[at-l] Introduction

[billcleveland@mindspring.com]

I would like to say hello and introduce myself. My name is Bill Cleveland.
My trail name is Doc Vapor which I acquired while hiking the AT from
Davenport Gap to Katahdin in 1995. I had previously hiked from Springer
through the Smokies in sections. The 1995 journey was one of the most
rewarding of my life and it changed my outlook in many ways. (For example I
am now a lousy employee.)

I guess I have forgotten the pain but remembered the rewards so I am leaving
from Springer Mountain this March 11th to hike the trail again. I look
forward to meeting some of you on the trail this year but I know that, even
if we do not meet, I will get to know those of you in front of me from
reading your shelter journal entries just as those of you behind me will get
to know me from mine.

I have started a web site which is pretty rough at this point but I will be
enhancing it, probably for the rest of my life. (When I do work I am a
computer nerd.) The URL is www.mindspring.com/~billcleveland/. It currently
has my 1995 journal and the beginning of my AT 2000 pages. I hope to have it
in better shape before I leave in March. The AT 2000 pages will contain an
itinerary so for those of you who I know from '95 please join me for a while
if you can. I would enjoy your company.

I will only be on the AT-L for a few weeks before I leave but I have already
enjoyed the discussion though the volume is a bit much for me to keep up
with while trying to move out of this city (Atlanta) and prepare for my
hike. Even though I have hiked the trail before I am going through all of
the struggles and anxieties that those of you who are doing it for the first
time are. My pack still seems too heavy even though I know it is lighter
than it was in '95. I have recently canceled my old health insurance and
applied for new (hopefully better and cheaper). I am scrambling to finish my
existing computer projects so that my main client is not left hanging. Just
this morning I had a(nother) crown glued in place so hopefully my teeth are
set for the year. And finally I know that I "can" walk to Maine but "will"
I? Only time will tell - one step at a time.

Good luck to everyone hiking this year no matter what direction or how far.

Bill "Doc Vapor" Cleveland


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