Why?

Why am I doing this?

For my birthday five or ten years ago, Holly (my wife) got me a new backpacking setup. An Osprey, Kestral 58, Big Agnes 15 degree down sleeping bag, and a Big Agnes inflatable sleeping pad. It was my first new backpacking gear since I was in boy scouts. Long live Troop 107! I was amazed by how small and light everything had become. I couldn't wait to try it out.

A few weeks later, I got a magazine in the mail with a cover story about a new book by Andrew Skurka about backpacking gear. The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide. I decided to order it and see what else I could learn to improve my weekend backpacking trips.

I can't exactly remember when he first mentioned it in the book, but at some point Skurka wrote about when he hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. The entire 2000 some-odd-miles. I had heard of people going out for a 3 day backpacking trip, maybe even as long as a week. Who could imagine backpacking for a week? How heavy would your pack have to be?!

As I read on, I was amazed to find out that the Appalachian Trail wasn't just for weekend trips, but a massive trip ranging from three to eight months. Holy Crap!

Back then, I was really into tv survival shows. Before I learned what was really involved with hiking from Georgia to Maine (ie. resupplying in trail towns), I visualized Skurka eating wild edibles and trapping squirrels across fourteen states. And while that was appealing (at the time), I was even more interested after realizing that no hunting was necessary.

After finishing Skurka's book, I knew that I was going to thru hike the Appalachian Trail at some point in my life! If only I had discovered the trail in college. I would have been all over it. Now it looked like I would just bide my time and wait until I was 65 and retired. I contented myself with being an armchair thru hiker, devouring every book I could find. I probably read about fifteen Appalachian Trail books, five Pacific Crest Trail books, and two or three Continental Divide Trail books. I realized just how badly I wanted an adventure.

After following the mutitude of thru hikers through their travels, I continued adulting. Doing what I was supposed to do as an American living in the midwest. Work, Make money, Buy a big house, Retire when you can afford it (if you can afford it). Slowly, the realization that it would never happen stopped making me angry, and simply felt inevitable. The understandable/expected result of being a rational adult.

A.T. on back-burner.

It was always in the back of my mind. I kept reading articles, watching videos, lusting after the sign at the peak of Katahdin. From the time I saw a picture of the sign for the first time, I began using it as the background image on my computers and my phone. It has been the lock screen on every smartphone I've ever owned. Constantly reminding me to dream.

I was going to see that sign in real life. Touch it with my fingers. Drip my joyous tears all over it. Even if it took me another thirty years to get there.

One day!