Date: 2005-08-22
To: Reality Check
Miles today: 0.0

   Hello.   Back home, thinking about the trail almost every minute.So many memories; so many stories.   This is the hardest part....thanking everybody. Hundreds and hundredsof people from all over. Yes, I thru hiked the AT. But so did everybodyelse who helped me along the way. This was a group effort for sure....from the first guy who gave me a soda coming down from Springer Mtn. in Feb.to the guys in the 100 mile Wilderness giving us some cold water in August.   To the B's.....KB and SB.....thanks for everything. I can stillhear KB....."20 miles?? It's do able" We were team zero and proudof it..... or SB, with that sad look......"is there ice creamin town?" We had a rule.....never put on your grumpy pants in themorning! And if somebody had on their grumpy pants, they heardabout it. I was lucky.........See you guys soon.   Great big hug and thanks to: Mom & Dad; Bro Tom and Don Peggy andDick Manz; The Nelson's, Ed & Charlene Henningsen, Michelle Henningsen,Dan, Liz, Matt, Sarah Manz (and Frank of course); all the members ofboth families; all the grandparents; Tripod and Hippie; Wells and Kado;(hopefully we will see you again sometime); Grunt; Magellan,Judy, little "m", Liz and all of you from this part of the world........ .... from the dude who picked me up when I was feelling like sh** inVirginia and took me 20 miles to the nearest town; to the guyin SNP who hiked back to his condo to get me some oranges. Thanksto everyone who gave me a smile, a pat on the back, a ride, somegreat conversation, a place to stay, an extra bowl of ice cream, abeer or soda, to the Happy Hiker in Gatlinburg who set me up witha knife after I lost mine.......thanks to Mother Nature for lendingme your beauty for 6 months....to all the birds who sang every morningand to all the mice who stole my food To the guy in Virginia whogave me two beers to the guy down from White Cap in Maine whogave me his last Molson; and the hundreds in between. Would I givea stinky thru hiker my last Molson??? Probably, but a tough thingto do   You get the idea....I can't thank enough people. I see all of yourfaces and I will never forget. Next spring I plan on driving downto some spot in Carolina or Tenn. and spreading the magic. Hotdogs, beer, soda, etc........how cool will it be to see thru hikerscoming down a hill with that same smile and great vibe I had thisyear?? And Trail Daze???    Also, a big thanks to Zipdrive and Leif, the two dudes whorun this sight. The thing about this journal is alls I was goingto do was check in every once in a while. This thing exploded....so much feedback. One of the great things was bringing you all along for the ride; the AT is a beautiful place and hopefully you all enjoyed it as much as I did. (Of course, KB thoughtwe should have another sight called "THE AT....the true storiesyou never heard" There was rain.....there was pain.....   Thanks to the people @ ULA.......my backpack was perfect!! Fitlike a glove and made it thru the trip.....except for the mousein Virginia who carved a hole in the pocket.   People ask me, will you do it again?? Probably so..........Will it be in the near future?? Probably not............But who knows, can't predict life.   Favorite states on the trail?? All of them!! (Can't blameNY for the heat, even though that did su**...   For every root I fell over there were 10 great views....for everyrock I stubbed a toe on there were 100's of great people......forevery frozen toe or cold, wet, day there was twice as many beautifuldays.......and fog and rain has its own beauty.   Anyway, take care and see you out there on the trail sometime!!   Peace.