[at-l] AT Sanitarium (OB)

[icw39@ncfreedom.net (Clark Wright)]

In Vermont, we met a man who claimed to walk through tunnels and visit
China on a regular basis; we were eating breakfast at that little
Whistlestop place that used to be a RR station, I think at Vermont State
Road 103, or something.  Anyhow, this guy was as serious and matter of
fact about his travels to China and other places through these tunnels,
so we just played it straight and tried to not seem too interested, but
not questioning either - it was a trip within the trip! :)

Personally, hiking the Trail for me was definitely a mental health
exercise - physical exercise and natural surroundings are a great
prescription for stress, depression or burnout, and can provide a
wonderful perspective on much of life.  Truly the hardest part is
readjusting to the "real" world, for there is a fundamental part of us
that is still struggling to deal with evolution out of the harsh,
uncaring beauty of nature into a much more structured, "indoor" world. 
I'm not saying one is inherently good and the other bad, just that there
is no denying our roots and the powerful attraction those roots have
when we get back into a more natural environment . . . bottom line, it's
good for the soul, but tough on readjustment!

hike on,

thru-thinker

Bob Cummings wrote:
> 
> I met a woman who claimed to be the legitimate queen of England on the trail
> north of Troutsville(?) We chatted while she heated a pot of water on an open
> fire she had built so we could share some tea. She explained she had to live in
> the woods to escape the CIA .
> 
> It was a pleasant visit. Though I had doubts about the diligence of any CIA
> search, it struck me that she was better off living in the woods than on city
> streets.
> 
> She became quite rational when she saw a rattlesnake curled on the steps of the
> latrine. Her tent had a tear near the floor. She borrowed some of my duct tape
> to patch the hole, thus keeping the snake from entering, should it sense a
> convenient mouse might be living inside.
> 
> Weary
> 
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