[at-l] 11 years ago today... a non-dreamer started hiking the trail - and a question for others.

[Felix J]

Mara Factor wrote:
>
>
> I started my own thruhike of the AT that day.  Unlike most other 
> hikers, I wasn't a dreamer before I started.  I had known about the 
> trail and thruhiking for years but it was only the fall before my hike 
> that I even considered doing a thruhike.
> Is there anyone else here on the list that wasn't a long-standing 
> dreamer before hitting the trail for a thruhike?  What's your story?
> I came to my hike not because I had a long standing wish to thruhike 
> the trail, but because four areas of my life conspired to converge and 
> make it a perfect time to thruhike. 

I don't think I was a 'long-standing dreamer'.  I don't recall ever 
really considering a thru-hike (until I considered it). I was always a 
section-hiker...on the 25 year plan...and, was happy with that.  And, 
now I have right at 400 miles to go to complete the section hiking. 

The first time I ever considered it seriously was on the trip home from 
Trailfest in 1998.   We'd just spent the weekend hanging out in Hot 
Springs. We were on that curvy highway leading back to I-40 (at 
newport?) and Stoat, whose divorce was final a few days before mine 
about 2 months previous...says "I'm gonna thru-hike next year, Felix". 
And, Pokey says "Oh yeah, I can see living in the woods for 6 months!" 
So, having a best friend and a girlfriend both wanting to thru-hike got 
my wheels to turning. I thought it over the next few days...and, called 
Stoat and said "Let's go this year. We can go southbound this fall".   
As it turned out, he couldn't get away from town (had to sell his house 
as part of his divorce settlement) in time to start a thru-hike. So, he 
joined us in Gorham.  but....I really don't recall ever having thought 
much about a thru-hike before that truck ride home from Hot Springs. 



-- 
Felix J. McGillicuddy
ME-->GA '98
"Your Move"
ALT '03 KT '03
http://Felixhikes.tripod.com/