I realize that I'm off from the AT for this year but I have one last video to show you all. I took it on the AT in the Shenandoah Park, on the last day of the hike. Both of us were in a lot of pain and walking was... well to put it plainly, a real pain. It felt like an ice pick was being pushed into the side of my knees every time I took a step. Thanks again for all of your positive comments. One Step

More injuries

Everything looked good, the pack weight was less, the weather was great and the trail was some of the best that I’ve walked in the last 600 miles,,, yet here I am back in Michigan again. I hate getting old.

My good friend Ken (AKA “Woody”) had planned to hike with me thru the Shenandoah National Park in northern Virginia so, now that my ankle has healed up I decided to skip the middle section of Virginia and catch it in the fall on the way back to the boat. I felt great when we left the hotel and started up into the mountains. The trail was easy and we were taking it easy to avoid injury yet by the time 10 miles rolled around woody and I could both feel a slight pain in our knees. Should have gone back to the last spring and set up camp but NO,,, onward we pressed and by the time we got to the next water source we were both limping badly. From there the knees just went downhill. The next day was only 8 miles and by the third day we had walked only .4 and we could feel the same knee pain setting in so we tossed in the towel and headed home. I feel good that I finished as much as I did but sad that I couldn’t finish the entire trail. It’s a monumental task, bigger than anything that I have ever tried before. The AT humbled me but I hope to come back and finish the trail in another year.

Here are some pictures and videos of the trail, Thanks to everyone that has taken the time to click on this Blog and especially to those who have emailed words of encouragement to me along the way; it meant a lot to receive those letters. Thanks!

Back in Michigan

It’s been a busy month back in Michigan. My right ankle has healed up and I can walk again with minimum pain. The knees and the hips are still talking to me but only in a whispering voice so I ignore them and the soles of my feet are starting to “wake up” again. They were completely numb from the balls of each foot right out to the ends of my toes. It feels a bit funny having the bottom of your foot feel like “pins and needles” everyday but it’s starting to come back to life so it’s OK.


Other than that we’ve been slowly putting our “Lake house” together so that Anna can have a place to live after I return to the trail.  Last fall we purchased a repossessed house on Upper Lake that had sat vacant for 3 years and it’s been quite a challenge to bring this old gal back to life. The people before us vandalized the house when it went into foreclosure so it was a real challenge to repair all of the damage.

For instance, it took 3 days just to get the well working and the all of the pipe leaks repaired throughout the house. There were over 15 separate places where the pipes had been frozen apart or deliberately broken. I had water pouring out of the ceiling over 5 times during this processes. The basement was a sopping mess. It’s a long story but with a happy ending.

We now have a working kitchen, a revamped bathroom and plumbing that doesn’t leak. Wooden floors that have been sanded and re-varnished, junk tossed out and the mold bleached until it is dead. I’m still in the process of jacking the floors back into place, repairing the rotting door jambs, and the last broken window but the major jobs are pretty much done. We have had lots of grand kids up to the lake and they all say that the water is warm and I should jump in!

I’ve even put our wooden dinghy, the Michael J. in to the water and we now have a rowing boat to take around the lake. Life is good.

I’m getting the itch to get back to the trail and add some more miles up. My friend Ken also wants to hike a bit of the trail so in another week or so we are heading back and I will start walking again. Stay in tune and I’ll start posting about the trail soon.

Settelers museum

I ran across this museum which is an old farm and a one room school house built in the late 1800's. They had good information on who settled this part of the country and where they came from.

550 mile assesment

It took me over 2.5 hours to go 2 miles yesterday and by the end of the day I could hardly walk. I've decieded to backtrack to the road and find some medical help.

river

It had been a long day and my ankle really hurt so after crossing this stile I stopped and taped up my ankle.

Cold morning

Last night it was VERY COLD and I froze. This video says it all.