Subman, I’m glad to hear you say it was hard, because you FLEW down that Trail, and I remember being in awe, thinking, “I could never go that strong!”
I thought the AT was hard too, the most physically challenging thing I’d ever done in my life.
I never once wanted to quit, although there were many times the grey, wet weather was discouraging and I missed my homelife, friends, family and comforts. There WAS one section around Dragon’s Tooth in Virginia where I had a major physical crash and seriously doubted my ability to finish this trail. But rest, hydration, more calories, ibuprofen and better-fitting shoes let me continue on. Hitting the 1,000-mile mark in Harper’s Ferry was a real boost, and I sort of hit my stride there.
I thought the Whites were the hardest part of the trail. Hiking there with backpacks required a new type of action from my muscles - the step-and-lift. I had to build all new muscles from diminished reserves, my knees were unhappy with me and the lovely little footpath turned into fantastic rocky boulder scrambles up and down. That said, the White Mountains were my favorite part of the hike, followed by the almost-as-tough Maine. So, you have to work for your beauty there, but well worth it to me. What fine memories! Thanks for the chance to reminisce. It’s been a little over a year, and I don’t believe a day has gone by without me recalling some portion or friend and smiling. I still keep up with my trail friends too.
I’m not exactly sure what kept me going. The next white blaze, I guess. It’s all still a mystery to me, why I went. After all, I’m basically a Princess. Love my hot showers!
But it’s a defining period in my life. There days, obstacles are seen as challenges rather than stoppages. I think: “Well, I hiked the whole Appalachian Trail Georgia to Maine, how bad can THS be?” It really reframes difficulty.
The experience has also left me with something hard to describe - a diminished fear about my future, which used to be a real driver for me.
Not that I am laying back (and not that there is anything wrong with that either, if you choose it and can manage it), but what I’m trying to put into words here is that there is now a deeper trust in life that I’ll be okay. That I’ll see what needs to be done AT THAT TIME and do it. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll try something else. No more curling up into a ball and giving up, getting defeated, no more whining (well, a little, I am a Princess after all). It’s kind of like laying back on life. A lighter way of being than before. It’s good and it’s taken a year for me to see it, by looking back. AT '03
Jan LiteShoe
