Thankyou

8/28/2013


Thankyou


This hike is not complete........ but the end of it will be a mad scramble..... to Summit Katahdin, get back down...... and get home.  That will involve lodging, shuttles, bus rides, and airlines.  Once home, part three of this trip will begin.....finding a place to live and catching up on a ton of post hike business.

So I am taking time now,  to say thank you.  Thank you to  everyone who helped me.  We did it!!!  I could not have experienced this amazing, slow motion adventure, without a ton of help, from an incredible number of people.....some known.....many anonymous....never to be known.  Thank you for rides.... for food.... for companionship,  for phone calls,  texts,  e-mails.

Thankyou for trail magic..... from exotic canopied outdoor grills, with tables and chairs, and 100 different choices of food to eat..... to simple water bottles at trailheads..... when I was out of water. Thank you for saying "You can do it!" Thanks to all of the unheralded trail builders and maintainers.  I have seen you out there working to repair and maintain our AT, in the 90 degree heat. 

The AT trail community is an amazing thing. 

Thank you to all the hotels,motels, hostels, shuttle drivers...... the vast majority of whom treated me as a friend..... some of whom actually made me feel like a family member...... rather than a customer. Thank you all, for your graciousness and kindness.

Hiking the trail has strongly renewed my faith in the people of this country, and boosted my confidence in it's future.  Yes, that sounds a bit corny......a bit melodramatic, for a hike in the mountains.....but it is true.  There are wonderful people....everywhere.  We are surrounded by them.

I give a special personal thanks to my family members,  and friends who have encouraged and supported me.

Lastly..... but first in order of help and incredible support...... I want to thank Beth and Ray.  Because of both of you, I was given the opportunity to follow my dream. 

Soon we will all climb Mount Katahdin.  We will make it to the very top.  We will do it together.  Thank you so much...... to all of you.  "Hawkeye".