June 18th
10 years ago I was 6 weeks into hiking the AT, on my first day on the AT, I did the approach trail with a 55 pound pack, 8 miles up to the first camp site. Now 10 years later, I felt exhausted after 1 mile up hill at the start of the FLT at the Penn/NY boarder with a 38-pound pack. I had planned to get to a shelter after 7 miles. But, I came to a stream at 4 miles, debated whether or not to stop, Started to go ahead, walked 200 yards, reminded myself that exhausted hikers, in the late afternoon, are the most vulnerable to injury or getting lost. I turned back, made camp, and slept 10 hours. Everyone back home kept advising me to be careful. 10 years ago I probably would have pushed on, I chose to play it safe, follow the advise of others, and trust my experience and my head rather than my ego. I find that my head has much less chatter in it this time out or even back in WIS.
Finger Lakes Trail, end-to-end, through (thru) hike, started June 18th completed Aug 9th, 2010. A 52 day journey, 563miles. Title: The Old Man and the Trail, A Solitary Journey of Renewal. By Garth Fisher, age 70, 2315 N. Wright Rd., Janesville, WI 53546
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