Final Thoughts....and Learnings from the Trail

It's been just a little over a week since I celebrated our summit on Mt. Katahdin and I have spent a fair amount of time trying to assimilate back into the mainstream and do a bit of introspection.  I don't believe I'll know what I learned from my experience on the trail for quite some time, but here are a few of my big "take aways" at the moment:

1. Maintain an Open Mind. This is one of the first big learnings for me on the trail.  Beginning the trail alone was intimidating and unnerving. I'm not exactly an extrovert, so meeting people comes hard for me; getting acquainted with people outside of my typical field of vision is even all the more difficult.  You can imagine there are all sorts of people on the trail - especially in the beginning; very few fall into my typical circle of relationships (business executives, etc.).  Getting past first impressions of tattoos and piercings I discovered that 99% of the people are really good and interesting people. Setting first impressions, quick judgments and nervous notions aside afforded me the opportunity to become part of a close knit and caring community.

2. Keep a Sense of Humor.  I think I will find this important over time because I feel it's a great way to "stay young".  There were numerous times on the trail if I were to take things too seriously I probably would not have made it to Katahdin.  The trail is never easy, just different degrees of difficulty.  Getting completely and entirely soaked by a huge thunderstorm can be a tad discouraging if you can't see the humor in sloshing through the "Appalachian Stream" with water squishing out of your boots with every step;  laughing at the challenge and complexity of some of the straight up technical climbs you must do to move forward seems to be the only way to keep placing your foot forward; the trail delivers a constant barrage of impossibilities and inconveniences that if you let them get in the way, you'll get discouraged very quickly. Laughing at your situation or finding humor on the trail made things fun and not so serious.
3. You Can Do Almost Anything With a Little Bit of Perseverance. This also equates to having a tremendous tolerance for boredom.  I have always believed that I had the unusual ability to execute tedious and boring tasks; the trail can be quite tedious with very little reward.  I believe it was my ability to persevere in the most challenging and tedious of times that helped me have success.  Staying focused and being true to the goal was critical.  I observed far too many hikers begin to lose focus, compromising their ultimate success.  Not giving up, staying upbeat and optimist are critical traits to have when faced with any major challenge or opportunity. 
4. Being Cautious Cuts Both Ways. Friends who know me at home may view me as adventurous.  Friends on the trail saw me as cautious and conservative.  Finding an equilibrium between "going after it" and "covering all the bases" was hard for me and I am still working on it.  I was always overly concerned about running out of food, so I always over packed.  I regret not taking the "Knife's Edge" down from Mt. Katahdin...it would have been a huge reward at the end of the trip - and maybe helped me with my fear of heights.  I did take a few risks which provided great reward - like sliding down a natural waterfall slide (younger kids took a pass), etc., but I also think I was appropriately cautious on some of the more challenging terrains, where foot placement could make or break a hike (literally).  Pushing myself while recognizing some of my limitations is probably the right balance (no more bull riding for me!).

5. It Takes a Community. I have always believed in the importance of community engagement but I experienced just how meaningful it can be by being on the trail.  But for just a small few, I was blown away by the strength support of the community - made up of thru-hikers, section hikers, weekenders, trail angels, trail volunteers and townspeople.  I felt at times that we were treated like royalty by those that supported the trail; fellow thru-hikers always came together when someone was in need of support or advice.  There was little or know divisiveness I experienced, even when shelters were cramped and everyone was soaked to the bone.  The townspeople were caring, supportive, friendly and always went the extra mile.  Being part of a community is wonderful; being part of the AT community is something special.
6. The Trail is a Great Equalizer. Sort of ties to #5, but there is no rank system, no caste system, no org chart and no socioeconomic hierarchy on the trail.  Stepping onto the trail you lose your old identity (no one cares) and everyone is on equal footing.  There are few discussions regarding "what you do" because it's not relevant to who you are on the trail.  The trail strips away all the pretense of position and stature and exposes the world to who you are within.  In some respects it was quite liberating for me!
7. The World Didn't Change With Me Gone (Unfortunately).  While not wanting to sound apathetic, I was not missed due to my lack of engagement in local, state, national and world events; I can assure you that I did not miss it.  As a matter of fact I avoided hearing about the ongoings at all costs; the world (local on up) seems to be very angry and uncivil right now; the trail community came together regardless of political leanings, religion or economics.  My inclination right now is to disengage and separate from all of what I see on the home front until we learn to respect and appreciate each other again. I'm typically optimistic about the future but I have seen people (including friends and family) take issues to the extreme and lose perspective. I know I have been like this in the past (overly focused on work at the expense of friendships) and hope not to make this mistake again.  Makes me want to go back to the simpler life of the trail.
8. Age Doesn't Have to Get in the Way.  Most on the trail were in their early 20s; many were early retirees in their early 50s; few were in their late 50s; virtually all (but me) had some pretty darn good experience completing major outdoor activities (other long distance hikes, climbing 100 peaks, etc.).  I am reasonably active but I am not an avid outdoors person and I am 58 years old.  I discovered that even with these two major handicaps I was able to keep up with the best of them.  Ten years ago I could not have imagined the notion of hiking 2,100 miles at age 58; but having done so - and seeing others on the trail in their 60s is pretty neat.  58 is the new 38!  Age does not have to stand in the way of our aspirations!

9. Renewed Faith in the Younger Generation. Ties to several thoughts above...I have to admit that some of my recent work experiences really got me discouraged with the 20-30 year olds in the workforce.  I got the sense that there is a real strong "entitlement mentality" with very little respect for those with wisdom and knowledge.  The trail was the complete opposite.  I saw young highly talented kids eager to grow, learn and challenge themselves.  I remember watching a couple of them interact with Bob Peoples, knowing that their day long experience with Bob will have a life time impact on them - because they were willing to learn, work hard and respect the knowledge and wisdom of some of the finest people on the trail.  I saw young kids in college strike out on their own and challenge themselves to the max - and of course, have fun along the way; I saw one young angry man learn to "cool down" and manage his emotions.  It was exciting to see these bright and ambitious young people grow on the trail because they were curious, open minded and eager to experience new things. I am optimistic that our world will be in good hands as these young people become our leaders.
10. Simple is Elegant. Ok, I admit it, I was a homeless person for five months...a wandering vagabond.  But, if done right, it's not a bad way to live.  I had on my back everything I needed for a reasonably comfortable living - food, clothing, shelter - and my feet were my wheels.  While I am not ready to give up my BMW and my beautifull home, I have to say that I survived just fine without all of my trappings and my costs were relatively minimal. I didn't even miss indoor plumbing too much; for the most part the privies were just fine (though a hot shower was a real treat in town).  I hope I can keep things simple...life is much easier to manage that way.
11. Nature is a Force to Respect.  Respect in so many ways: it's a force much bigger and more powerful than us.  Exposed and out in the open in everyday thunderstorms made me realize just how vulnerable we are to the force of nature. Seeing the destruction it causes in a forest is amazing; but it also helped me understand the "cycle of life".  It's part of the process of life; you see it everywhere in the forests and mountains, the destruction and regeneration of life.  I also saw what happens if the hand of man upsets this natural cycle.  In Pennsylvania we hiked through Superfund sites still being cleaned up from mining operations; we tented next to very large coal tailings deep in the woods; I was surprised and disappointed at the young age of the trees and lack of undergrowth in the wilderness of Maine due to past logging practices.  It doesn't seem to take much for us to screw up the natural balance of nature. The good news is that it seems to right itself - and pays us back in kind along the way.

12. There's Lots of History in Them-There Woods. Nature tends to soften the edges, but I still saw enough evidence of past generations that makes me want to understand better what it was like for earlier generations to establish a home and fight for what you believed in.  Throughout most of the trail we saw old rock walls from original homesteads, remains of cemeteries, headstones of young men who died during the Civil War and old log homes.  The trail took us past significant "gaps" in the mountains that when discovered by the settlers changed the makeup of the region; towns we visited were strategically located in these gaps, many just barely hanging on today but thrived in a different era.  Lots to go back a rediscover!

13. Ice Cream is Absolutely the Best.  So maybe there is no "take away" here, but I never tired of ice cream, had it every chance I could, at every hour of the day.  The best ice cream, hands down, was in the north where we could walk up a road and stop in at a creamery or a farmer's market and get fresh homemade ice cream - with blueberries.  If not that, there was always Ben & Jerry's.  Hershey's ice cream in the mid-Atlantic states was everywhere and was terrific as well.  I indulged in ice cream like I did with cheese burgers, pancakes and beer - large quantities all at once.  Never tired of it and think I'll go get some now!

14. Family and Friends are the Fabric of Life. I admit that I am having a hard time adjusting to my old life, but I will get there.  Being on the trail there were days where it was incredibly painful to be away from home, missing it terribly.  A supportive text or email went a long way to easing the pain.  It reminded me of my days overseas in the Army; we all longed for home and mail call was the highlight of the day.  It makes me realize just how difficult it is for our troops to be doing what they are doing for us right now.