[at-l] A few thoughts..

[datto_atl@yahoo.com (Datto)]

> After thirteen days of rain, do you still have the 
> urge to hike?

Forty thru-hikers in our studio audience responded.

Survey says...NO! Take another Zero and see if the
rain goes away!

> Can you stomach the umpteenth dinner of Ramen
> noodles?

Sixty thru-hikers in our studio audience responded.

Survey says...NO! No NO NO! Take a zero and go into
town. Pizza Hut? Who said Pizza Hut?

> Are you ready to have your body go through
> something that will leave it aching for rest,
> wanting to stop?

Great sex on the Trail? Alrighty! Just keep that
kissing bandit Richard Dawson away from me.

> No matter how little or long of a time you take to
> hike the trail, it will be over before you know it.

Mags, that is certainly the truth. For a prospective
thru-hiker starting in 2002 and looking at the
calendar, I'm sure it's difficult to imagine how fast
the time flies past while thru-hiking. To me it seemed
like just a few weeks when all of a sudden I was at
the sign saying "Welcome To Maine".

Relish every single moment on your thru-hike. Take
lots of pictures, particularly of the people you meet
along the way -- those wiil be the photos most
treasured in the future. And act goofy sometimes...one
of the best photos I have from the Trail is a photo of
Groovy and I acting like monkeys hanging from the
shelter eave, my camera on a 10 second delay. I'd
pushed the shutter release to start the ten second
delay, ran back to where Groovy was standing and told
her, "now act goofy." Ha, it didn't take much for us
to fulfill the request.

Datto


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