) annual Loj trip in February, and managed to snowshoe to the top of Esther, Wright and Algonquin. I also get out most days for a brisk 3-4 mile walk, which includes one modest hill, to try and stay in some semblance of shape. Now that the weather is nice I plan on getting back on my bike as well. As an aside I was also asked by ADK-GVC to give a presentation about my AT thru-hike attempt at the monthly meeting in February. At first I was a little reluctant since I was unsuccessful in my thru-hike attempt, but they convinced me that I had a good story to tell so I agreed to give a presentation. Although it was a lot of work putting together a presentation, I'm glad I went ahead with it - it was a lot of fun, and there seemed to be quite a bit of interest by membership in the AT. Thanks also to my good friend Bill Schweinforth, who incorporated my photos into a PowerPoint file and gave me some ideas in terms of what to present.The AT is calling me, no question about that. I reminisce every single day about my time on the trail last year, and am thoroughly enjoying following the adventures of others that are posting journals - thank you one and all! I have so many fond memories from my own hike - and admittedly a few that are not so fond - but that are all part of the experience. I could sympathize with this year's group of NOBOs that ran into some bad weather (cold, snow, lots of rain), but hang in there guys/gals - it is now April and the worst of the weather should be behind you.As for myself, I have exactly 500 miles left to finish the AT, having completed 1,691 miles in 2018. I have about 12 miles left between Zeta Pass and Gorham, NH, and then I have the 488 mile stretch from Crawford Notch, NH to Vernon, NJ. My plan is to get back on the trail on/about September 1st, starting in NH and then heading south to NJ. My wife Kayanne is being a good sport about this, she knows how committed I am to completing the AT, and will once again be my "support crew" back home. Thank you Kayanne, you're the best! If I'm able to finish the AT as planned (and as I well know that's a big "If" - so many things can go wrong), I won't qualify as a Thru Hiker since I wouldn't have completed all 2,191 miles within a 12 month period. However I believe I would qualify as a 2,000 Miler as defined by the ATC.Thank you to all the individuals that have offered me words of encouragement while I was in recovery mode, it meant so very much. I will post another entry as I get closer to the date when I resume my hike, and plan on continuing with daily journal entries once I'm officially back on the trail. Goodbye for now! Opa