Date: 2005-08-22
From: The Hikers Welcome Hostel

To: Moosilauke
Miles today: 7.9

1792.8 miles                                                   8/22/05 Monday                                                            Day 131 Sunny-Cool                                                               Tenting         "Moosilauke Mountain"O/k night of sleep until one of the neighborhood dogs got sprayed by a skunk. I was tenting outside so the smell was so nice! Up at 6:30 a.m. I am running low on food so the hostel sells frozen pizza. You got it right. I had pizza for breakfast. On the trail around 8:45 a.m. Today is a very special day for me. I hit the White Mtts.. I have been thinking of them since I started in GA. 131 days ago. So up Mt.Moosilauke I go. This will be our first above tree line Mt we have climbed on the whole AT. Well I made the climb got to the top for lunch what a great dining room the view is endless. Well do you have some extra time to read. I hope so. The last few days I have been feeling down. I do miss home 130 days is a long time. It is very hard out here on the trail. You do have to work for everything out here. Not only the walking and for me walking alone. But you have to work for your water. When was the last time you walked a mile for a drink of water. How about the out house yes you have to walk to them too. Every day you have to build your home and then take it down the next day. Each night you do not put your food away in the refrigerator. We hang it in a tree. Staying dry from the rain is always hard. How about putting on your shoes with a clean pair of socks. Now take a cup of water and pour it into the shoe and walk around all day like that. As you are walking put a pack on your back and fill it with 35-40 lbs of stuff. Reach into your food bag and pull out the same meal you have had so many nights. O/K yes this is a day in the woods hiking. Now how about not saying good night or good morning to your family each day. How about not being able to pat your pet each day. This is what I miss so much I can handle walking-getting water-hanginging your food and all that stuff but it is just to hard being without the ones you love day after day. At home while I am out here my wife has had all the weight on her shoulders of taking care of the home-sending out all my mail drops, listening to me on the phone saying how much I miss her-Iam sure she misses me too [I hope so]. I did not get to say good bye and give a hug to our 16 year old family cat that died this summer. I am not able to hug my wife when she needs support or comfort. I was not able to see the 4th of July fire works. All right don't get me wrong it is great out here. The people we meet, the views we see,,the animals we see each day, water falls,and the sunsets I have seen are great. Walked through 12 states. The different ways that people live. The list is endless. So here I am worring that when i get back home I will be losing my bookkeeper for my business. Thinking about all the miles I still have to hike. Keeping up with Lightning's plan of 20 mile days. And so on &so on. I am almost at the top of Mt. Moosilauke and for some strange reason I stopped and turned around. The view that I had not seen for so long. I knew I was back home in the Mts where I love to be. When I stopped and looked I could not stop myself and I started to cry not a little cry I mean a darn good cry. I was yelling at the same time I miss and love you Chris-Then I thought about my parents like they were with me. [and I wish so many times that I could be with them] After I had my cry it was like a big weight was taken off of me. So I climbed the rest of the way to the top. I sat on the top of the Mt in the sun got out my food bag and took out my lobster lollipop that 2 great people [Cherrio & Juggle Duck] had sent to me in a care package. I slowly ate that pop thinking how great life is and I am on the top of it. Life is good-real good-so I am hiking to Maine. No rain-No pain-No gain-No Maine. I now feel so good-I cannot worry about some things that I cannot control right now and just live life here on the trail.* 1784.3 miles is what I have walked* 390.6 miles is what I have left to walk I hope to be home in 5 weeks the most-well in between 4-5 weeks. Then I am sure life will be just like what it was before I left on April 14th 2005. That is o/k cause I have a great life. The best family and friends any person could ask for. I am in the shelter about to cook dinner and do my chores hope all is well with you all. I have a big hug for you when I get home