Trillium on the Trail

In 1974, I spent a week backpacking a section of the Appalachian Trail leading to Roan Mountain. I thought it was the hardest backpacking I had ever done. The trail seemed to climb steeply and continuously for miles. All curiosity about the A.T. was eliminated on that trip, and I was sure I would never again hike the A.T. So how has it happened that I am once again on the A.T.? The truth is that I don’t know the answer except it has hung in the back of my mind for all these years as unfinished business.

Now that my professional work life at the Louisville Courier-Journal has ended before I expected (Courier-Journal grants buyouts), I find I need a transition to the next stage of my life. I don’t know how far I will walk. I don’t know how well my body will hold up to the rugged demands of the trail. I don’t know how long I will think I’m having a good time. I am open to all possibilities.

The spontaneous outpourings of affection and support have taken me by surprise. It takes the help of wonderful people to attempt something this monumental and I am grateful.

For those who want to know more about the A.T., I recommend a book called Just Passin’ Thru by Winton Porter. It’s about a store on the A.T. and the unforgettable characters crossing its threshold. It’s a good book in its own right and a good introduction to the trail.

For a book about the trail experience of a 60-year-old woman, I recommend In Beauty May She Walk by Leslie Mass. For a book about the trail experience of a young woman, I recommend Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail by Jennifer Pharr Davis. She is also the record holder for the fastest thru-hike (male or female).

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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

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