Date: 2005-07-12
From: Church of the Mountain Hostel (Delaware Water Gap)

To: Church of the Mountain Hostel (Delaware Water Gap)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

8:08am - Souls of the DepartedThis journal is an incomplete, innacurate portrayal of my journey. Mostly it is such because of the inherent filtering process of writing. The author takes a series of unrelated events and imposes a narrative structure upon them, discarding thousands of seemingly frivolous details. But it's really the details that make the journey. A reader sees only the broad brush strokes, unaware of light touches that fill the gaps.I also impose a self-editing process on my writing. What I write enters the public domain, free for all to view, friends and strangers alike. I do not wish to slander any individuals in such a public forum, nor do I wish to become the trail's gossip columnist. Consequently, much of the daily 9-0-Trail-1-0 drama that I experience daily will be forever lost to me, slowly sliding into obscurity as my memories twist and fade. Perhaps it is best this way.Finally, I am often guilty of the sin of intentional omission. I wrote that yesterday was a "pretty good day." What I didn't write was the reason why it was not a great day. Yesterday, I wasn't prepared to discuss the issue. I needed a night's sleep to collect my thoughts; I needed time for my own mind to make sense of it all.Shortly after I arrived at the hostel yesterday, Pastor Karen came down to talk to us. She wore a grim expression and carried a hand-written note that she posted on the bulletin board. Two days ago, in the wee hours of Saturday morning, a hiker in Duncannon was struck by a train and killed. He was attending the Hiker Feed. According to an employee at the Doyle Hotel, "the reunion had gotten out of control." Suicide and foul play have already been eliminated by the police. The hiker was 27 years old.A hiker at the hostel related to me a conversation that she had several days ago. For whatever reason, a partying atmosphere has persisted on the trail this year. Most years, some time after Trail Days, the hikers tend to settle down and get serious about their hikes. Those that don't tend to quit. This year appears to be an anomaly. 1,280 miles into the trail, town stops are still drinking stops for many hikers. I personally know several hikers that I believe would quit the trail tomorrow if their pot supply ran dry.My thoughts turned inward toward self reflection. Am I part of the problem? Personally, I'd like to think that I'm not. I don't feel obligated to drink in towns, and when I do it is always in moderation. I don't smoke pot. But I have tended to hang around a partying crowd at times. Am I unintentionally contributing to the problem through passive approval of such an atmosphere? Have I somehow acted in a manner that ultimately created a situation into which death could enter?When I chose to hike 25 miles to Palmerton last weekend, I knew that there was a good chance that Professor would still land us a ride to the Hiker Feed. All day long I questioned my motives for hiking on, never quite finding a satisfactory answer. It was a crummy day; my shoes fell apart; I wasn't having fun in the woods; I didn't really feel like a party. Perhaps I had a subconcious inkling that I just didn't belong in Duncannon last weekend. All signs seem to indicate that the others may have found their ride. Personally, I'm glad that I had nothing to do with the entire affair. In retrospect, choosing to hike to Palmerton may have been the best decision I have made during this entire hike.Tragedy seems to strike when you least expect it. Sometimes it hits too close to home.