I first drove Katie and Becky to Neels Gap and the home of Mountain Crossings Outfitters.  It was here that I stayed in my first hostel two days into my journey.  It was here that owner Winton Porter helped me with my boots, and Alpine had helped take out about 7 pounds of non-essential stuff from my pack, making it lighter and easier to carry.  It was here that I met a section hiker named Doug, who gave me some foot medicine for my blisters, and several days later bought my dinner at a restaurant.  

The good memories flooded into my head, as I mingled around the old store, showing Becky and Katie around the store.  It seemed like just yesterday I was there.  I spotted a young hiker outside the store on the porch who had the look of a thru-hiker.   He confirmed that he was, so I proudly told him that I was a thru-hiker from last year.  I wished him well, as we parted ways.   A part of me wanted to just pack up and hike northward with him.  We drove up the road to the parking area at Woody Gap and parked our car there so we could hike the 3.5 miles northward to Gooch Gap.  I picked a fairly moderate section of the trail, without any big climbs, to accommodate my two neophyte hikers this day.  It was a perfect day, with bright blue skies and temperatures in the low 70’s.  I felt right at home on the trail, in my shorts and hiking boots as I glided through the woods at a slower pace than normal.   

Becky, Katie, and the Compassionater on the AT.

We ended up at Gooch Gap at about 4:00, and I was surprised it was just a gravel road with hardly any traffic on it.  I had passed this same road the morning after my first night on the trail going northward.  So we proceeded to start walking northward on this road, in hopes of catching a ride back to our car.  It was about 30 minutes before finally an old pickup truck came up the road, so I stuck my trusty thumb out to hitch hike.  Sure enough, a nice  older gentleman and his wife pulled up, and grinned a big grin showing about half his teeth, telling us in his Georgia mountain drawl that he’d be happy to take us up the road to our car.  So Becky, Katie, and I hopped in the back of this old pickup truck and rode back with the air blowing us in the face as we drove up the shaded mountain road.  They had not ridden in the back of a truck since their childhood, while I had done it several times on my journey last year.  It was great.  A little dose of trail magic for the road.  

It’s been almost a year now since I took my first step on the Applachian Trail last May to begin my journey of a lifetime.  I’ve settled into the “normal” life in the “real world”.  It’s been very busy at work, which considering the state of the economy the past few years, is a good thing.  It looks like we’ll be hitting our goals again in 2011,  obtaining about 16% growth.  I’ve been busy with family responsibilities, chores around the home, and just doing life.  Another baseball season has started, and yes, the Cardinals are currently in first place.

I’m enjoying being back with my family, the challenges of being a business owner, and the conveniences of modern life.  I’m getting plenty of good sleep in a nice comfortable bed, eating well, and my body and legs do not ache much at all.  But there’s not a day goes by that I don’t think about the Appalachian Trail.  I think about the places I discovered, the people I met along the way, the hardships I endured, and the stillness of the woods.  I think about trail magic, and the hospitality of total strangers, most of whom I’ll never see again.  I think about hiking it again sometime, and taking my sons, or my friends with me, to share the AT experience with them. 

We live in such a fast-paced world it seems these days.  Things are changing so fast with technology in particular.  As soon as you learn something or use something, there’s something else new you have to learn.  Life was so simple on the AT.  And that was so refreashing.  That’s one of the things I love most about the AT—being able to escape the dizziness of our world and enter the simplicity and beauty of God’s creation along the trail.  I need the solitude and the restorative power that the woods and nature provides me.  I think all people do, even if they don’t realize it.  Where did Jesus go when he was troubled, when he was tired, or when he needed to clearly hear from God?  He went to the mountain.  I hope we can all find “our mountain” to go to.  It may be in the stillness of the woods, along an endless ocean beach, enjoying a sunrise on the expanse of the grassy plains, or floating a clear mountain stream.  And it may even be taking a journey on the Appalachian Trail.  

I’ve written a book on my Appalachian Trail journey, sharing my experiences, along with a few life lessons learned along the way.  I’ve read about 16 books on the AT, and yes I’m biased, but I think mine is right up there (exept for Bill Bryson’s classic, A Walk in the Woods).  I hope to get it published this summer, even if I self-publish it.  I anticipate the cost to be in the $13-$18 range, with some color photographs, with an e-version also without color photographs.  Half of the net proceeds will also go to one of our AT2010 charities, which I’ve not decided yet on who that will be.  If you would like to secure a copy, just contact me through our website at www.AT2010tulsa.com.  I won’t autograph it, because my autograph is not worth much.  I will throw in a genuine AT rock from the trail though if you like!   (And there were lots of rocks on the trail.)

My AT hiking partner, trailname "BSF Mama". She knocked of .16% of the trail!

It’s now 2011, a brand new year, with AT2010  quickly changing into being  just another journey lodged into my  memory, with all of the pressing needs and activities of a new year thrust upon me.  I’m back into the  world I call home–into the reality of work, family, life in the city, and enjoying all the comforts of our modern world which so many of us are blessed with.  If I’m hungry, I open the refrigerator door, or we hop in the the car and go to eat out.  If I’m dirty, I take a hot shower.   If I’m bored, I turn on the television and watch a game or just flip channels.  When I’m tired, I just go to bed–a soft, warm bed, with four walls and a roof, without rats running around at night.  It’s another world totally that I’m in now, compared to the almost five months I spent on the Appalachian Trail, and it’s good to be home.

But…..I miss the trail!  Only people who have hiked the AT will fully understand that.  After longing to finish the trail, and so happy and proud to have done so, I long to again be in the quietness and majesty of the woods and the mountains.  I have put so much of my heart and soul into completing the AT, after doing so, it’s almost like it’s become

I find myself longing to be on the trail sometimes during the day.

a part of what I do, and what I would call home.  After hiking in the woods for much of the past summer and fall, it’s become a part of what I do.  I’m not quite comfortable yet with being back in the “real world” of the city, with it’s fast-paced activities, highways packed with traffic, technology, and constant needs and responsibilities to meet.  It was so nice, to have the biggest decision of the day to be how far I would hike, and where I would spend the night.  However, being the realist and responsible person that I am, I know that I can’t, nor would I, just pack up again and head back to the AT, or to another of the long-distance trails in our country.

So Becky and I went for a short walk in the woods this afternoon at the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness  in Tulsa.   An urban wilderness–now that’s a misnomer.  I spent some time hiking there this past spring with my backpack on, in preparation for the real deal.  For being in the city limits of Tulsa, it’s really pretty nice, with dense oak woods, sandstone rock outcroppings, a few hills, a good view of the Arkansas River, and lots of trails shooting everywhere.  It’s not the AT, but it’ll do for now.  It’s amazing how much my body and legs have tightened up, after only four weeks off the trail.  I’ve been walking and exercising since I’ve been home, but not to the extent that I was while hiking the trail.  I don’t think there is any way I could strap on my pack and go my usual 18-20 miles per day now.   But it was good to just get out and walk in the woods, if only for an hour or so.

Most of the books I’ve read on the AT, and the many people whom I’ve met along the trail, have told me that thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail will change a person.  Well I would think so.  Anything that we put our heart and soul into for five months will have an effect on us.  So yes–hiking the AT has changed me, and I’ve learned some things about life, about myself, and about our world.  So after being home back into the “real world” for a few weeks, reflecting some on my journey, and digesting what I’ve seen, experienced, and felt along the trail,  I’d like to share some of those thoughts.  It’s not all inclusive, just five of the most important things I’ve learned from hiking the Appalachian Trail.

1.  Most of us have so much to be thankful for.

The AT boils life down to its’ basic necessities.  It’s a matter of food, water, shelter, health, and clothing.  It’s life as it was for most people in our country,  just a few generations ago.  It’s also life as it is for many people even now–in our world, our country, and even in the very cities and communities where most of us live now.  Now I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth or anything, growing up in a small home with a single car garage, with both parents working hard in blue-collar jobs in raising their four kids in a small 3-bedroom home.  But we never lacked for food, clothing, shelter, clean water, and plenty of “stuff” for us at the time.

Now, just one generation later, it’s amazing how much we think that we really need to be content in life.  Life is really so easy for many of us, at least in regards to the basic necessities in life.  Most people today never really have to worry about food, water, clothing, and shelter.  It’s more a matter of worrying about the amount and type of food, the style of clothes, and the size of our home.  Now there’s nothing wrong in and of itself in having a lot of  “stuff”, as it can really be a blessing.  I’m sure glad that when I come home from work, didn’t have to go down to the creek to get clean water, boil it before drinking, and sleep in a cold shelter each night.  But many people do–and they are not backpackers.  They are people in our world who for whatever reason, just have not been blessed with everything that most of us in America have.

I am even more grateful and thankful for all that I have–and not just the material things.  I’m more thankful for the relationships, with my family, friends, co-workers, and others in my world.  I’ll talk more about that later.  But in regards to the necessities and the material things in life, we have so much to be thankful for.  Many of us have more than we need.  I lived for almost five months on the trail, with all that I needed on my back, and I did just fine.  I was happy, healthy, and I survived just fine.  I came off the trail not only more grateful for all that I have, but with a better understanding of what we really need, and what is excess.

I’ve also determined to be even more generous and giving of what we have.  I want to be more compassionate, to those who need compassion, and don’t have the resources and things that we have.  I feel that my wife and I have always been faithful in giving of our time, money and resources to people and organizations we are involved in.  It really is jore fun to give than to receive.  I want to do even more–both personally, and through my business.  In fact, this year, we are giving back 3% of our gross sales to local charities, schools, churches, municipalities, and other community needs, in the form of cash donations, sponsorships, and donated services.  For our little company, that’s a fair chunk of change in 2011–$135,000.   And next year, I’d like to do even more.

2.  We all need other people–Relationships matter.

One reason that I thought I’d be successful at thru-hiking the AT is that I’m the type of person who does not need a lot of social interaction.   I’m a fairly quiet guy, and I enjoy my solitude.  I don’t mind working by myself, and being alone.  In fact, many times I prefer it.  I always enjoyed fishing for example more when I was on my own.  Now it may have been because that way I wouldn’t have to share all the good fishing holes, and I could catch more fish.  I’m pretty competitive also, and don’t like to be out-fished by anyone.  I knew that most of the time, I’d be on my own, hiking by myself in the woods.  And I thought that would be just fine.

Well, I was surprised that by about the third week of my journey, I was getting a little lonely.  Now I missed my wife a lot, even though I called her several times a day in most cases.  I hadn’t planned on seeing her for the first two months, but we both changed that pretty quick, flying her up to southern Virginia after being apart for one month.  The first few weeks on the trail were fairly busy with people.  Most days I’d see about 10-15 other hikers, or even more on weekends and in certain sections.  I’d usually have company at the shelters or the hostels.  But since I had started so late in the hiker season, and because I was hiking faster than most others and passing them, I did not have the opportunity to hike a lot with other thru-hikers going north.

Steve and I on a North Carolina bald.

My good friend Steve Hildebrand came up and hiked with me for a week during late June, from Erwin, Tennessee to Damascus, Virginia.  He did great, was great company, and we really enjoyed our hiking together, although it was getting very hot and tiring.  After Steve left though, it got even hotter and hotter, and hikers began dropping off the trail like flies.  There were several days I would see nobody, while hiking in the dense woods all day.  Much of the time, I’d be alone in the shelters at night.  Just me and the mice, or the rats, or the bears sneaking around.   I was getting hot, tired, and very lonely.

I would listen to music some during  most days with my iPod, but it was a lot of quiet time in the stillness of the woods.  When I would run into other hikers, or go into town every few days or so, I would really enjoy my brief conversations with  others, and soak up as much people interaction as I could in a few brief moments.  I was on a schedule, and moving fast, so unfortunately didn’t have a lot of excess time to chat though.  Most days, it was just me and Jesus though, and that was really OK.

Becky in front of Johnny Seesaws in Vermont.

My wife also came up with me in the northern section in Vermont, and spent about 10 days with me.  That was nice, to be able to share some of my trail experience with her.  It was also a lot easier hiking, since I was able to slackpack the whole time carrying only  a daypack.  And, we enjoyed a nice dinner and breakfast every day, with all the comforts of home every night.  And I didn’t get lonely at all.

So my AT experience showed me how dependent we really are on relationships with other people whom we care about.  We can sometimes think we’re pretty self-reliant and independent.  But I believe God created us for relationships, and when those relationships are not going on, we can get a little lonely, and it can affect our whole psyche.   We all need other people, to be fully human and happy.

I know better now what it means to be lonely.  In our world, in our communities, and right in our own neighborhood, there are lonely people.  For whatever reason, they are lacking for quality human relationships with family or friends.  They need a little compassion also.  They need a friend.  I’ve determined to be more aware and sensitive to people I’m in contact with who may be a little lonely, and to help in some small way to befriend them.

3. You’ve got to have a plan, but be willing to modify that plan when things happen, as they will.

Before my journey even started last spring, I had a detailed game plan on an Excel spreadsheet.  I’m the master of Excel spreadsheets and charts at work.  I had every day planned, from start to finish, for 128 days.   I showed how many miles I’d walk each day, where I would camp or stay, when I would receive supply shipments, how much food I’d have in each shipment, when I would take a zero day, along with phone numbers and addresses of stops.  I didn’t go to the extent of detailing what I’d wear, but I might as well have.  I had a plan.  And that plan had me leaving Springer Mountain in Georgia on May 28th, and reaching Mt. Katahdin in Maine on October 1st.

Planning is good.   At my business, we plan really well, with a detailed business plan drawn up every year, with goals to hit, budgets to make, and tasks to accomplish.  That’s one of the reasons we are successful–we plan, when most of our competitors really don’t, but rather just shoot from the hip.  I was amazed at the first of my hike as to how many of the thru-hikers really had no plan.  They didn’t really have a set date to finish.  They didn’t plan on where they needed to be, beyond one day or so in advance.  They just pretty much went with the flow, and ended up most days wherever they got tired, or where their friends were, or where the beer was coldest in the towns. (I went where the Cokes were coldest!)

I was just the opposite.  I had a plan, and I was sticking to it, especially the first month.  Only four days into my journey however, I had to take an un-planned zero day in Franklin, NC, due to those infected toes and bad blisters on my feet.  It was doctors’ orders to take two days off, but I did just one.  But even with that, I charged ahead to make up ground, and ended up only one day behind schedule as I entered my second month on the trail.

But I was beat, worn out, had lost 28 pounds, and was not having a whole lot of fun at that point.  So I modified my plan.  I decided to flip-flop my hike, by going home to Tulsa midway through my hike from Harpers Ferry, and fly up to Maine to head south back to Harpers the rest of the way.  Before leaving on my journey, I had a list of  things titled, “Stuff Happens” which I spoke about.  It was a list of many things, often unexpected and unplanned, that could happen while on the trail, that could cause me to quit my hike, or slow me down.   Well, about half of those happened when all was said and done.  The extreme heat and lack of water on the trail then caused me to slow down my pace in late June and July.   My Mom passed away when I was halfway through Virginia, and I went home for a week.  I became homesick and lonely.  I had health issues, with infected toes, blisters for a month, a bad spider bite, heat exhaustion, and extreme weight loss.  Becky’s Mom passed away later on in the trip. With my schedule then way out of whack, and other things already planned, holidays, and family responsibilities, I had to go off trail even more, backing up my anticipated ending date even further into December.

Stuff happens–along the trail, and in life.  I had my beginning plan, and that was good.  It helped me to get off to a good start, it challenged me, and kept me focused.  But as I got into my journey, I began to modify and adjust that plan, according to current conditions, such as weather, events, trail conditions, etc.  I still had long-term goals and a schedule to guide me, but I learned to constantly change that almost daily and make adjustments.  It’s somewhat like a game plan for a football game.  A coach may script the first few plays, but after that, they make adjustments to their plan, still sticking to their plan of what they’ll do and how they’ll do it, with the final goal to win the game.  My final goal was to finish my journey (and enjoy it some along the way)–make it to the end completing all 2,178 miles of the AT in 2010.  I had to adjust, improvise, and change–but I made it to the end.

Hiking the trail was just like life.  We all have dreams and plans for ourselves, our families, our business, and our kids for example.  We’d all like to have the perfect life after getting our college degrees, marrying that perfect spouse, and raising perfect kids.  Our kids would then make all A’s, become superstars on the athletic field, be perfectly healthy, involved in wholesome activities, and end up marrying their perfect spouse (who also came from a perfect family).  Then the cycle would continue as we head off into retirement, with a loaded-up 401K, in a big house, so that those perfect little grandkids could come and visit whenever we wanted.

Now there is nothing at all wrong with all of these scenarios.  And some may be blessed to be in this exact situation, with everything going according to plans, and no hiccups along the way.  Life is great!  But stuff happens.  If it hasn’t yet for you, just be patient– it will.  And when it does, when life throws you a curve-ball and the unexpected happens, then it’s how one adjusts their plan to current conditions and responds in the right manner that will determine if they can still be able to say, “Life is good”.   You’ll still be able to complete your journey.  You’ll just be taking a different path to success than you thought you’d be taking.  And that’s OK.  That’s life.  It’s not what happens to us that defines us, it’s how we choose to respond to what happens to us that makes us who we are.

4. Don’t be afraid to do hard things.

Backpacking the Appalachian Trail was hard--this was no walk in the park!

Hiking the entire Appalachian Trail was hard.  I knew it would be, as I was no stranger to backpacking the mountains.  I’d grown up hiking the Colorado Rockies every year just about since childhood, until my early adult years.  Id’ read 15 books on the AT, and spoke with a few people who had done it.  I knew what I was getting into, and that the odds of me completing this journey would really be only about 10%, with my age and my ambitious schedule factored into the stats of a 15% completion rate.  But it’s like anything else.  You really don’t understand until your boots have hit the ground and you’ve hiked the trail.  Until one experiences something for themselves, they can never really fully understand what it’s like.  After hiking every foot of the trail, I fully understand now why most people fail. It’s hard.

The tendency now it seems for many people though is to avoid hard things.  We want to take the easy way out, the comfortable way, and avoid risk.  We tend to know that we can win, before we play the game.  I have found that generally, the harder something is to do, the more it means to you and to others when you accomplish it.  As one of the greatest Presidents of our county, Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

Some of the most important, meaningful, and rewarding things I’ve done in my lifetime have been hard.  It’s hard being a good parent, and a good husband, while juggling all the other responsibilities of adulthood.  It was hard to start a business from scratch, with very little money, and to build it up to be successful.  It was hard to start it up again, and build up another one.  It was hard to see our cabin in the mountains burn to the ground, and then to rebuild it ourselves in three months several years later.   Hard things require allot of work, and sacrifice.  But when we accomplish our goals, see our hard work pay off,  and we make it to the end, what a glorious reward we have.  Nothing great was ever accomplished without hard work.  I forget who said that, but it’s so true.

If something is important, do it.  If you have a passion for something, pursue that passion.  If there are needs to be met, do what you can to meet those needs.  If there is a game to play, play it.  If there are battles to fight, fight them.  And if the odds of winning or reaching your goals are against you, as they were for me on the AT, so be it.  Take on that challenge.  Prepare yourself to win.  If people don’t think you’ll make it, or even ridicule your efforts or motives, then use  that as fuel for your fire.  Don’t be afraid of failure, or settle for mediocrity.  We only have one chance to walk this trail of life, and we never really know when our journey may end.

5. Finish strong!

There were times on the AT when I really struggled, physically, mentally, and emotionally.  In fact, the mental and emotional challenge was even harder than the physical challenge of the trail.  As I mentioned, being in the woods and enjoying nature is great.  But day after day hiking by yourself, doing the same things every day, without allot of social interaction, can drive even the best of us a little crazy.  It was tough coming off the trail and back into the ”real world”, dealing with the passing of our mothers, going back and forth to the trail again.  I was my strongest after finishing the grueling sections of Maine and New Hampshire, and headed south through New England and the mid-Atlantic in late September through early November.  Yes, the trail was easier, the weather was great, and the scenery was spectacular.  But I had my trail legs, was in great shape physically, and I know I was on the home stretch towards finishing my journey.  I finished strong–really strong–in averaging about 19 miles per day during the last few weeks into Harpers Ferry, and going north back to Harpers in early December, again averaging 19 miles per day.

I wanted to finish strong, and to complete my journey well.  I felt success was in the bag, we had exceeded our fundraising goal of $100K, and I was going to be a successful thru-hiker.  I was close to beating the odds, and making it.  I could sense a win, I had beaten the trail, and I had out-hiked thousands of hikers much younger that I.  This all made me very proud, with much gratitude, and it felt good.

Part of the reason I chose to attempt a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail now, at 56, and still working, was that I didn’t want to take a chance on waiting until I retire.  Who knows–I could become ill, not physically be able to do it, or even die before I reach the normal retirement age of 66 or so in 10 years.  I could die next year, or next week even.  We don’t know when our trail in life will end, so I wanted to do it now, while I know I still could do it.  And I’m so glad and thankful that I was able to pull it off!

Taking a journey like this though has not given me a sense of sitting back and resting on my laurels, and thinking that this will be the last great adventure of my life, while I count the years towards retirement.   Quite the contrary.  If anything, it has fueled my fire even more for doing hard things, working hard, and searching for more opportunities to help others, while challenging myself. I want to give even more, and show compassion to others.  I see so many people in life, especially men, who like me  have been blessed so much.  They have great talents and strength in certain areas.  They may have time to devote to worthy causes, with their kids all grown up and out of the house, and a strong financial base to stand on.  But they are more concerned with hoarding their assets, and their time, and their talents, and making sure they have plenty in their 401-K to live off of in a few years.

Now don’t get me wrong–there is nothing wrong with slowing down some in life as we get older.  Hey, I’m no spring chicken anymore, and I know that my body, and even my mind sometimes, is not what it was 20 years ago.  It’s great to be able to enjoy life, after working so hard for many years.  It’s great to be blessed with material things and strong finances.  But with great blessings–comes great responsibilities I believe–to use those to help others especially.  Many in my stage of life have great experience and wisdom.  We need to share that with others I believe.  People in my stage of life–we’ve hiked a lot of trails in life.  Some have been difficult, some have been fun, some have been rewarding, and some have been–just kinda boring maybe at times.

We don’t know when that trail will come to a dead end–literally.  So for me, I’m going to hike like I mean it.  I can see the finish, and I know it’s out there somewhere, sooner than later in my case.  I’m going to get excited about the prospect of winning the race, and making it to the end, while enjoying the gift of this trail of life.   I’m going to finish strong.

“…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1

Where will the trail lead to now?

Finished! On the steps at St. Peters Catholic Church in Harpers Ferry.

It’s finished!  I had a hard time comprehending that fact, that I was actually done.  There were times that it seemed I would never finish my journey, especially with all the times I had to go off-trail for family emergencies and responsibilities.  I was exhausted, excited, relieved, proud, happy, and sad all at the same time.  From the time I began this journey on May 28th until now, I actually was on the AT hiking for 138 days, taking 8 zero days of rest, and off-trail for about 7 weeks during four separate occasions.  I hiked from 6 to 31 miles per day when hiking, with an average of 15.8 miles per day.   Although I did not do my original plan of 17.5 miles per day, I feel good about my pace.  That’s faster than most thru-hikers, and I still had time to enjoy the trail and not kill myself.  And…I finished!  That in itself is an accomplishment, since most don’t.  I felt proud, in a good sort of way, that I was able to finish, and out-hike guys half my age in many cases.  

 As was the case on the very first day that I set foot on the AT back in May in Georgia, the emotion that was overwhelming on this final day was gratitude.  I was so thankful that I was able to do this–to my wife for letting me go and supporting me, for my employees at LawnAmerica who’ve done such a great job in my absence (maybe I should go away more often), to all my friends, family, customers, and people who have supported me, prayed for me, or donated to our charities.  I’m thankful for all those trail angels, who  came at just the right time with rides, cold drinks, food, and even overnight stays.  From big Rich down in North Carolina, Dannette in Virginia, Pete in New York, and Jim Mello in Massachusetts, along with many others who helped provide their own dose of trail magic along the

Gratitude

way–I’m thankful, and could not have made it without their help.  I’m thankful to the thousands of trail volunteers from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and many of the other regional clubs, who do such a great  job of maintaining the AT, all on a volunteer basis.  But most of all, I’m thankful to my God, who has blessed me with strong legs to hike, a strong back to carry a pack, the finances to pull this off, and the perseverance and good health to finish this journey.  

It was a struggle just getting to Waynesboro, Virginia last week.  I spent 16 hours on the plane and in airports due to bad weather in Atlanta, so I did not check into the hotel in Charlotesville until midnight.  Early the next morning, Lyle, my trusty shuttle driver from earlier this summer, was there in his old white van and his new dog, Sam, to pick me up and take me to Skyline Drive where I had left the AT in late July.  I had to go back south for about 15 miles to complete a section from there down to the Tye River Valley that I had skipped over before I went home in late July.  Back then, it was very hot, with temperatures in the mid-90’s, and the springs were drying up.  Now, the temperatures were in the 30’s with plenty of water. 

With the leaves gone, I could see the blue sky now.

  The forest now had a totally different look, with the leaves being off the trees and blanketing the forest floor.  I could now see the blue sky, and the beautiful valleys below the ridges.  The late fall forest was quiet, with few animals out and about, and no hikers at all.  It felt good to be back on the trail that day, after being off for three weeks.  I had lost some of my trail legs, and was a little stiff, but without my full backpack this first day back I did fine.  As I climbed up the ridge, I saw the huge mountain named The Priest lurking across the valley.  Back in late July, it was extremely hot in Virginia, with water scarce because of the drought drying up springs and small creeks.  Not so now, with plenty of water from recent rains and downright cold temperatures.   Several 

Water was plentiful in mountain streams from recent rains.

ago, I had descended down over 3,000′ on the other side to reach the Tye River, where I plopped down into the cold river for about an hour just to cool off from the extreme heat, along with a nice section hiker I’d met from Baltimore.  He in fact had paid the entire shuttle fee to take us to Waynesboro–another of the many cases of trail magic along the AT, with total strangers helping out a fellow hiker.   When I reached the valley where Lyle would pick me up again, the river was cold and flowing hard from the hard rains the day before.  No way I was jumping in today! 

The Priest, lurking on the opposite side of the Tye River valley.

The next day I strapped on my full backpack and headed back north starting at Rockfish Gap, the southern entrance to the Shenandoah National Park.  I had nine days to complete the remaining 160 miles of the AT through the park, and on up through northern Virginia to Harpers Ferry.  The trail through the park was not real easy, but it wasn’t that tough either.  There were some ups and downs, but the slope was moderate, and the trail was well-graded and not too rocky in most places.  I was a little stiff though on this second day back on the trail, and it was tougher hiking in the colder weather wearing long pants and more clothes.  I had hiked in shorts the total time until now, but now was wearing long johns and long pants along with about five layers of clothes to keep warm.  I saw no hikers this day, as the park facilities were all closed for the season.  Hiking through the Shenandoah National Park at this time of the season

This looked like one of those scary talking trees from Wizard of Oz.

 would be good in a way, as Skyline Drive would be really quiet with few cars on it.  The AT pretty much parallels Skyline Drive, crossing it many times over the 100 miles or so in this section.  So with few cars and people, the park was really peaceful and quiet.  However, the lodging was closed, and the famous blackberry shakes would be only a dream, since the waysides and eating places were also closed.  Therefore, I would be camping out along the AT, at least for this first section of the hike, and needing to re-supply in the nearby towns.  

I hiked 20 miles to the Blackrock Hut, reaching it just before dark.  The days were very short now in winter, compared to what I’d been hiking in during the summer and even into fall.  After getting water and firing up my small stove to heat water for dinner, I read through the trail journal at the shelter to discover that I may be in for a difficult night of sleep.  This shelter was inhabited by a giant rat, which hikers had named ”Ratzilla”.  There were even sketches of Ratzilla in the journal, with tales of it taking food out of packs, and hauling off socks that were not secured.   I had a few mouse issues in shelters this season, a battle with a racoon, and a heavy-breathing bear or deer in the middle of the night, but had not had rats, at least to my knowledge.  It was dark by 5:45, so with dinner done and nothing else to do, I settled into my new sleeping bag which I’d just purchased a few days ago.  It was a thicker bag, rated at 15 degrees, which I thought would suffice.  With the possibility of having to do battle with Ratzilla during the night, I had three large rocks next to me to chunk at him if necessary, or smash him with if he got close, along with my hiking sticks to do battle with.   

About 45 minutes after laying there in the dark, and by myself of course, since I was the only hiker out there, I heard something scurrying through the leaves and up into the shelter.  Shining my headlight into the corner, there he was, a big, ugly rat!  It wasn’t quite the size of a cat, as some of the hikers had journaled, but he was big and ugly.  I chunked one of my rocks up at him, and he just scurried away into the other corner.  This shelter had a lower level, with a wooden upper level above.  Thankfully, I choose the lower level to lay my bag in, as the rats used the upper level all night to play their little games on (there was more than one rat).   One rat would run from one end to the other, wait a few seconds, and then run to the middle, and it would then sound like they were wrestling or something, before running to the other end.  I guess it was like midnight wrestling for the rats or something.  This went on pretty much all night.  So with this, along with very cold temperatures down into the teens, I didn’t get too much sleep that night.  The good news was that they did not get into my food or stuff, as I had it secured away, and they did not mess with me, at least to my knowledge.  

The next morning as I head up the trail leading from the shelter to the AT, I spotted a bear running up the trail after he heard me coming.  This was the 5th bear I’d seen on the trail, and the first one since way back in July.  Another day of hiking 20 miles put me into the next shelter, Hightop Hut, right at dark.  It was getting even colder, and I was higher in elevation, at about 3,500′, so I knew it would be a cold night.  Even with my new bag, and with most of my clothes on, I still got cold that night and did not sleep well, since the temperatures got down into the single digits.   I was looking forward to the next day because I was getting a ride into Luray in order to re-supply and sleep in a warm bed at a local motel.  I had arranged to have a local shuttle person pick me up along Skyline Drive at a certain mileage marker, but for some reason I was a little worried about my ride being there.  I covered another 20 miles in good time and was waiting for my pickup 45 minutes early.  I had seen just a few day hikers this day.  A couple happened to cross the road at one of the places where the AT crosses Skyline Drive, where I was waiting at about 3:30.  After visiting with them for awhile, I told them I was concerned that my ride may not show up and leave me up here with no food and nowhere to camp and stay warm.  The forecast was calling for even colder temperatures, with wind chills below zero.  I had decided there was no way I could camp out in this weather, so I had to find and depend upon a shuttle or hitch a ride into town, which would be very difficult now.  The couple graciously told me they would finish their hike in about 30 minutes, and drive back to check on me to make sure my ride showed up.  

Well, my ride did not show up, and it was getting dark and cold as they pulled up.  They took me up the road and on into Luray to my hotel, which was a little out of their way.  It turns out that the husband was a retired Marine officer, so we with my sons in the Marines, we had a good conversation about life as a Marine officer.  After checking into my motel, doing laundry, and eating dinner, my shuttle driver called me and told me she forgot to pick up up until it was too late.  Oops!  She was really nice, and was a recommended trail person, and even had a free bunkhouse at their home for hikers.  She just had a little problem remembering things, maybe with her age or something.  She promised she’d be there at 7:45 in the morning to pick me up and take me up to the trailhead, so I had no other option but to trust that she’d come through this time. 

Sharron was right on time, and we drove up to the entrance from Luray to enter Shenandoah National Park so I could be taken to where I had left off the night before and hike the 20 miles back to the Luray entrance.  Well, it had snowed the previous night, and the gate was locked as we pulled up to the park.  Just a little ice and snow had caused them to

Cold, snowy ridge in Shenandoah National Park

 shut down the entire Skyline Drive, so there was no way to get to where I needed to be, and there was no way I was equipped to camp out in this miserably cold weather.  I was really frustrated, with the park being closed, and the possibility of loosing a hiking day and messing up my schedule.  Sharron had a suggestion, to drive me north up to do another section outside of the park.  It would take some time, but I had no choice, as I could not take a zero day and finish my hike by December 10th.  So we went to Wal Mart first, so I could buy a heaver wind jacket, and then up to Ashby Gap, where I started hiking at 10:45 southward to Front Royal.  I covered 20 miles, hiking really fast, even jogging in some downhill stretches, in order to finish before dark.  I finished early at 4:45, and Sharron showed up right on time at 5:15  to take me back to their home up on the mountain, where they have a hiker bunk room over their garage.  Her and her husband Tom, a former President of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, graciously allow hikers to stay in their bunk room, feed them, and shuttle them along the trail. 

The park was still closed the next day due to snow on the road, so we had to improvise my schedule again.  Sharron took me 20 miles up on a county road and then up on a forrest service fire road, from where I hiked a mile uphill to the AT where I had left off two days earlier–where she forgot to pick me up.  From here, I did 20 miles down to Thorton Gap, reaching the highway into Luray right at dark.  It was miserably cold as the sun set, and the wind was continuing to howl at 20-30 mph.  I paced back and forth for over 40 minutes trying to stay warm, waiting for my cab ride to show up taking me down to the Days Inn outside of Luray for a hot shower, dinner, laundry, and a warm bed.  

I was excited on the next morning, as Becky was going to be able to fly up to Baltimore, and drive to pick me up along Skyline Drive as I hiked along  the AT going north towards Harpers again.  It was still cold, but the wind had subsided a little bit to make the hiking not quite as cold, with wind chills at least not in single digits now.  I kicked out and just walked on Skyline Drive along the AT at about 3:00, since Becky was driving up to meet me somewhere close to Hogwallow Gap on the drive.  She was right on time, as she pulled up in her Dodge rental car.  It was great to see her, and it would make my final three days so much easier and more enjoyable with her shuttling me to my stops.  

I had set up my schedule so that my final three days would be easier, with just about 46 more miles to Harpers Ferry.  The only real challenge left was what’s called the roller coaster–a 13 mile section on the AT with continuous inclines and declines just before reaching Harpers Ferry.  I found it to be not that big of a deal.  There were about ten 500′ climbs and descents, but with switchbacks, they were not that big of a deal.  Compared to many other sections, it was no different, just the fact that they were smaller and packed into a small section.  So the next two days, with the weather moderating somewhat and my wife meeting me in the afternoon, were great hiking.  

On our last night on the trail, we drove up to Harpers Ferry to stay at the Jackson Rose B&B, for somewhat of a celebration of my almost completed journey.  It is a historic old home, over 200 years old, that has been restored and converted into a really nice B&B.  Stonewall Jackson actually used our room as his headquarters during the early days of the Civil War.  Over the last few days especially, bits and pieces of my journey flashed across my mind, as I reminisced about my incredible journey along the AT.  This evening, it really all began to sink in.  I was really going to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail!  What an adventure  it has been!  

 As  Becky drove me back up to the Blackburn Trail Center the next morning where I had left off the day before to finish the last day of my journey, I noticed snow falling up on the ridge where Virginia and West Virginia border. 

A surprise snow blanketing the forest on my last day.

There was no mention of snow in the forecast that day, so it was a surprise to see the forest  covered with a light blanket of falling snow as she left me up at the base of the ridge for my short 12.5 mile hike down into Harpers Ferry.  The snow continued to fall on this cold, December morning, as I hiked somewhat more deliberately north.  I did not want to slip on a snow-covered rock, fall, and hurt myself so close to the finish.  I thought back to that first day in late May, heading off into the hot Georgia woods, not really knowing what I was going to experience over the coming months.  And here I was, hiking in the snow. 

A fitting end--hiking in the snow on the AT.

 It was almost like God had decided to put some icing on the cake by blanketing the woods with a layer of snow for me to enjoy this last day.  It gave the woods a totally new and peaceful look.  And, since we are going to produce a 2011 calendar with pictures of my AT journey, we needed some good pics for December and January, so here we are!  

After I met Becky at St. Peters Church in Harpers Ferry, took some pictures, and savored the moment, I told her, “Well, I’m finished!”  And with that, we headed back up the hill to the Appalachian Trail Conference headquarters in Harpers Ferry to fill out my 2,000-miler form, take some pictures, and celebrate with a few staff members and volunteers with a glass of sparkling grape juice.  I was one one the last thru-hikers to register this year, as most had completed going northbound ending in Maine in August, September, or early October.  I was one of only about 20 or so I believe ‘flip-floppers” who had finished in Harpers Ferry.  Overall, I was one of about 440 or so hikers who will have registered a complete thru-hike in 2010, out of thousands who tried.  

Celebrating my thru-hike at the ATC office in Harpers Ferry.

 I’m finished, or am I?  As Becky was walking down the blue blaze trail from the ATC office to the AT in Harpers, she was visiting with Red Hat, a thru-hiker from 2010 who was volunteering at the ATC.  She had lost her husband early this year, so she decided to hike the AT, which she did.  In fact, we passed each other in southern Maine sometime in late August.  I don’t remember her, but I do remember some of the hikers, such as Captain Slick, who she was hiking with at the time.  When Becky told her that she was so glad I was finished with the trail, Red Hat looked at her symathetically and only as an AT hiker can understand  replied, “Oh no honey, he’s not finished!”  

They say that thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail will change you.  And for that matter, all significant things we do, people we know, things we put our heart and soul into will change us.  As only a person who has hiked all or significant sections of the AT can truly understand–I’ve grown to love the Appalachian Trail–what it is, and what it stands for.  It’s America at it’s finest.  And while there are times I questioned where it’s going, I cursed the steep climbs and ridiculous paths it takes over every high mountain and boulder field it can find, and I struggled with the rocks, roots, mud, and curves along the path–I really loved it.  I conquered it.  Several months ago, I met several folks who had hiked the AT several times during their lifetime, some as many as eight times!  I thought to myself, why would anybody want to do this more than once?  Well, I understand now.  

I’m not saying I’ll be packing up again in March at Springer Mountain and heading north, but I do know there are still trails to walk in life.  Real trails, such as the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, which are other long distance trails over 2,000 miles long.  I’ve backpacked portions of the Continental Divide Trail in Colorado many times in Colorado as a young man many years ago.  And there are other trails and journeys in life, as a husband, father, business owner, friend, volunteer, and all the other roles we play.  There will always be trails to walk.  There are always people in our world who need a little compassion.  As scripture says, “Therefore, as you  received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”  The AT has changed me, and for the better I believe.  After Christmas sometime, and I’ve had time to chew and digest my adventures, I’ll write about that.  But one thing I do know, is that as Red Hat said–I’m not finished! 

Merry Christmas–and Happy Hiking!

There will be many more trails to walk in life.

The Priest Mountain. I came down 3,000' in late July to the Tye River Valley. Now I'm coming down from the opposite peak.

As I sit waiting at the Tulsa airport with my daughter Katie to fly to Atlanta, I’m anxious and ready to get this hike done so I can get back to my “real world”. She is going back to her college at Emory in Atlanta, while I’m on to northern Virginia to get back on the AT at Waynesboro to head north back to Harpers Ferry.

I heard about the Ming Garden Buffet in Waynesboro from at least 10 hikers this summer and fall. It was everything they said it was. Food is a common topic of conversation on the AT.

Becky and I enjoyed celebrating our 30-year wedding anniversary while home, although we were almost run over by an out of control car on the last day. We were leaving Burger King after deciding that nothing looked good for breakfast, only to see a car running full speed at us, hop the curb, and crash into the playground fence not more than eight feet from us. My fight or flight response kicked in and I shot backwards to get out of the way, landing on my rear in the parking lot. Once on my rear, the chivalry then finally kicked in as I saw my wife next to me was OK. If I would have been walking at my normal trail pace instead of moseying with my wife, I’d be dead–run over in a Burger King parking lot. After hiking 2,000 miles on the AT–not a glorious way to die! At the very least, I or both of us would have been seriously hurt and stuck in a hospital in a foreign country. My AT thru-hike would have been history, and that’s the best I could have said about the deal. Don’t know if angels pushed that speeding car slightly to the right or it was just dumb luck, but we’ll take it either way.

After losing my mom this past summer while on the trail, we lost Becky’s mom to a sudden heart attack on Thanksgiving day. So it was a tough few days as we said goodbye, for now, to another dear and loving lady. She’s home now in Heaven where she belongs, so while we’ll miss her, we’re thankful for the 80 great years of her life and the legacy she left. And I am grateful for the 32 years that I was able to know her. She was the perfect mother-in-law, as perfect as my mom was.

The Tye River, swollen from recent rains. In July I soaked in this river for an hour to cool down from the 95 degree heat. Not now!

So my easy “victory lap” finishing the final 175 miles of my journey has gotten harder all of a sudden. My wife will not be going with me to slack pack the remaining miles, so I’ll be strapping on my full backpack, sleeping in the woods, and eating trail food again. Oh well–I’ll live. I’ve purchased a new cold weather sleeping bag and packed more warm clothes, since it will be much colder now in the Shennandoahs, getting down into the low 20’s at night. I was so looking forward to sleeping in a warm bed every night, eating well, and not carrying a heavy pack. It’s all good though. I’d much rather hike when it’s cold versus the heat I experienced last summer.

Just flying to Virginia was a chore, with bad weather grounding flights in Atlanta, it took me 15 hours to reach Charlottesville by midnight. My infamous shuttle driver, Lyle, picked me up at 8:30 for the 40 minute drive to the trailhead at Dripping Rocks. Lyle is a real Appalachian jewel. He’s a nice old guy, but his conversation was laced with 45 cuss words during our early morning drive.

My trusty shuttle driver Lyle, with his faithful companion Sam.

Lyle dropped me off along the Blueridge Parkway so I could hike the 15.6 miles back south to complete the section I missed when I pulled off the trail in late July. The forest is so much different now with the leaves off the trees. I can see down into the valleys now, and I can see the bright blue sky. It’s cold, and quiet, with nobody on the trail now. It felt good to be back on the trail. I’ve lost some of my trail legs and stamina being off the trail for over two weeks. My knees were very sore and stiff, and my back was also. Those strolls on the beach did little to keep me in trail shape! I felt so good when I came off the trail a few weeks ago, so hopefully I can get limbered up and hiking strong again real soon.

One has a lot of time to think while thru-hiking the AT. I was reflecting today on my earlier struggles on the trail, some of the beautiful places I’ve been, and just on the overall magnitude of what I’m about to complete. I will hike the entire 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail in 2010! And along the way, I’ve developed a real appreciation and love of the AT.

The Forest has a totally different feel in winter with the leaves gone. You can see down into the valleys better now.

I was thinking today about how thru-hiking the AT is like a great marriage in many ways. Both can be really hard at times, yet fun and rewarding also. Both have peaks and valleys. There are bright sunny days, hot and miserable days, along with some cold and rainy days. There are many glorious days, with some days that are just a struggle to get through. But the longer I’m on the trail and experience it’s beauty, it’s soul, and it’s rewards, the more I love it. Same can be said of a great marriage, such as the ones which our moms had for over 50 years with our dads.

Becky spoke at the funeral of her dad working so hard for over 50 years to provide for her mom and the girls. He did it because he had made a vow to love and provide for his wife. The same can be said of my dad. It’s really so simple–doing what one has vowed and determined to do. That’s the key to a great marriage, and it’s the key to finishing the AT.

And I made that same vow to my wife, and we’ve been blessed with 30 years of a great marriage now. Last fall, I made a decision, and a vow, to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. And when I make a vow or a decision to do something, failure is not an option. That determination to finish the AT, no matter the cost and difficulties, is the key to my completing the trail, while most bail out and quit.

So I realized today, while hiking along the trail, that I’m so thankful that both of our parents didn’t quit when the going got tough, as most people attempting a thru-hike do. They persisted, and their love grew with “time on the trail”.

As of today, I have just 160 miles to reach Harpers Ferry again going north. I have 8 cold days to complete it, going about 20 miles per day. I’ll need to finish strong on my “victory lap”. As Og Mandino wrote in “The Greatest Salesman in the World”, I will persist until I succeed. I have persisted, and I will succeed.

And you know what? It would not have been possible without two special moms, who persisted and succeeded in their marriages for over 50 years, and are now enjoying things in Heaven that are more glorious than even the Appalachian Trail.

Sunrise on the AT.

It was a cold morning as I hit the trail outside of Lickdale on my way to Peter’s Mountain Shelter. With a bright blue sky and plenty of sunshine, it warmed up enough to take my long-johns off by 1:00 and hike in my normal shorts the rest of the afternoon. I didn’t see a soul on the trail this day, and had the shelter all to myself again. It was a nice shelter up on a ridge overlooking a valley with small farms, with their lights glowing in the valley as the sun set. It’s dark by 6:45 now, so hikers bedtime is getting earlier and earlier, with not much to do but try to stay warm in your sleeping bag. And that night was a long, cold night, with record low temperatures in the mid-20’s. I did not sleep too well being so cold.

Dropping down into Duncannon, PA.

I was bundled up and on the trail by 8:00 the next day with blue skies again. The trail dropped down into the Susquehanna River Valley, crossing the river, and then going through the little town of Duncannon. I love going through these small towns, and wish the AT would go through more of them. I ate big cheeseburger, fries, and Coke at the Doyle Hotel, which really caters to hikers, and pushed on down the trail to the next shelter. I easily made it to

Cove Mountain Shelter before 5:00, with just 16 miles on the schedule today. I was bundled up and in bed by 6:00, with not much to do but try to get some sleep before it got freezing cold later into the night. Another day of not seeing any hikers and having the shelter to myself, unless the porcupines show up tonight. It began to rain in the middle of the night, and it was cold again, so not much sleep.

Although it was a cold and rainy day, it was a great hike of 21.6 miles into Boiling Springs. The AT actually went down into a valley, traversing beautiful Pennsylvania farmland for about 10 miles. It was a great change of scenery from walking through the woods for much of the time. The AT travels over southern balds, goes above timberline, through marshes, and even through small towns, but I’d estimate that 92% of the time you’re in the forest. It’s trees, trees, and more trees. So it was good to walk though open farmland, and it reminded me of home. It was a level trail with few rocks, so I made great time, giving me plenty of time to get a room at Allenberry Resort, eat a great dinner, and do laundry.

It was a cold and rainy day hiking into southern PA.

The Allenberry gives hikers a $3 breakfast, so they take the cake for being the best deal on the trail. The great breakfast helped me do another 20-mile day into the Pine Grove Furnace State Park. I just laid my sleeping bag out under a big pine tree and tried to enjoy a good nights sleep. It was a beautiful star-filled night, but very cold again.

Hiking out of Boiling Springs, PA through some beautiful farmland. It was a nice change, and reminded me of home.

The trail continued to get smoother the further south I went, making it easier to hike my 20 miles per day average needed to reach Harpers Ferry to catch my flight home. I encountered a young man named Chris from Baltimore who gave me $20 while visiting with him on the trail for AT2010. It’s good that he trusted me to get the $20 to where it was supposed to be.

On my last day to hike in PA I was going so fast and things were so smooth that I walked right past my pickup point at a highway crossing going into Waynesborough. I was almost into Maryland before I’d discovered I had gone too far, but David from The Burgundy Lane B&B came and picked me up from the road I ended up on. After a nice stay in Waynesborough, I was heading into Maryland for two days before making it into Harper’ Ferry, West Virginia.

The two days of hiking the final 45 miles into Harpers Ferry were magnificent days, with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-50’s to 60. The northern stretch of Maryland was tougher than expected, but the southern part was smooth and easy. My final night at a shelter, Pine Knob Shelter, was unique because you could hear the roar of traffic from I-70 in the valley below. Most shelters are far up into the woods, but this one was close to civilization. Nonetheless, I enjoyed a good fire and slept okay on this cold night.

Waynesborough, PA.

It was such a great feeling to finally roll into Harpers on such a beautiful day. I met up with another flip-flop thru-hiker named Loadstone, who was even a few years older than me. He had started in early February and was finally on his next to last day into Harpers. There were times it seemed I’d never make it here. Since Aug. 19th when I climbed Mt. Katahdin in Maine to begin my southbound stretch of my AT thru-hike, I’ve hiked 74 days, with 5 days off-trail to see my son and his family, and 4 zero days. With this 1,165 miles done and most of the southern stretch done also, I only need to do the 160 mile stretch in northern Virginia for my “victory lap” to officially complete my thru-hike. I feel that I’ve accomplished it though, with such a small and easy stretch left to do.

Appalachian Trail Conservatory office in Harpers.

I had several hours before catching the train into Washington, DC and then up to Baltimore for the flight home the next day. I had to take a blue blaze almost two miles up the street for breakfast, walking by the St. Peters Catholic Church along the way, which is right on the AT. It was built in 1833 and survived the Civil War battles in this area. As I looked up at this magnificent old church, I became overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to complete this journey of a lifetime. I’m so thankful to my wife and family, friends, co-workers, and people who have supported me and the charities we are helping. I’m thankful for our business and our LawnAmerica customers, who helped provide the resources to do this. And I’m thankful for doctors and modern medicine. Without some help from them it would be very tough to physically do this, especially with a bum left hip.

But I’m most thankful to my God, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with the strength, endurance, and a passion to complete this journey. I could not have made it without Him blazing the trail for me and for Him giving me what I needed to complete this. And I’ve had a blast doing it!

Boone!

As I was piddling around waiting for the train to show up, I met up with Boone, another southbound hiker I’d heard was ahead of me. He had just gotten into Harpers, and had heard of The Compassionater. It turns out he actually left Katahdin in early September, so he must have passed me about a month ago, maybe when I was off-trail. He’s only the third hiker I know of who has passed me on this hike. He is a young fast hiker, but is going home to Maryland to complete the AT at another time.

So I’ll be off-trail until Dec. 1st, in order to celebrate our 30-year anniversary, get some work done, and enjoy Thanksgiving with my family. Hopefully all that won’t get me too out of shape so that I can start up again on Dec. 1st hiking 20 miles per day to finish up around Dec. 8th or so. Harpers Ferry–it’s been great to finally see you. As the Terminator said though, “I’ll be back!”

Hiking a ridge in Pennsylvania, with a great view into the valley below.

I checked into the Mohican Outdoor Center, operated by the AMC, at about 3:00pm. It was nice to be done by then, giving me plenty of time to shower and hang around some in the afternoon. I was surprised to see a full bottle of wine in the refrigerator, which someone had left. I’m not much of a drinker, but I do enjoy a good glass of wine now and then, and this seemed like a great time to enjoy some trail magic in the form of a glass, or two of Italian Reisling wine on the porch of my lodge as I watched the leaves fall from the trees. For $20, this turned out to be a pretty good deal! A bunk room, shower, and a bottle of wine to enjoy. I guess it was a cause to celebrate my entering Pennsylvania the next day, the last big stretch before making it to Harpers Ferry.

Going into Delaware Water Gap along a leaf filled trail.

The next day I hiked into Delaware Water Gap for lunch a little afternoon. I’m looking forward to Pennsylvania, in part because the AT goes right through or very close to many small towns. This makes it easier to re-supply, eat a good meal, and stay in town rather than in a cold shelter. In fact, the following day I decided to just stay overnight at a cheap hotel in Wind Gap instead of heading back onto the trail. I had not slept well, with rain all night and a snoring hiker in the shelter. So after doing my laundry, picking up my supply package from the post office, and eating at Arbys, I just called it a short day -10 miles done in the rain. It will make the next day into a long 21 mile day over rocky conditions, but it will be dry. I also wanted to watch game 1 of the World Series, so that was the final deal in my decision.

I had heard and read a lot about the dreaded rocks on the trail in Pennsylvania. They actually started in New Jersey going south into Pennsylvania and were fairly bad in this section of the state. There were also good areas with few rocks, along with some nice and smooth old road sections. The trail is fairly level also once it gets up on the ridge, and any climbs are fairly short. So I don’t think the rocks are that big of an issue. When the majority of NOBOs are through here, it’s in the middle of summer with the heat and humidity. And, they know they still have about 1,000 miles still to do. So that just adds to the frustration of hiking over rocks all day. In my case, the weather is great and I’m less than two weeks from Harper’s Ferry, so the rocks are not that big of a deal. And I’ve seen rocks that NOBOs have not experienced yet–in Maine and New Hampshire. They were much worse.

The AT tries to have the last laugh, throwing in rocky stretches just to keep you on your toes.

I was able to take advantage of some great trail magic in central Pennsylvania with Josh Divers from our old LawnAmerica franchise in Allentown. I slack-packed 25 miles one day and 15 the next , with Josh picking me up each day to take me into Hamburg for the night. I continue to see fewer thru-hikers on the trail, passing six SOBOs that I know of the last few days. I feel great, but my legs are tired and my feet are almost numb. I could use a zero day, but can’t afford to take one in order to get to Harpers Ferry by November 10th. So I’ll just keep walking.

Dropping down over a rocky cliff into Lehigh Gap.

It was another beautiful day, as I hiked 25 miles from Pt. Clinton to the 501 Shelter. Now that I’m into Pennsylvania, they are called shelters again, as they are in the south. Shelter is a more appropriate name, as they are not leaning against anything, so I don’t know why they call them lean-to’s up north. The Pennsylvania rocks slowly were giving way to smoother, more dirt trail packed with leaves. It made it easier to cover 25 miles in a little less than 10 hours of hiking. It wasn’t long ago it would have taken 10 hours to cover about 12 miles of trail up in Maine and New Hampshire. I haven’t turned into super hiker–it’s more a reflection of the better trail conditions and fewer mountains to climb. The 501 Shelter is one of the few on the trail that is just off a road, and has a house next to it. You can even order take-out pizza from the shelter and have it delivered, which I took advantage of. I had plenty of freeze-dried food, but after putting in 25 miles, I thought I deserved a pizza, salad, and a Pepsi. I just could not eat that freeze-dried chili mac when I could be enjoying a pizza instead.

The 501 Shelter is also one of just a few which is totally enclosed.  It even has a big skylight.  Being enclosed didn’t seem to help much in keeping it warm, as I really got cold with the temperatures dropping to the upper 20’s. My new sleeping bag is rated for 15 degrees, but I think that means once it gets to 15 degrees–you’re dead! I know it’s not keeping me warm at 35 or below.

The best little privy on the trail, with a full roll of toilet paper in coffee can!

I discovered early the following morning I was out of toilet paper. So I grabbed anything that may work–a page pulled out of my guide book I didn’t need, cut up pieces of an old ace bandage, big leaves that had not turned brown and crunchy yet. The privy was harder to find, smaller, and farther from the shelter than any I’d seen. But as I strolled up to it, I saw a big silver can, with a full roll of toilet paper and it even had hand sanitizer in it. I shouted, “Praise God!”, as I was not looking forward to the improvised method.  I don’t often say that, and certainly not over toilet paper.  Don’t believe I ever was so happy to see a roll of toilet paper, and this was the first privy I’d visited which had some supplied. Backpacking does that– makes you appreciate the small things, like toilet paper!

I wore my long johns under my shorts for only the second time on this cold day. I only had 14.7 miles to do, but had to walk another 2.3 on the road going into Lickdale, PA, as car after car just ignored my outstretched thumb. I even had my Penn State hat on, to no avail. Its been harder to hitch a ride up north versus the southern states. People up here don’t take as much pride in the AT, nor do they even know as much about it, as people in the south. I’m amazed that many people have not even been on it, even though it’s right in their backyard. So most of the people driving by me probably just thought I was a hobo or something, and didn’t have a clue that I was a thru-hiker, even with a pack on my back. As I checked into the Days Inn, the nice lady at the front desk, Jen, agreed to shuttle me up to the trail head early in the morning, as I had about 24 miles to do that day.

I only have 159 miles to cover before reaching Harper’s Ferry. At that point, I’ll fly home to Tulsa, and spend a few weeks taking my wife on our 30-year anniversary trip, get some work done, enjoy Thanksgiving with my family, and try to stay in shape and keep my trail legs strong. Even though I’ll have to hit the trail again after Thanksgiving to finish up that little 160 mile section, mainly in the Shennandoahs, I feel that I’ll have the AT whipped when I get to Harpers Ferry in 9 days. At that point, it’s like we’re ahead by three touchdowns with two minutes to go in the game. That last 160 miles will be like a victory lap, after hiking over 2,000 hard miles already. And, if we are able to hit our $100k goal by then for our charities, it for sure will be a victory lap.

The Pinnacle - great views into the Pennsylvania farm valley.

I’ve really been reflecting on my journey as I’m on the home stretch. I’ll treasure my experiences the rest of my life. I’ve seen alot of our great country, and met a bunch of nice people. I’ve stretched myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. People ask what’s the hardest part of thru-hiking the AT. There’s no doubt that it’s physically hard. But for me the hardest part was being away from home. I missed my family, friends, employees, and especially my wife. I missed my dog, and even missed the dang cat a little bit! I missed sleeping in my own bed, and sitting down to eat at our dinner table. I missed drinking coffee in the morning, while I read the Tulsa World, and keep up on the happenings in our hometown. And not to sound too spiritual, but I missed going to church.  I missed home. I missed Oklahoma.

About six weeks ago while in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, I was visiting with two guys from Boston while eating dinner at one of the mountain huts. He asked me the question, “Why did you decide to live in Oklahoma?”. He asked it in way that implied that Oklahoma is some second rate state, and that nobody in their right mind would choose to live there, when they could be living somewhere like Boston. Well, I bit my tongue, and just told him simply that it was home, and it’s a great state to live in.

Home. What a wonderful word, and a wonderful place to be. It’s being with the people we care about, and who care for us. It’s family. It’s the familiar, and places we’re comfortable with. It’s the schools we sent our kids to, the schools we went to, the churches and organizations we are involved with, and good neighbors. It’s home, and being away from it is the hardest part of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my thru-hike, but I’m ready to go home. I’m ready to get back to work, and to the things that I do. Its great to be able to get out my comfort zone, and stretch myself in doing something that few would or could do, and do it for others also. It’s time to go home though.

So the thought of home, and getting back to my wife, family, and everything else which is a part of home, drives me to the finish line. Harpers Ferry will be in my sight very soon, and I’ll be home.

Miles of nice trail along the river!

I’m so glad that I decided to flip-flop my thru-hike, as I’ve been hiking through great fall foliage and weather since entering Vermont several weeks ago. My leg issues have gradually gotten better, my trail weight is holding steady, and I’m feeling as good as I’ve ever felt hiking the AT. Of course, it also helps greatly to have trail conditions that are much milder compared to the strenuous sections that I’ve been in. The middle portion of the AT is much milder, more level somewhat, without all the huge mountains to climb. A section that I hiked several days ago went along the Housatonic River in Connecticut, with about 5 miles of almost level, well-graded trail. It was like heaven! In fact, it’s the longest stretch of level trail along the entire AT. I flew at a pace of 4mph on it, allowing me to get to Kent, CT by early afternoon that day. I was there on a Sunday afternoon, and it was packed with tourists and leaf peepers, as Kent was recently recognized for having the best fall foliage in New England.

My home for the night--Native Landscapes outside of Pawling, NY.

A few days later, I stayed on the front porch of the Native Landscaping Garden Center outside of Pawling, NY. Pete, the owner, is very trail-friendly and allows hikers to sleep on his porch, take a shower, and drives them to the deli for food, all of which I took advantage of. Being in the green industry also, we talked shop some and watched the Jets football game (he’s a big fan). With the cars speeding by the front and the train tracks just behind his shop, I didn’t sleep real well, but it was great to have some good company for a change, as the trail has become somewhat lonely.

Another beautiful fall morning in New York.

The next morning was again beautiful, as I hiked deeper into New York. I’d heard that New York was fairly difficult, with ups and downs, which was the case. Still, nothing like most of the other sections of the AT. New York does have the honor, I believe, of having the most PUD’s (pointless ups and downs) on the trail. A PUD is when the trail goes up a mountain, hill, cliff, or boulder pile for no apparent reason. The AT is famous for these, and it gets rather annoying after awhile. I had several stretches in New York where the trail climbed up every bolder pile and rock outcropping along the top of ridges, rather than simply dropping into the forest for a nice, level hike. So, it turns what looks like an easy hike on the map profile into a difficult one. If it wasn’t for all the PUD’s on the AT, I’d been done a month ago!

Another PUD, going up and over as many boulders and ridges as possible to make the AT even harder.

It was at the Fingerboard Shelter that I finally caught up with a thru-hiker from Tulsa I’d heard was ahead of me–Grapevine. It was almost dark a little after 6:00 when I pulled into the shelter to introduce myself. He had heard about the LawnAmerica guy who was hiking the trail, so he was also glad that we had finally met. I’ve only met three hikers from my home state of Oklahoma, so it was mice to visit with someone from home.

The Dover Oak. The largest Oak tree on the AT, estimated to be over 300 years old.

We hiked some together the next day, before I went on ahead of Grapevine a little further to Greenwood Lake for an overnight stay at Anton’s on the Lake. Matt was very gracious there, picking me up on the trail, allowing me to do laundry, shuttling me for a much-needed slackpack the next day, and all the other things thru-hikers appreciate. It was good to have some trail magic in New York.

New York also has impressed me with one of the best stores I’ve visited along the trail. The Appalachian Market is a Shell convenience store located at the intersection of two highways where the AT crosses both just outside of Cold Springs, New York. Therefore, most hikers visit the store for food and re-supply. One morning as I left out, I stopped at the store for a quick breakfast made to order and buy my usual two bottles of vitamin water or Gatorade for the day. The manager, Ricky, was very visible talking to the customers, greeting them, and thanking them for their business. The store was organized and clean. The food was good, and reasonable priced. The employees seemed to be happy to be working, and actually would look you in the eye and visit with you, asking if everything was good with the breakfast for example. I complemented Ricky as I left, and told him how I had noticed along the trail how poor the service was at many of the stores and restaurants I’d visited along the trail. His store really stood out.

Being in the service business for 25 years, I can spot great service right away. It’s not rocket science. It’s just doing the little things right, caring for your customers, and execution. It’s having employees who are happy and are motivated to care for customers. It’s having a clean store. How difficult is that?

But I’ve been amazed at how poor service has been in many establishments as I’ve frequented them along the towns on the AT. And so many complain about the economy. Yes its challenging, but many businesses are making it even harder because of their poor service and execution. There’s plenty of business out there for most, as long as one does the right things. At LawnAmerica, we’ve chosen not to participate in the recession, and continue to grow over 14%, because in part we do the right things and care for our customers, just as the folks at the Appalachian Market in New York do.

The Compassionator speaking to a group of 5th graders from New York as they were out on a field trip on the AT.

I’d been averaging over 19 miles per day through Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, so the slackpack day in New York was a good rest for my legs, even though I still did over 19 that day. The trail is getting very hard to distinguish, as the leaves are covering the trail along with the surrounding forest. The yellow, red, orange, and brown leaves are beautiful covering the forest floor, but it’s caused me to stop and find the white blazes on the trees. Thankfully, this section is blazed well, with blazes about every 100-150′ in most cases. There have been times when I took a wrong turn though, and had to backtrack to find the white blaze to stay on the trail. Without these blazes, at this time of the season, it would be impossible to find the AT in many of the forest sections where I am now. It would be very easy to get lost in the woods.

The AT is almost impossible to find in places without the white blazes, due to all the leaves on the forest floor.

I’ve seen that in the business world, and in life, we need those white blazes to guide us as we are navigating through challenging times. Without some type of guidance, a consistent marker to show us the way, it would be very tough to follow the right path and keep from getting lost. There are lots of things that can serve as those “white blazes” to guide us.

People can be guide–such as parents, mentors, friends, pastors, teachers, coaches, bosses, etc. That often works well, but people are not infallible, and can sometimes lead us in the wrong direction, although with good intentions. Education and books can serve as a “white blaze” and give us wisdom and insight on where we should go. But for me personally, I’ve found that the ultimate “white blaze” is simply a relationship with God, our Father, through Jesus Christ and his Word, the Bible. As I’ve traveled through the journey of life, I’ve learned to look for His “white blaze” and trust His direction, just as I have to trust that those white blazes on the trees and rocks will lead me to Harper Ferry. As long as I see the the “white blaze”, trust it, and do my part, I’ve never been let down, or led astray. I know that God has been my guide along the trail also, and I could not be so close to completing this journey if He was not my ultimate “white blaze”.

I’m entering Pennsylvania, the final state before getting to Maryland and then Harper’s Ferry. I’ll be there with 17 more hiking days averaging 17.5 miles per day. I’m hiking strong now, and am really enjoying this final stretch going south. The forests have been so beautiful with the fall colors following me southward. The weather has been almost perfect. I find myself reflecting on my journey as I hike, remembering all the people, places, and beautiful scenery I’ve witnessed. Its been the adventure of a lifetime, and I’ve had a blast! I remember having such a sense of gratitude that first day of hiking back in late May, and I feel the same now as I’m on the home stretch.

I do miss home though, I miss my wife and family, I miss my friends, and I am ready to get back to work. First things first though–gotta keep hiking, and keep my eyes looking out for those white blazes. If I don’t, I could get lost again, or end up back in Maine. I sure don’t want any part of that state anytime in the near future!

Flying into New York City

After a nice overnight stay at the Mt. Harbour B&B in Cheshire, Massachusetts, my trail angel picked me up to drive me into New York City. Jim Mello certainly earned his angel wings in driving me the three hours into the city, so that I could fly out early the next day to Camp LeJeune, NC to see my son Jake and his family. It was strange, leaving the peacefulness of the woods to drive into this mass of concrete and people.

It was good timing to take off a few days from the AT, as my lower right leg was really hurting. I broke down and went to see a Doc, again, and was told to rest it. So a few days off may do it some good. It was also good timing, as Jake’s battalion, the 1st Marines 2nd Battalion were having their family day to welcome them home from Afghanistan, and a memorial service for the ten young men who sacrificed their lives during this deployment. It was great to see my son, along with his family, and especially our new twin granddaughters and their “big” brother Hunter. My youngest son, Luke, also flew in from college to see Jake and everyone else.

My trail angel, Jim Mello, picked me up at the airport in NYC for the drive back to the AT on Sunday. My plan was to get back and jump on the trail for the 10 miles to Dalton. But a flat tire on the way back nixed those plans, as it was dark by the time we made it back to Cheshire. I was able to spend the night at the Catholic church there, in a hiker room they have for AT hikers to use.

The AT goes right through Dalton, MA.

I wanted to try to go 28 miles the next day to put me back on schedule, so I was up early and on the trail leaving Cheshire at 6:15 the next morning, well before sunrise. With my headlamp on, I was able to find the trail and navigate my way up through the woods until it got lighter. The woods slowly turned into a yellow glow of trees showing their brilliant fall colors. It was a beautiful day.

I was making good time as I entered Dalton at about 10:00. I met two section hikers here, Snaker and L Train, as we walked along a quaint residential street leading into the town. We got to talking and took a wrong turn along a street, causing us to backtrack to the right location. We enjoyed a late breakfast at a little sandwich shop in Dalton right on the AT before heading back into the woods going south to Lee, MA, my goal for the day.

The trail was not real hard in this section, but it was not easy either. With rocks, curves, and some climbs, I was not making great time. And, my right leg problems that had crept up began to hurt more, slowing me down.

Massachusetts had many small lakes and beaver ponds along the trail.

It was apparent I was not going to make it to Lee before dark, so I pulled into October Mountain Shelter a little after 4:00 and called it a day. I still covered 21.2 miles with my early start that day. L Train and Snaker made in to the shelter about an hour later, and we enjoyed good company and a great fire that evening.

A cool, fall morning along the AT in Massachusetts

I had two more beautiful fall days of hiking staying in Tyringham and Sheffield at B&B’s. Small towns are so frequent and close to the trail that it’s hard to pass up a good bed, hot shower, good food, and ESPN in the evening. The trail is getting so lonely with very few hikers out that it’s good to get into town and talk with people. And, after four months of eating trail food, it’s getting really old. So I enjoy those huge breakfasts and good dinners in town. I’m even getting my weight up close to normal. I also enjoy getting a taste of these small New England towns. The home I stayed in last night was over 200 years old. Oklahoma wasn’t even a state for 100 years after it was built!

I had some business at the post office the next morning, so I did not start on the trail until almost 10:00. About 30 minutes out of town I spotted a group of people on the far side of a field I was crossing. I was greeted by a PE teacher with about six special needs students and some adult sponsors. They were out hiking a section of the AT as part of a unit on thru- hikers. And here I was to visit with them– a real live thru-hiker! After visiting with them some and walking with them, I headed out on the trail.The first 3.5 miles were some of the easiest trail I’ve had, but the remaining 14 miles reminded me a little of Maine, with steep climbs over rocky cliffs and rocky trails. I’ve been a little spoiled with Vermont and north Massachusetts, and I wasn’t prepared for this. The views were beautiful from atop the ridges though, looking down into the valleys filled with trees on fire with fall foliage. As I left Massachusetts and crossed into Connecticut, the AT went up Bear Mountain, the highest mountain in the state. The AT was up to it’s old tricks again-going over every big mountain it can. The weather forecast called for another big rain storm to come in this evening and on into the next day. The sunny day slowly turned cloudy that afternoon, with the rain starting about 30 minutes before reaching Brassie Brook lean to just before dark with my headlamp on. It would be a good night to test my new larger sleeping bag I bought in North Carolina, since my original bag was not keeping me warm in the colder nights we are having now.

The rain and cool weather is causing the leaves to fall like rain.

The views were awesome in southern Mass as I climbed along the high ridges.

It was a cold and rainy night at the shelter. My new bag helped, but it’s getting really cold in the shelters at night. I hiked all day in a light to moderate cold rain, with the yellow and orange leaves falling from the trees like rain. The trail was lonely, with only two other hikers seen that day. The woods were beautiful though and the trail was much kinder and gentler, allowing me to cover over 22 miles before 5:00.

I’m in the 4th quarter now in my Appalachian Trail journey as I finish in Connecticut soon and head into New York. I am a blessed man to be able to do this, and I’m having a ball. It’s been very difficult at times–most of the time! But it’s so rewarding at the same time. I will thru-hike the AT this year, and in so doing, will accomplish something that few do. I’m really pleased that we are close to reaching our goal of $100K for our five charities also.

Memorial for the 10 fallen Marines from the 1-2.

But I must share, that I’m not happy that one that is close to my heart, Folds of Honor, is still $7000 away from reaching our goal of $20k. On the Friday that I was in North Carolina to see Jake, they had a memorial service and a monument dedicated for the 10 young men who were killed serving our country during this deployment of the 1st Marines 2nd Battalion. I don’t know the details of this war we are in, nor do I fully understand why we are there. What I do know is we are so thankful that our son came back okay. The same cannot be said for some of Jake’s fellow Marines and brothers though. I saw the anguished look of the parents and families of the fallen Marines, and I ached for them. I saw a young man in a wheelchair, in good spirits, even with just one arm now, as an IED had taken off both legs and one arm. I don’t know if this is a winnable war. But I do know that the sacrifices that these young men have made and are making are not in vain.

They deserve our respect, but more than that, they need our compassion. That’s exactly what the Folds of Honor does-compassionately helps the families of these Marines and other service members who have given their lives in service to our country. The government can only do much. We need to do more. You need to do more. If you had looked into the eyes of a grieving parent, spouse, or child, you would know what I mean. Go to the link on our website to Folds of Honor to learn more about what they do. They are based in my hometown of Owasso, Oklahoma, but they have a presence nationwide. I expect us to reach the $20k goal, and do it soon. If not, I’m just going to keep hiking south after finishing up at Harper’s Ferry. I’d really like to come home after I’m done and not still be on the trail at Christmas, so make a donation today! Tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers, Sunday school class, whoever about this and let’s make this happen together. I want that bar for Folds of Honor to grow past $20k.

The Vermont forest was exploding with fall color.

The forest changed, with taller trees, more varieties such as Oaks, with more of the colors of fall showing their brilliance.  I only had two days of hiking, going about 18 miles each day, before meeting my wife, Becky, outside of Hanover, NH.  It had been five weeks since I left for northern Maine, so we were anxious to see each other.  My hip was hurting, but the thought of spending ten days with my wife, carrying only a daypack for ten days as she slackpacked me from town to town, sleeping in real beds, eating good food, and finally getting the cortisone injection in my hip energized me, along with the more moderate trail conditions.

I did cross paths with one northbound couple whom I had met back in July in central Virginia.  Dreamcatcher and Kadiddle were hiking north while filming hikers answering the question, “What would you do if you were ten times bolder in making a difference in our world?”  I don’t think that was the exact question, but it’s close.  They actually interviewed and filmed me, which is part of their website they have developed.  It was an easy question for me, as I’m doing it–hiking the entire AT and raising $100K for charities.  It was and is a bold, and risky move, to do this and tell thousands about it.  I don’t know if I could be doing this, if I had not publicly committed to this, and be doing it for others also.  They had taken off some time on the trail, and did not know if they were going to make it to Mt. Katahdin before winter sets in.  I wished them well, and hope that they can make it. 

A Vermont valley in fall.

As I raced down the final mountain towards the road where Becky was going to meet me at 5:00, she was not there yet.  I walked down the road some, where she pulled up in her white Jeep Compass rental car to greet me.  I was very tired, and my knees and hip were still sore from southern Maine and the White Mountains, but was so glad to see her.   We went to a little B&B in Lyme, which is about 15 miles outside of Hanover.  Our plan was to hop from little town to town, staying in different places for the most part each day, while I hiked my 15-20 miles per day with just my daypack on.  It was great. 

The next day, I hiked on into the outskirts of Hanover.  It was another beautiful day of hiking, with cool and sunny weather, mild trail conditions, along with the ever changing colors of fall giving the forest a glow of yellow, orange, and red.  I was back to hiking at a pace of about 2.5-3 miles per hour, so I could cover my 15-20 miles without hiking from dawn to dusk.  And, without my full backpack, it was much less strain on my body, giving me a chance to recover from the previous five weeks of strenuous hiking.  And the best thing was that every day I could pack my 20 oz. bottle of Coke, with a big bag of potato chips, and other snack food, and enjoy a cold Coke at lunch. 

On Saturday, Becky took me down the trail into Vermont, where on this day I would hike northbound back into Norwich and on into Hanover, where she would meet me for lunch there.  I’d then keep hiking north to where I ended up the previous day.  It was a perfect, sunny and cool day, with some of the

A perfect fall day for hiking!

 easiest (or moderate, as nothing is really easy on the AT) trail conditions and grade I’d experienced on the AT.  It was a little after noon, as the trail sent me along a side street in Norwich, along nice country homes with beautiful lawns and landscapes, before heading into the main highway leading from Norwich into Hanover.  It was actaully nice to see homes with landscaping and nice lawns again.  I’ve been in the woods mainly for months on end, and the woods are beautiful.   A nice home lawn and landscape, a beautiful green football or baseball field, or a nice city park are just as nice though.  They have a beauty of their own, and that is what we do in my business.  I’m proud of what we do.  And, if LawnAmerica were up here in New Hampshire, we’d have these lawns I’m seeing look even nicer that what they do! 

Downtown Hanover, New Hampshire, where the AT crosses Main Street.

On this section of the AT, the trail actually goes right through town, along a sidewalk on busy streets, with real people (not AT hikers–we’re not real), shops, and all the stuff of civilization.  Becky was there to meet me there at a park in Norwich, so we decided to just drive into Hanover a mile or so down the road, eat lunch at a downtown restaurant, and then continue hiking the short distance to the outskirts of Hanover where I had left of the day before.   It was a perfect day, with perfect weather, I was with my wife, and I was feeling good.

Hanover is the home of Dartmouth College, and it happened to be a Saturday when they were playing a home football game.  The streets were very busy with cars and people, either going to the game or just enjoying the fall Saturday afternoon.  It was a very different atmosphere compared to my world for the past five weeks since starting on the trail again in Maine.  Parking places were hard to come by, so after driving around for several minutes, we spotted one on the other side of the road.  So I pulled the car over to the side a little, checked on traffic, I think, and then–KABOOM!!  Out of nowhere, I saw a car whack my white Jeep Compass rental car on my side with a loud boom, as I was trying to make a u-turn in downtown Dartmouth.  

The lady in the big Chevy Suburban was OK, and we were OK.  I was so mad at myself for doing such a stupid thing.  What had I done?  Had I forgotten how to drive, after spending five weeks hiking on the trail?  A perfect day had suddenly turned into a nightmare, as I got out and looked at our car with the front bumper hanging off to the side, and her car with a smash along the right side.  Becky was the driver on the rental agreement, and I had not even thought about the fact that I was now driving, with the possibility of our insurance not covering this wreck.  I was so mad at myself for doing such a stupid thing.  I was kicking the car, like it was the car’s fault or something.  I was ridiculing myself.  If my legs were limber enough, I’d kick myself in the rear.  The police officer was really nice, took all the information, and sent us on our way.  We thought the car was driveable, but after a few blocks, it was clear that it was totally whacked out of line.  So, we called AAA for a tow to the nearest Thrifty Car Rental office, which was closed for that day.  We spent a frustrating afternoon getting our wrecked car to Thrifty, finding another rental car from another company, and making all the calls to our insurance company and to Thrifty.  One irony of the whole deal is that Dollar Thrifty, based right out of Tulsa, is one of our five major sponsors of our journey.  And I went and wrecked one of their cars!

I was so mad, frustrated, and embarrased with all of this happening on a day which had started out so perfect.  Was I going to let this incident ruin our whole day, or our whole week together, after looking forward to it for so long?  It’s not like I’m a bad driver, as this was only the third little wreck I’ve had in 40 years of driving.  They’ve all been “little” fender benders, which of course can add up to thousands of dollars in repair costs and increased insurance premiums.  I hate to waste money, or see money just go down the drain, and this incident to me seemed a case of just that.  I decided to do what I really need to be doing now anyway–hike the AT.  So after picking up our new rental car, with Becky driving now, she dropped my off on the AT late that afternoon, from where I hiked back into Hanover.

The quietness and serinity of the woods helped me to clear my head, and my thoughts.   It wasn’t going to do any good to beat myself up over this.  It was a mistake, albeight it a stupid mistake, on my part.  I had about a two second lapse in judgement, in trying to make a u-turn on a busy street.  I don’t know if I checked my mirrors and their were blind spots, or if I just forgot to check.  I know driving a strange car, in a different environment, and without being behind the wheel for five weeks played a  part, but it’s no excuse.   I screwed up, plain and simple.  It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last time, that I make a mistake, but I decided not to dwell on it, learn from it, get over it, and not let it happen again. 

KaBooms happen in life all the time.  Everthing is going well, life is good, and then–KaBoom!  Out of nowhere you get whacked.  In the business world, their can be all types of KaBooms.   Some can be brought on yourself, such as prideful and arrogant decisions, moral failures, or dishonest practices–KaBoom!  Some can occur due to no fault of yourself, such as a sudden downturn in the economy, change in laws or regulations, dishonest employees, or natural disasters–KaBoom!    Whatever the case, they can come out of nowhere, catch us offguard, and change things overnight.

KaBooms happen in our personal and family lives.  Dad, my girlfriend is pregnant–KaBoom!   You’re 35 years old and you’ve discovered you have cancer–KaBoom!   Honey, I don’t love you anymore and want to leave–KaBoom!  The business you work at goes belly-up and you loose your job–KaBoom!  A few seconds or few minutes of stupidity, a temporary lapse in judgement, or years of  neglect and poor decisions can cause a KaBoom.  Or, they can happen even when you are doing all the right things, and through no fault of your own.

I decided in my case, to just get over it, learn from it, forgive myself, and not let it ruin our trip.  In the big scheme of things, this will be just a bump in the road, or the trail in my case.  By the time I was finished walking my six miles on the AT, and met Becky on a street in Hanover, I was OK.  This KaBoom was far from being the worst thing that had happened to me in my life, although it was tough to deal with on this sunny afternoon in New Hampshire.  But as one of my favorite authors, Og Magdino, wrote in his classic book “The Greatest Salesman in the World”, “This too shall pass.”

Two days later, we turned in our temporary car to the other company, and the nice people at Thrifty in rented us another car, as a cheaper cost, and waived the extra fees in order to drop it off in Boston a week later.   So now, we’re driving our third rental car–very, very, carefully.  Actually Becky is driving, as I’m a little scared to drive right now.  As I blogged about two months ago—use it or loose it.  I must have temporarily lost my driving skills and reactions, after doing nothing but walk for five weeks and more. 

The next several days, I hiked about 19 miles each day, enjoying great fall scenery and moderate trail conditions.  We stayed at  B&B’s in small New Hampshire towns such as Killington, Danby, and Manchester Center.  Manchester Center in particular was very nice, with many nice shops and restaurants.  It’s kinda the equivalent of Branson to us common folk in the mid-west for the wealthy people in New York, Boston, and the Northeast

Johnny SeeSaws outside of Manchester, VT.

cities.  Stuff is very expensive compared to Oklahoma.  There were many very nice B&B’s, and very expensive, which were out of our price range.  We were lead to several restaurants that were “casual” and “moderately priced”.  They may have been to them, but to us common folk in Oklahoma, they seemed to be very expensive.  It’s all relative.  The area was all very nice though, with the beautiful fall foliage adding to the experience.  We are there at the peak of the “leaf peepers” season, and many of the lodging places had jacked up their rates due to the high demand during this season. 

I continued to day hike even longer days going now almost directly south though the Green Mountains of western New Hampshire.  On one day, a tropical weather system moved in along the entire east coast, and drenched Vermont with about 5″ of rain.  I took a zero day, in anticipation of a rainy day, but it really did not rain that much until that night.  It rained all night

I could hop across this brook two days ago before the rain.

and into the next day, for a total of over 5″ of rain, as I walked 18 miles in the soaking rain that day.  A small brook which two days ago I could hop across was now a raging river.    It was amazing the amount of rainfall coming off the mountains, with every little mountainside intermittent creekbed filled with water flowing down into the creeks.  The creeks were all raging with whitewater.  Thankfully, they all had bridges across them to cross.  Otherwise, there is no way I could have made a stream crossing that day.   Much of the day was spent hiking in standing water and mud, as the trail had turned into a creek in many places.  My wet, cold feet were numb by days

Thanks for the bridge!

end.  I hiked with Monkeyback this day, whom I had hiked with a few days up in Maine.  He was still heading south to Connecticut, his final destination for his flip-flop AT hike.  We’re both fast hikers, so it was good to have him with me as we sloshed through the water an mud that day.

The storm cleared, and I enjoyed three more beautiful days of slackpacking, going on average 20 miles per day, ending up just short of the Vermont/Massachusetts line.   One interesting thing I’ve seen allot in the woods of Vermont are the remnants of old colonial settlements from over

This old settlers wall was built along what appears to be a very old road, which is not part of the AT.

200 years ago.  The settlers would build their fencelines by stacking rocks along their property, usually about 2-4′ high.  It looked like allot of work to find the rocks and carefully stack them, so that the fence would be secure.  They are still standing in most places to this day. 

I had to say goodbye to my wife, and put on my full backpack again, as I set out on the trail again headed south to Massachusetts.  I did 18.5 miles as I crossed into Massachusetts that first day, and then up and over Mt. Greylock the next day.  Mt. Greylock, at 3,491′, is the highest peak in Massachusetts, so the AT naturally went up it.

At the top of Mt. Greylock on a cool, foggy day.

  It was a very cool, windy, foggy day, so I had no views up on top.  This will be the last big mountain I’ll do on the AT as I head south to Harpers Ferry.  I was disappointed that the mountain was enveloped in the clouds that day.  I did get to enjoy a nice lunch at the lodge and restaurant at the top of the mountain though. 

One of the most rewarding experiences of hiking the AT often comes at the end of a long day of hiking.  Maybe it’s the last day of several days of staying in shelters, and you’re going into a small town to stay at a hotel, hostel, or lodge.   Or better yet, you have a zero day planned the next day, so you’ll be staying two days in that town, enjoying all the comforts of home, with a good bed, hot shower, clean clothes, and good food.  You’ve done a good job of hiking, met your mileage goals, are on schedule, but you’re tired, dirty, and hungry.  Several miles away from your final destination for the day, often a road or highway crossing, you begin to hear the roar of the cars.  You may spot the town and signs of civilization several thousand feet below from on top of the ridge.  You get excited, and begin to walk at a quicker clip, often downhill.  The roads and towns are usually located in the valleys, so you usually drop down from the mountain or ridge into the towns.  It seems to take forever, as the sounds of the highway or town get louder and louder.  You finally see the road or highway, and maybe some cars.  Then, you come out of the woods, and suddenly come into the light of the ”real world” with the highway, road, or the town itself.  You’re there!  You’ve finally made it!  And you feel so great to be finished with your day and now so close to being rejuvenated with the comforts of the real world. 

I’ve found that the feeling that I have coming down off the mountain in these cases is very similar to the feeling I’ve had for many years at home.  I’ve put in a good, but hard day at work, done well, and maybe gotten dirty.  I’ve made some great sales, seen success with employees, made a bunch of customers happy, done allot of production, whatever the case may be.  I’m on schedule towards meeting my goals.  It’s been a great day at work, but I’m anxious to get home to enjoy my family.  As I drive home, the familiar scenes bring me closer and closer to my family and my home, and I become relieved and content.  As I pull into the driveway, the feeling that I’m home is finally here.  When the kids were younger, they’d often be around to greet me and bring a smile to my face (I’m talking pre-teen here!).  Now that the kids are all gone, I guess the pressure in on my wife to help give me that same rewarding feeling after coming home from a long, but good day at work.

As of tomorrow, I’ll be off  AT for a few days to go see my son Jake and his family.  I’ve not seen him since Christmas, since he’s been in Afghanistan for seven months.  A friend and business associate from Massachusetts, Jim Mello, will pick my up in Cheshire, drive me to New York City, from where I’ll hop on a plane the next day to fly to Camp LeJeune in North Carolina.  I’ve never been to New York City, so I’m anxious to just spend a day there to check it out.  Our other son, Luke, will fly into North Carolina also from college, so we’ll all hang out for a few days together.  When I return from my brief trip, I’ll be on the home stretch of my journey ending up at Harpers Ferry in early November.  The trail will be some of the more moderate on the AT, so I should be able to do my 18 miles per day average OK.  That’s assuming that I don’t have another big KaBoom or anything!

The weather has turned cold--especially up high.

Apocalypse--the only NOBO to pass me as I headed north earlier. Now he's about a month from being done.

I did run into a group of three NOBO’s the next afternoon towards the end of a long 13 mile day of hiking over several mountains and ridges.  One of the hikers actually had a cat with him hiking the AT.  The cat would walk about two miles a day, with the rest of the time spent riding up on his backpack.  I’ve seen many dogs on the trail, but a cat?  That’s a tough cat, and a somewhat different guy to take his cat with him on the AT.  The cat was sleeping and chilled out when I was visiting with them, and looked to be in good shape and spirits, as best as I could tell for a cat.  I also ran into a NOBO whom I had met down in central Virginia back in July.  Apocalypse was a young hiker from Maine, whom I had blogged about earlier.  After my first month of hiking, he was the only thru-hiker that had passed me as I was heading north at a pretty good clip.  The day before I had to come of the trail due to my Mother’s death we had met, and he passed me going about 20 miles per day at that point.  When we crossed paths again, he was still heading north, about a month from finishing at Katahdin, and I was heading south.  We shared a good conversation and wished each other well as we set off in opposite directions.

That evening I spent the night at one of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) lodges, as I would for several of my next nights.  I checked into the Joe Dodge Lodge, into a bunk room with three other guys.  It was a tiny room with two bunks, and not much else.  After a good dinner, I had a somewhat good night of sleep, even though the guy below me snored all night, and my hip was hurting.  The next morning at breakfast, which again was provided by the lodge, my snoring friend tells me, “Brad, you sure were sawing some good logs last night.”  Well, I didn’t want to break the news to him that he was snoring probably louder than I was, so I just kept eating my bacon, and eggs, and all the other good stuff I was enjoying for breakfast.  One of the reasons I wanted to stay at the AMC huts and lodges was the fact that I wouldn’t have to carry much food in my backpack, and would enjoy good food provided by them.   As I was getting my pack ready later, he was at the desk checking out to another room for the next day, making up some story about how they had booked our room to someone else for the next night.  That evening, when I checked back into my room, the lady at the desk told me the other two guys had moved into another room also.   So, I guess I ran all three of them off!  Oh well, I just was able to get another 2-person room, with me the only guy in there, and I probably snored to my heart’s content.  I wouldn’t know, as I’ve never heard myself snore, so I can’t confirm that I’m guilty.

IT was cold and icy to start the day at Mt. Washington.

My plan for Mt. Washington, the highest peak of the White Mountains at 6,288′, was to take the shuttle up to the peak, and hike the 13 miles mainly down back to Joe Dodge Lodge.  This is one of the few peaks on the AT where people can actually drive up to the top, where there is even a snack bar.  The huts up high were closed for the season, and my sleeping bag was not equipped to withstand the cold temperatures up high, without a tent especially.  That morning the shuttle was delayed going up on the road to the top of Mt. Washington  because of 4″ of snow at the summit and ice the previous day and night.  It was 10:30 before I started on the trail leading down from the summit, walking on ice for the first 30 minutes or so.  The weather was cold, but not too bad for Mt. Washington that day.  Some of the worst weather in America occurs at the top of Mt. Washington, with high winds, clouds, sudden rain or snow storms, etc.  In fact, the highest wind ever recorded was on Mt. Washington, something like 245 mph or something like that.

Hiking the Presidentials. The AT hops from summit to summit.

The views were awesome from the trail, which hopped from peak to peak across the Presidential Mountain Ridge.  I walked about seven miles above timberline, hopping from rock to rock, going down one peak and up another.  Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Clay, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Madison were all along the AT that day, with climbs of about 1,900′ and descents of about 6,000′.  On Madison, the last peak, I met another hiker at the summit, so I had him take a picture of me.  From this point on, it was mainly downhill for the seven miles into Joe Dodge Lodge for the evening.  About ten minutes later, I grabbed for my IPhone to call my wife to let her know I was OK and coming off the mountain, only to discover that it was gone.  I frantically searched my pack and pockets to no avail, so backtracked the rocky terrain in hopes of finding it.  It must have slipped out of my side pouch on my pack or my pocket.  After almost two hours of searching, I gave up, hollered a few choice words of frustration into the cold mountain air (as if it would help find my phone), and headed down the mountain.

Since I had gotten a late start that day, I had borrowed a tent from an AMC worker and taken my sleeping bag, just in case I did not make it down before dark.  It was clear

Why am I still smiling? Because I've not discovered that my cell phone has fallen out of my pouch on my pack!

now that I would not make it down, and I did not want to night hike over this rough, rocky terrain.  It started raining at about 6:00, and I was still four miles from the lodge, so I put up my tent next to a stream, ate some granola bars for supper, and tried to get some sleep.  I made a bad decision in camping next to this stream, as it was more like a roaring river, which along with my sore hip, kept me awake most of the night.

I packed up my wet tent early the next morning, and hiked the four miles into the lodge.  I had to re-supply, I was tired, and all my clothes were dirty, so I hitched a ride back into Gorham, where I had stayed several days ago.  There, I got my laundry done at the Top Notch Inn, where I had stayed before, and the nice folks there even let me soak in the hot tub while my laundry was being done.  I hitched another ride back to the lodge, where I enjoyed a nice dinner and a room to my snoring self.

The next day was beautiful, and again took the shuttle ride to the top of Mt. Washington with several other hikers that day who were doing the same thing I was doing by hiking down.  It was another day of 13 miles of mainly downhill southbound hiking, with this day being a little easier than the northern route.  Going downhill sounds easy, but not so in the White Mountains, as it often takes more time, and is brutal on hips and knees especially.  My knees have never been a problem, but they were aching from the steep descents of southern Maine and now the White Mountains.

I made it down to Crawford Notch, where I checked into the AMC Highlands Lodge just in time for a nice dinner.  I met a nice gentleman from Boston there named Phillip, who agreed to take my backpack to the place I was staying at in two days at Franconia Notch.  I would be staying the night at Galehead Hut, where they provide dinner, breakfast, and a bunk, so there was no need to lug my 38 lb backpack when all I needed was some food for lunch and a few clothes in my daypack.  My knees, hip, and for that matter  my whole body could use the help with the lighter weight.  Thirty fewer pounds beating down on my knees with each step would be less wear and tear on my body.  I again had three other roommates in my somewhat bigger bunk room, but I don’t think I snored as I couldn’t sleep well at all.

Much of my time above timberline was in the clouds.

I had 14.5 miles to cover in order to reach Galehead Hut on this sunny day.  My new friend Phillip drove me to the trailhead, with only my daypack that day and the next  since I was staying at the AMC hut.  For a change, it was a fairly moderate trail, without any crazy climbs and steep descents.  In fact, after about three miles of moderate climbing, the trail actually leveled out fairly well for a wonderful two or three miles of fast hiking.  After then climbing up to Zealand Mountain and then South Twin Mountain, I descended into Galehead by about 4:30, in plenty of time for dinner at 6:00.  The AMC huts, such as Galehead, are located in the White Mountain National Forest, far away from roads.  There are three or four caretakers, who cook, clean, and maintain the huts for the guests.  There were about 20 guests that night at the shelter, mostly day or section hikers who hike from hut to hut, which are about seven miles apart on average.  The huts have larger bunk rooms, which I slept way up on the third level in ours.  After dinner, two young hikers brought their dog in who had gotten in a pickle with a porcupine, and lost.  There were sharp quills stuck in her nose and mouth, so the hut workers helped them with their dog and allowed them to sleep on the dining room floor that night.  The next morning the dog was OK, just a little sore, with a lesson learned about porcupines.

It was another nice, sunny day to hike the 13 miles up over Mt. Garfield, and then up to Mt. Lafayette, Mt. Lincoln,  and along the Lafayette Ridge.  The temperatures dropped and the wind increased to about 55 mph as I summited Lafayette, so I kept adding layers of clothes as the altitude increased up to almost 5,000′.  The views were

Going up Mt. Lafayette.

awesome, with clear views back to Mt. Washington, into Vermont, and back into Maine.  After taking one picture at the summit, my camera battery went dead, which was disappointing.  The trail went along the top of the ridge above timberline for about four miles, with some of the most spectacular views on the AT.  They are only etched in my mind though.  I met quite a few day hikers this day who walked up from some of the many trails leading up to the ridge.   The trail descended about 2,800′ for the last three miles going down into Franconia Notch, which again was brutal on my aching knees.  I had a hard time hitching a ride into North Woodstock, but finally did, so was able to do laundry, eat dinner, and get a good night of sleep at the B&B Wilderness Inn.

I was staying two nights at the B&B, with a great breakfast provided each day.  North Woodstock is a small, quaint New England town, which was very beautiful at this time of the year with the fall leaves changing colors into vibrant yellows and reds.  I was looking forward to exploring some of these small New England towns, with all their history, architecture, and beautiful landscapes.  On this day, Michael, one of the owners of the Inn, drove me the seven miles or so north to the trailhead, from where I would hike 16.5 miles back south to Franconia Notch, where I had ended up the day before.  Hiking with just my daypack on would again be a little faster, and easier on my sore knees and hip.  The weather again was nice, and I began to notice a big improvement in the trail condition.  It gradually became less steep, with fewer rocks and roots, land less mud to hike around and through.  I had two fairly large climbs to do, but they were less dramatic and steep, with no crazy routes up boulders and rocks.  By 4:00, I was back at the same place on the road leading into North Woodstock trying to hitch a ride.  The same lady who had picked me up the day before came along and gave me a ride into town for another good stay at the B&B.

My days of hiking crazy trail conditions such as this are about done!

The last time I'll be above timberline at Mt. Mooselauke.

Another beautiful day greeted me as Michael drove me up to the trailhead at Kinsman Notch, as I would have my full backpack on again for the next two days going into Hanover.  The last few weeks I’ve been hiking from notch to notch it seems.  A notch is somewhat the same as a gap in the south–a deep valley formed from a river or in this case, glaciers.  It’s amazing how these huge glaciers carved out huge notches in these mountains thousands of years ago here in New England and in Maine.  At higher elevations, I’ve often walked on smooth, carved granite and other rock, which was worn smooth by glaciers grinding over the rock over time.  If it’s steep, as it often is, and wet, it’s especially difficult to walk on without slipping, especially when going downhill.  Today would be a long, 17 mile hike, over the last really big mountain I’ll tackle on the AT–Mt. Moosilauke. After climbing 3,000′ up to about 4,800′, I was above treeline with high winds and cold temperatures.  This would be the last time I would be above timberline on the AT.  It was bittersweet, as I looked back at the White Mountains and the southern Maine mountains I’d just conquered.  I love being above timberline, where you can see for over 100 miles on many days, hiking in the alpine zone.  I felt great that I had made it through this very difficult stretch unscathed, and I was very happy that the hiking would be getting easier, with much more moderate grades and better trail conditions.

It was a long, 3,500′ descent over five miles before crossing the road into Glencliff, a very small town in New Hampshire.  There was a hostel just .2 miles down from the AT, so I hid my pack in the woods and hiked down for a couple of cold cokes and a shot of caffeine for the final 7.5 miles to Ore Hill Shelter.  I was pumped, after drinking the cokes, calling my wife, and checking on our website to see that we were over the $80,000 level in donations.  The trail continued it’s transition to a more moderate grade, hiking over more dirt than rocks.  The forest began to change as I left the White Mountains, with taller hardwoods such as Oaks, Hickory, and Elms for the first time since the south.  There were parts of the trail that were covered with pine needles, which was a pleasure to walk on versus the rocks, roots, and mud of the past several  weeks.  I covered the last 7.5 miles in under three hours, which was the first time in a long time I’ve been able to go over 2 mph.

The mountains are smaller and the fall colors more vibrant as I head into Hanover and on into Vermont.

The 16 mile hike the next day into the Hanover area was a nice day again.  I had two fairly large mountains to climb that day, but they were much more gradual and less demanding than what I’d just been through over the past several weeks.  With every day, the fall colors were exploding with more yellow, red, and orange.  I was glad I’d decided to flip flop my hike, and head south from Maine to take advantage of the better weather.  I’ll be enjoying some great fall color as I hike south through New England at this time of year.  There are no bugs at all to bug me.  And, I’ve gotten the hardest parts of the AT completed–the southern Appalachians along with Maine and the White Mountains.  They are done–over with.  Ill be cruising as I finish up with New England and the mid-Atlantic states.  I’ll still have some mountains to climb, such as Mt. Killington in Vermont and Mt. Grayson in Massachusetts, but they are not as steep and rugged as where I’ve been.  And the trail is more like a trail, with a much smoother surface, often layered with leaves and pine needles.

I feel good now.  Southern Maine in particular was very tough.  After I made it through, I warned the remaining NOBO’s on how difficult it was.  Some knew, but some were cocky and thought they’d be doing their 18 miles per day flying up to Katahdin.  Ain’t gonna happen, sorry to say to them.  Most will make it at this point, but I’m sure some will skip some sections, or it will just eat their lunch and prevent some of them from finishing their thru-hike.  My last few weeks have consisted of hiking from mountain to mountain, going up, and then down, and then up again.  That’s sometimes how life seems to be, as we climb a mountain in our lives, maybe descend a little bit, only to face another huge mountain to climb again, and even again.  During those times, it can be tough, and seem that the challenges will never end.  That’s how I felt a few weeks ago as I was heading into southern Maine with hot weather, ridiculous climbs and descents, and a sore hip.  But with God’s grace, I was able to persist, grow, and made it through just fine, while often having a good time.  Not always.  Sometimes it was not fun–more survival.  But my legs in particular are stronger now from the rugged trail, and I’ll be able to fly from now on.  The rugged mountains and hard climbs of Maine and the White Mountains will make the rest of my trip go much easier, and enjoyable.

The trail does get easier.  I’ve been looking forward to that, and it is here.  Life often does get easier, with smooth stretches and fewer challenges.  I’m going to enjoy this stretch, and finish out my AT thru-hike strong.  I’ve covered over 1,350 of difficult miles so far, with less than 800 more moderate miles to go.  I’ll be hiking some of the remaining miles with just my daypack on, which is much easier and less demanding on my body.  Life is easier when we lessen the load we carry on our back.  As Christ said himself, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  And, I’ll be getting a little help from modern medicine with my long awaited cortisone shot into my ailing left hip while in Hanover at the Dartmouth Medical Center.  I’ll be flying through New England, with Harper’s Ferry in my sights soon.