Fri 31 Dec - Final Thoughts

Hard to believe that it has been a month and a half since we completed the trail. We are mostly moved back into our house although not all the boxes from Hong Kong are unpacked. We were both very happy to be done, it has been difficult returning to the real world. The reality of getting a job is weighing heavily on me.

We did not make our top goal of thru-hiking the AT this year but we did make it back to where we had already hiked. We were too slow in the beginning and had too many delays. But we both feel good about hiking 1884 miles and finishing the AT. Speaking of the earlier hikes, I am adding pages for for the 2007 hike from Rockfish Gap to Harpers Ferry and the 2008 hikes from Daleville to Rockfish Gap.

We heard that POW is planning a thru-hike for 2011. I am very happy to be able to sleep in a bed each night and not have to carry 30 lbs. around every where I go, but part of me wants to go with him. That is hard to believe since for six months all we wanted was to be done. Hiking is very goal driven - you literally climb a mountain each day. There are very clear goals and it is rewarding to see your accomplishments. And you have very limited responsibilities. Many of our bills were eliminated and the rest were set up on automatic payment. You just think about where to stop for the night, where you next resupply will be, and how many days to the resupply after that so you know how much food to buy.

If I reduce the experience to just 2 words, they would be deprivation and perseverance. You obviously miss all the comforts of home. You have all the comforts you can carry with you and you certainly are carrying too much. But you learn what is important and what you really need. New, more subtle pleasures replace what you left behind and you learn to appreciate smaller things. A nice three sided shelter in a beautiful spot and freeze dried Beef Stroganoff for dinner can seem like heaven after a long day.

The physical challenge is great, especially for us being older and for me being overweight and out of shape. It is not easy to have the will to pack up and go again each day. Some days it is very challenging but other days are rewarding. One of the axioms on the trail is to never make the decision to quit on a rainy day. But for me, the greatest reward was when I could see my capabilities grow - walk/climb farther, longer, faster - as I got stronger and lost weight.

Was it worth it? YES! Certainly the world is not a better place because we hiked the AT but maybe I am a better person? I am certainly a healthier person. Healthier by many measures including weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and endurance (at least for hiking and climbing). While I can't maintain this level of fitness (unless I continue hiking 15 - 20 miles a day), I should be much more active and remain much more fit than I was and keep much of the weight off. I will benefit from that the rest of my life and that is priceless.

Thank you to all those that followed our journal and posted here, especially Becky (and Bobby), Mary, and Gene but also Beth (who let us stay at her beach house while be prepared for the hike), Greg (who also let stay at his house), Lynn, Cullen (The Inner Marker), the Drive Thru-hikers, Joe from Iowa, Boxman, Drifter, Suzanne, Chris, Jean, Steve, and of course Aunt Esther who came to meet us at Mt. Katahdin.