Re: [at-l] 2011??

[CWells4638@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/30/99 11:55:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
tschamp@tiac.net writes:

<< Sheesh, that's like 12 years from now.  Way too far ahead to mumble about.
 You could easily be deceased by then!  The rest of us too!  I suggest you
 do it next year or just find a new hobby.  I never said when I'm likely to
 do a thru, but then I'm a self-acknowledged wimp, addicted to economic
 sufficiency... >>

I would truly love to do the AT end to end next summer.  BUT . . . there's 
always a but, isn't there.  I live with the lumbar spine from hell.  Over the 
past 14 years, I have undergone 5 major back surgeries and at the same time, 
missed over 5 years of work with my employer.  That sort of time off puts one 
in a serious financial hole, and also disinclines the employer to grant a 5 
month leave of absence so that the employee can go "walkabout".  

And yes, I may be dead by then.  But I read my Bible daily to prepare for 
that eventuality.  I try to exercise and avoid prime rib more than twice a 
day, with the hopes of making it to retirement at 60.  But if I do die, I 
would hope that the hard core list members would accept that as a reasonable 
excuse for failing to complete a thru hike, rather than lableing me as just 
another "quitter".   <To the comedically challenged list members, the 
preceding paragraph contained sections of HUMOR>

But I'm a patient man.  At the age of 15 I read a motorcycle road test that 
traveled north from the magazine's offices in San Francisco and ended up in 
Mendocino, CA, a quaint little town which the author described as "wind chime 
of the world."  I knew that I had to see this town and find out what would 
evoke such an image from a writer.  It took me 24 years, but I finally made 
it in 1990 when I took my (then) 12 year old daughter and crossed the country 
by motorcycle.  Taking in 21 National Parks, and Monuments along with 
countless National Forests, Grasslands and scenic areas, it is difficult to 
say that Mendocino was the high point of the trip, but it was certainly one 
of the largest motivating factors behind the trip.

So my time between now and 2011 will be spent:
1:  Working and paying down what seems like the national debt.
2:  Exploring short sections of the AT in 2 and 3 day trips, perhaps even 
graduating to one and 2 week trips within a year or so.
3:  Perfecting my equipment list.
4:  Replacing all the equipment that I wear out over the next 12 years.
5:  Training my dog and hiking companion and breaking him in to carrying a 
pack - hopefully mine.
6: Perhpas even hiking the Baxter State Park and Smokies sections that I will 
be unable to do when my dog accompanies me. 
7:  Hopefully spoiling my grandchildren rotten, although my daughter seems 
totally unnclined to cooperate in this request.  I keep letting her know that 
she still owes me for that trip in 1990, but her general response is "Sue 
me".<more humor there>

And as for find a new hobby . . .forsooth.  I have just begun.  

Pete "who thoroughly enjoyed Bryson's book, but sees no problem in poking fun 
at him, others, or even himself - and who is also thinking of having his 
middle name changed to something shorter, like X"  Wells

2011 or bust  --- oh wait a minute.  When I see the two choices in writing 
like that . . .  hmmmm.  <more humor there, slighly off color>
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