I’m sure it’s obvious at this point to anyone following my thru-hike saga, the 2018 hike has reached its terminus. Not unlike trying to get a mule to swim, I hesitated to jump in and write this post. Holding on to hope I'd get back on the trail this summer, I wished for better news. Alas, it was not to be. My latest medical procedure will delay my ability to bear any significant weight for another few weeks. Thus, the window has closed for all practical purposes.
The good- We have gotten to the bottom of my issues. Medication along with diet modifications combined with surgery to repair a couple of bulbous hernias righted the ship. With the patience of a baby child, I’m working on recovery. Still weeks away from training and wrestling with the weight deficit incurred on my trek, I’m weary of “taking it easy”. Bouncing back will be quicker once I can get back into the game without fear of blowing out an internal organ.
The bad- My physical constitution most likely will not allow me another prolonged, multi-month trek. It’s complicated but simply my metabolism combined with pre-existing conditions make maintaining body weight on an extended hike all but impossible. Once fat reserves are depleted the body burns muscle. I have little fat to burn out of the gate. This along with the continued physical stress taxes my internal organs. And, nobody likes taxes. Evidently, in my diet restricted case, caloric intake is at a deficit to what’s needed to sustain month after month on the trail. This is one summit beyond my reach.
Heartbreak has finally given way to gratitude. Mostly anyway. I’m so fortunate to have had the opportunity to chase my dream. Experiencing the trail with my future son-in-law (Brendan), Notorious B was a true gift. Solo for a month was equally rewarding albeit different. I had more fun than a person should be allowed to have. Friendships were forged and my soul was enriched by the broad spectrum of people I met. Great humans from all over the world, all walks of life, and all ages. My worldview will forever be changed by this experience.
Regrets do loom for the folks dealing with my absence and cascade of crap my trek yielded. I’m sorry for the worry I caused. Sans the impact on my loved ones, had I know the physical difficulties I would encounter, I would have done it anyway. I would do it again, now, tonight.
My adventure hasn’t ended only transformed. I now have no time limit nor expectations. An entire playbook of options exists to continue my odyssey. At some point, if it’s in the cards, we’ll once again pull the laces up tight, strap on a pack and put one foot in front of the other on my continued quest to complete the AT. Until then there are other trips to take, trails to hike and rivers to paddle. We’ll jump into whatever the universe offers, with or without a mule.
A few images captured from Southern up to Mid-Virginia
