From the horse's mouth

So I know I stopped updating and writing in my journal. The only reason I could do this and keep everybody updated with my hike is because of Mom. I can't thank her enough for all the work she did with my blog, pictures, and keeping, apparently, all of Brevard and half of the western world up-to-date with my progress. She put WAAAYYY more effort into this then I ever expected or asked for. If she hadn't of helped me out so much, I don't think my hike would have gone this smoothly.

Thank you Mom!

I also stopped writing in my journal because I got tired of summarizing the same thing day after day. I felt that my pictures did a better job of highlighting the exciting parts of my journey, and expressed what words couldn't. It was very difficult coming into camp each night and doing all the things I needed to do and then write in journal - plus journaling has never been my thing. Enough excuses!

I think one of the toughest things about the trail is dealing with friends who drop off. The hardest one to deal with was when Brunch got off the trail. We were supposed to meet up the night I got back from New York City, but he called me that morning and broke the news. The good side was that I got to see him in NYC before he caught a bus home. He was extremely generous and gave me 2 days worth of food - this ended up saving me a shopping trip in the Big Apple and thus probably $40 or so. Thank you Brunch.

Drop offs are expected early on in the trail, but I guess after 700 miles I expected that you were locked in. However, Brunch dropped out for the right reasons. He was no longer enjoying his hike, and could still make it back to Asheville in time to start the fall semester and thus graduate on time. I will admit I was disappointed and shaken up when I got Brunch's voice mail. At that point in the trail, I had been hiking by myself for about 3 weeks when I last saw Buffalo in Rutland, VT. Even though I was hiking by myself, I wasn't alone. I was tripping over north bounders - up to 25 a day. It was fun for a while, but after Brunch caught me in Manchester, VT and then I got behind him, I was looking forward to hiking with him again. By the time I got into New York, I was tired of repeating the same conversation (or close to the same conversations) every night, and wanted a friend to hang out with. The NoBos were also tapering off - in fact, by the time I got back on the trail in Pawling, they had all but disappeared and this crowd was questioning if they were going to make Katadhin by October 15. New York marked a low point for me on the trail and it continued into New Jersey.

After Mt. Greylock, Massachutes, the trail enters a "stretch" of low elevations. This stretch last about 500 or 600 miles (from Massachutes into Virginia). Gone are the days of 5000'mountains (that was in New Hampshire). Gone are the days 4000' mountains (Also in New Hampshire). Gone are the days of 3000' mountains (Mt. Greylock, Massachutes). GONE ARE THE DAYS OF 2000' MOUNTAINS (Bear Mountain on the Mass-Connecticut border)!!! You have entered the low-lands. The AT travels through the Pine Barrens of New York and New Jersey - where the water is scarce, brown, and smelly. In my opinion, the trail should never pass through these areas. There are no hostels, save the Mayor's House in Unionville, NY (more on that later), the towns are all far from the trail because hitching is illegal and the towns I went in to were not set up to handle hikers, the weather is muggy, the mosquitoes are fierce (they made Maine look docile), everything is expensive, the water sucks, the shelters are trashy and don't have good water sources (there were several that I wished would burn down for there own sake, a "mercy kill" if you will), there are no mountains, and the views are all hazy because of the pollution and low elevations. I suffered through all this by myself - I was never closer to thinking about quitting then in the mid-Atlantic region. I hated these two states so much that I hiked big miles just to get through it. It was a lesson in doing what is needed just to survive.

I hiked without seeing another through hiker for about a week or so after I got back on the trail. When I got into Unionville, NY (which is actually in the New Jersey section of the trail) I ran into Root Beer Float (RBF). He was actually thinking about heading out that day, but I convinced him to stay another day so that I could hike with him. I was so desperate for another hikers company I would have, and did, hiked with anybody. RBF was a great hiking companion, and we hiked with another guy for a while who was not a good hiking companion.

I never realized how close you become with other hikers. I still talk to Brunch, and he misses the trail, but doesn't regret his decision to get off the trail. It was amazing how his decision affected me. I don't want to say that he quit, because very few people quit. It seems that most people who drop off become section hikers or attempt another through hike. Quitting would be someone who leaves the trail and never comes back - everything else is just a set back. I admire Brunch for his decision and honesty. I think a lot of through hikers stay on the trail because they want to save face with people back home, or just aren't truly honest with themselves. I always had the attitude that when the trail was no longer enjoyable, it was time to go home. Fortunately, I still enjoyed the trail. When I couldn't enjoy the the everyday parts, I focused on enjoying the challenge of pushing big miles. Unlike Brunch, if I had ever decided to drop off, I know I would have regretted it every moment and might not have even attempted another through hike.