Date: 2004-12-31
To: A good place
Miles today: 0.0

It's been a precious year. One unlike any other.That last week, as Alleghany and I edged ever closer to the completion of our Thru-hikes, he asked me what someone would have to pay me to turn around upon reaching Katahdin and head south, back to Springer Mountain? Now that was a question. Since so much was yet to be discovered up north and since what lay afterwards unknown, the question stumped me. Being focused on completing the grand adventure and unaware of the emotional security the trail had come to offer, I said something like $50,000. Oh, plus expenses, and then I'd YoYo. Alleghany, being a man of wisdom and obviously more conscious of the trails power than me at the time said ¢¦ hmm, I think he said $5000.Exercising my prerogative to change my mind, I have or at least amended the answer. Obviously, now that three months have passed, I can't turn around and head south, for that opportunity has been lost. But, what I can do, is to do it all over again. Another Thru-hike. Not anytime soon, but someday, and without the catalyst of a bribe.When I think about it, why wouldn't I want to reunite myself with an endeavor that brought me so very much joy? A Thru-hike is joyful, you ask? Most definitely. What's not joyful about simplicity, or a clear life's purpose, even if it is only for a handful of months? Or reunite with the camaraderie through shared interests, and huge smiles from vistas proudly earned, or transporting myself to another era with discovery and reveling in the grandeur and breathtaking beauty of this blessed land?   Of course, this could also be some of the post Thru-hike adjustments I've heard so much about? Although it's nice not having to live in what the Weather Channel recently described as the fifth wettest season on record (I had no idea I was hiking with history, just that I was damp fairly often), it was a grand experience nonetheless. With today being the last of 2004, hundreds of individual across the globe are thinking not of tonight's celebration, but of the days remaining till they start at Springer Mountain. I'm envious. That sounds pretty darn fantastic.Pictured above is my official ¢2000 Miler¢ patch from the ATC. Never have I labored so much for such a little thing. Its far from our countries prestigious Medal of Honor, but it is a huge source of pride for this hiker. So proud of receiving it that is, the patch has yet to be attached to anything. It lives in limbo, like myself, waiting for its direction, its perfect home. Since the completion of the AT and while I wait for where employment will take me, I've been able to relive my journey over and over in what can be seen in the background of the photo. A book, an adventure journal if you will, wed to pictures and drawings on every page. The Appalachian Trail is filled with mountains and trees and wildlife, but it's filled also with victories and comedy and smiles. There's a whimsical, lovely side, to the AT, and for whatever planetary alignment reasons, I seemed to have been attuned to them this hike. So, I shared them in my book, which has just been completed. I've long held that people can see faster than they can read, I was able to draw over 80 illustrations during the hike. Besides, drawings speak volumes words cannot. Since being finished, I've completed fifty additional sketches to add further richness in the telling of the adventure. I believe this makes it quite different from other books that have come before. Not necessary better, but different, like the way we all hike the trail. The title is: ¢We're Off To See The Wilderness, The Wonderful Wilderness Of Awe's.¢ With a little luck, those who are interested may be able to find it in a bookstore in the future.                                                                                                                                                 If it can help just one person to succeed in their Thru-hike, then¢¦it will have been a complete waste of time. I want, I hope, it will help many and that's why it includes a How-To component. Happy New Year everyone and good luck to the Class of 2005 Hikers. The trails alumni are with you in spirit.