AT 2005. The Final Chapter

(Note: Now that my Appalachian Trail hike is complete, I am posting the email updates I sent from the trail but never posted while I was walking.) They read chronologically up from the bottom.)

June 17, 2005

My 2005 Appalachian Trail hike is complete. I came off the trail at Rockfish Gap, Virginia on June 13. In total, I hiked 400 AT miles (the 222 I missed in 2002 and the rest because I wanted to), about 15 miles of other trail and road and unknown miles climbing down (and back) for campsites and water. I received many kindnesses from family, friends fellow hikers and complete strangers. In many ways, this hike was as encompassing and engrossing as my much longer thru-hike. And, I think, more fun.

After finishing the Pennsylvania miles, I visited my 87 year old aunt, the last of my parents’ generation, in Johnstown. My brother, Neil came up from Atlantal for the visit. We also spent some time in my father’s hometown of Shippensburg where we found the family cemetery plot, information and photograph of the drug store my great uncle, grandfather and father ran there for almost a century.

After Pennsylvania, Neil drove me to Bland, Virginia where I started hiking north to find my friends, Montreal and Kutsa. I caught them in a couple days and began hiking with them just as a major storm front moved into the area. We had about 45 hours of steady rain, which left us increasingly wet. We managed to dry out and continue but the very humid weather that followed led Montreal and Kutsa to rethink their plans. They ultimately decided to head for Maine and hike south on the AT. We hitchhiked to a point on the trail farther north, regrouped for our separate journeys. In all, we hiked about 50 miles together and had the chance to share each others’ company one more time. I last saw them on the balcony of the Howard Johnson’s in Troutville, Virginia. Kutsa was waving to me and Montreal was filming me as I walked back to the trail.

The final week on the trail was an exercise in planning, logistics and luck, as I hiked, hitchhiked and walked the Blue Ridge Parkway 130 miles to Rockfish Gap. One of my rides was a cross-dresser named Cynthia/Johnny (his hair was perfect). I met new hikers each time I jumped trail miles. One of the major differences between this year and 2002 is that I did not get to know many of the hikers I met. But meeting so many and seeing how thru-hikers are pretty much the same this year as in 2002 was one of the more enjoyable parts of the trip. Not quite as much fun was the heat, humidity or the steep climbs in central Virginia. Nor was getting soaked by an afternoon thunderstorm on a high ridge as I raced across open areas, hoping the lightning would not get any closer. On that day rain, heat and sweat combined to produce the rankest hiking clothes I ever wore.

But I was able to stay dry that evening in my tent during a series of showers and dried out nicely the following day at a hikers’ B&B. After that, my days were short miles and relatively easy despite a few challenging climbs. I had much time to think and reflect about this hike and my 2002 thru-hike. What I realized was how lucky I am that I was able to hike, that I made the decisions that took me to the trail and that I had family and friends to support me along the way. Even when I hiked solo, I was never alone.

On my next to last day, I crossed Reeds Gap in the early morning. Reeds Gap is a special place to me. It’s where I first learned about the Appalachian trail in the year after my return from Vietnam. During the next ten years I spent much time there stargazing, watching sunrises and sunsets, just gazing into the vast landscapes and walking the trail, all of which soothed my spirit in good times and bad. Returning to this place two decades later helped me realize that I began healing the anger, bitterness and self-doubt from Vietnam at Reeds Gap. After many years, I have found peace with those events and my actions. In the end, my Appalachian Trail hike was, among many things, a pilgrimage of reconciliation. Not bad for just following a trail in the woods.

Thanks for your e-mails and encouragement. As I said, I never hiked alone and for that I am forever grateful.

Rez Dog