Date: 2005-01-20
To: LONE HIKER.
Miles today: 0.0

Since my last journal entry on January 5, several things had been changed. Those are not good news. My three hiker companions were bailed out due to unexpected challenges comes into their life. My another hiker, #4 who would be bailed out if her plans comes out unexpectedly that might take her out. That would be 4 hikers who bailed out the 2,174 miles adventure. Some of them, said that Appalachian Trail will always be there. Yes, I agreed with them that Appalachian Trail will always be there but would they be there for the adventure they always dream of? I had heard so many stories that people couldn't pursue their goal after they failed them earlier. For me, I am a committed hiker. What comes, I stay committed to it. I don't want to lose this kind of dream.   I know there is plenty of time to wait for potential hikers to join but not after 4 friends who bailed out. I start to lose trust in looking for people who might distrupt my dream.   I will stick to my plan. I realized that time will go by faster, I will get older quickly than what I thought. Things in the future will make things different than today, i.e., new forest road rules, environment or oil drilling. I want the today's Appalachian Trail, not the future. Sometimes, I thought Earl Shaffer, the first thru-hiker of Appalachian Trail, was fortunate to hike earlier. The more nature beauty in his eye than mine. What changed my plan is that, I will postpone my hiking but ONLY for 1 month. So, I can give myself more time to prepare for the 6 months adventure. That way, I can buy better quality sleeping bags, food bag and digital camera before leaving for Georgia. The weather had been nasty for most of the time since November, which is one good reason for me to wait a little bit longer. I decided to buy digital camera because two of the hikers who bailed out, were supposed to bring digital camera while I can bring digital video cameracorder and regular 35mm camera. So, I have to bring digital camera so that I can upload all pictures to this journal during my hike.Also, add to that, the reason I must complete my dream of thru-hike this year because I want to pursue many different dreams, that include canoeing the 2,300 miles Mississippi River and bicycling across America, tour 50 states, etc. I am so sure that many of you will say, don't worry, you will not be alone on The Trail. It is not easy task for me to explain my disagreement. I am deaf hiker and heavily relied on Sign Language as a form of communication. That is my only communication method to communicate with other people. Writing as an alternative method is clearly acceptable if hearing people don't know American Sign Language. A lot of them are too busy to keep up writing with me. Very few hikers like, Mother Nature, Lil Munchkin, Gordy, Sal Paradise or Myst, are well aware with my deafness and they always communicate with me by writing. I admire them for who they are. They showed their patience.   I hope there will be more hikers like them, because I am very socializing person. I love to social with people. I want to develop new friends during my thru hike on Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain to Mt. Katahdin.For those who sign on my guest book, thank you so much. I enjoy having people signing on my guest book. This way I know my journal already been viewed by Trailjournal readers.