[at-l] 10 years ago!

[rgcmsg]

This subject got me thinking about how 1996 was a pivotal year in my march 
toward hiking the trail.  I want to share a few thoughts with you.



In 1994, I already had the hiking bug real bad, and was doing weeklong 
backpacking trips on the AT during my vacations.  It was summer of 1996; I 
found the other AT list.  I was able to transcribe AT journals for 
RockDancer and SkyGod onto the web in 1997. Also a couple I knew, hiked that 
year. I was really itching to go myself, but had too many obstacles in my 
way. I knew I wanted to hike the AT, but I had a house, a car, a job, (all 
the trappings).  I was turning 40; and I thought I was too old, not 
physically up to the task. Then I read "Blind Courage" by Bill Irwin and I 
realized I was only making lame excuses.  The only thing holding me back was 
myself. So, with more than a little encouragement from my new wife, Cheryl, 
we tossed all those trappings and made our own plans for a thru.



We went to our first Gathering in 1997 at Hanover, NH. When we arrived, the 
Northern Lights made an awesome appearance, and we knew we had made the 
right decision.



We met and hiked with some great people on the trail.We met RockDancer my 
first day on the trail, just north of Springer Mountain. We were going south 
to "tag" the terminus and he was doing a short 3-day hike with his friend, 
180.  He said to me " you never know who you will meet on the trail".  Those 
were very prophetic words, for the day we hiked over Max Patch and were 
almost to Roaring Fork Shelter we met the very man who was ultimately 
responsible for convincing me I could do this trail. It was Bill Irwin 
himself, with a group of people out for a day hike.



We stopped in for a visit with Wingfoot in Hot Springs. Met Simply Seeking 
(Stacy) in Erwin, an experience she won't soon forget. I spent a day helping 
Keith Shaw clean up his yard. I shuttled hikers in Gorham, NH and Andover, 
ME. I met a fellow hiking club member from back home, in Stratton, who was 
meeting her aunt for a few days of hiking. Her aunt, whom I had given a ride 
into Rangley a few days before, was Double Crisp, former Secretary on Aldha. 
I resupplied Cheryl in the Hundred Mile Wilderness when I was unable to 
continue on myself.  I had a flat tire when in the Wilderness and could not 
remove the tire because the lugs were jammed on. But I was able to give Sly 
a coke on the Katahdin Logging road just before he crossed the west branch 
of the pleasant River in the Wilderness.  Sly, remember a coke in the 
Hundred Mile Wilderness, is definitely worth a beer at Katahdin Stream, 
Thanks.  And, yes Sly I did summit the next day with Cheryl and few other 
friends from the trail.



I hope I didn't ramble on too much, but writing this has brought back so 
many wonderful memories, I wanted to share some of them with you.



I met many other friends here, on the AT-L, getting great advice and 
encouragement.  I met some on the trail and some at Gatherings and some at 
the PA Ruck.  I think of all of you as my friends even though we rarely see 
each other.



Ron

Solemates AT98
http://www.thehungersite.com - click em all
http://www.neob.org/trans.html
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Slyatpct at aol.com>
To: <at-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2006 6:18 PM
Subject: [at-l] 10 years ago!


>I just got online and joined the at-l to plan for a '97  thru-hike.  It
> doesn't seem that long ago.  I can't count how many  I've met in person 
> since
> then...
>
> Any others as old as I, still here?
>
> Sly
>
>
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