Thruhike "Enjoyment", was Re: [at-l] New AT speed record... today?!

[Bror8588 at aol.com (Bror8588@aol.com)]

In a message dated 8/4/2005 10:20:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time,  
janl2@mindspring.com writes:

I still  don't know why I did it, hiked the entire Appalachian trail 
from Georgia  to Maine.
I couldn't not, is all I know.



Journals reveal the character of the writer and I believe that a lot of AT  
interested people got to know "Shoe" almost intimately as she trekked  north.  
Not only Shoe but those who walked with her.  I remember  meeting the 
characters of the pages of Jan's journal at The Gathering in  Hanover, almost two 
years ago.  It was as if I had read a novel and the  characters came to life 
before my very eyes.  As I spent that weekend in  awe of the famous and the unknown 
(those I hadn't read about) I was filled with  an awareness that the AT was a 
magical place where communities formed and where  solitude brought solace.  
Going to meals, chatting with strangers (friendly  ones), camping at Storr's 
Pond and making friends, getting to know the trail  community (that small part 
that congregated there at that particular time), was  an experience I will 
never forget.  And yes, even though Jan does not know  why she hiked the entire 
Appalachian Trail, the fact is she did it and through  it inspired many others 
to do it and gave encouragement to many in their  planning.  
 
Each year there are stories of individuals who hike the AT and each  
individual story affects many more than the story teller.  Reading the  experience of 
another hiker informs my own experience and gives life to future  dreams.  
 
Skylander