Geraldine Largay

I've been following the story of Geraldine Largay for the last two years.  Geraldine disappeared from the trail in July 2013 in the Saddleback Mountains just after the Poplar Lean-to.  I went through this area August 6 and 7, 2008, and it was one of the toughest days on the trail.  The terrain is rugged and dangerous.  It was raining, cold, and very windy when I crossed Saddleback Mountain.  One of my greatest fears was stepping off the trail, and not finding my way back on again.  I just read the sad news that Geraldine's body was finally discovered.

http://www.pressherald.com/2015/10/30/geraldine-largay-died-of-exposure-on-appalachian-trail-autopsy-finds/

A Walk in the Woods

I, like many I knew on the trail, was inspired to hike the trail in part by Bill Bryson's book, A Walk in the Woods.  This was the first book I read about the trail.  And while on the trail, I had many discussions with people about this book and the proposed making of a film based on the book.

While everyone I knew enjoyed the book, many questioned whether Bill Bryson was ever on the trail or whether Katz was a real person or a fictional character.  On the trail, there is nearly an infinite amount of time to discuss even the smallest details of what ever is being discussed, and this book was no different.  We would talk for hours and hours about whether that Katz was a real person or only a fictional character.  I have since read that Bill has released Stephan Katz real name so I think that debate has ended with Katz being a real person.

The reason many questioned Bill's trail experience was because he did not capture the thru hiking culture very well.  I don't even remember him discussing trail names.  However, his book was funny and had a lot of historical information about the trail. 

After many years in the making, A Walk in the Woods finally was released.  I went to see the film over the weekend.  I intentionally did not read any reviews or know anything about the film before seeing it.  I enjoyed it!

It was fun trying to recognize the different places along the trail. The day before Springer Mountain for me was at Hiker Hostel instead of the Amicalola Falls lodge.  Until I saw the movie, I never even knew of the lodge's existence.  Also, instead of do the 8 mile approach trail, the Hiker Hostel shuttle took us to within 0.9 miles of Springer Mountain.  I remember shuttle speeding along gravel roads at a high velocity with wheels skidding on the gravel.  I also remember that first mile of the trail that didn't actually count, and wondering what the rest of the 2,176 miles was going to be like.

It was also nice to see McAfee Knob without the fog.  The night before McAfee Knob, I arrived at Sarver's Hollow shelter a few minutes before dark to find myself alone, thirsty, and with a stagnant pool of water as the only water source.  I was looking forward to one of the most scenic views on the trail.  However, when I finally arrived at McAfee Knob, instead of being able to see tens of miles, I was only able to see tens of feet.  Looking at my photos this morning, the fog was still very beautiful. 

I also enjoyed seeing the bird's eye view of the trail in the film.  Much of the trail was in the "green tunnel" beneath the trees.  Only occasionally was the a break in the trees to see the views. 

I read some of the reviews after seeing the movie.  Several commented on Bob and Nick being too old for the parts, which I suppose is true.  There are many retired people on the trail, but few in the 70s and even fewer in the late 70s.  Many other reviewers commented on the lack of message about such things as the nature of masculinity in America today.  Yeah, I get that too.  The film could have gone in that direction.  However, I enjoyed the film for what it was, the misadventures of two old friends. 

ATC Link - A Walk in the Woods

Zero-Zero

I just noticed that a hiker I briefly met in April 2008 will be speaking at a showing of a National Geographics film on the AT.  I had had a conversation with Zero-Zero at a shelter we were camping, and did not know he was blind until someone told me the following day.  The article below says that Zero-Zero also hiked the Pacific Crest Trail.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/10/19/3605510/blind-hiker-plans-next-big-challenge.html

ATC Office Photo

A current thru hiker just sent me a copy of my photo from 2008 when I stopped in at the ATC office in Harpers Ferry.  This was one of the toughest days on the trail.  I had a sore throat and a broken backpack frame.  I had almost completely lost my voice.  My friend's uncle-in-law (Al) offered to drive most of my stuff into Harpers Ferry while I slack packed from Bear's Den hostel.  Even with little weight, I arrived in Harpers Ferry under very intense pain.  With a broken pack frame, all of the weight was on my shoulders and none was supported on my hips.  This photo was probably taken shortly after I arrived in Harpers Ferry.

When Al arrived with my stuff, he offered to take me to the outfitter to buy a new pack.  When he heard me asking about a local clinic, he offered to take me to the hospital where he worked.  I got antibiotics there, and then rested a day at Al's house before returning to Harpers Ferry and zeroing another day.  The kindness of strangers was one of the things I appreciated most while on the trail.  None of us could make it to Katahdin without some help from strangers.

I think the red 313 means I was the 313th hiker to be photographed that year by the ATC.

Spiritual Journey

It has been nearly four years since I began my walk on the trail.  I remember reading blogs and books about the trail experience before starting, and everyone seemed to indicate the trail was a life changing spiritual journey.  However, no one could explain very well how the trail experience changed them.  I also remember discussing the trail experience with several others during the Hundred Mile Wilderness at the end of the trail.  We all seemed to have a sense that the trail was a life changing experience, but none of us could explain that change very well.

In the nearly four years since beginning my walk, I've found that I no longer worry about much.  Maybe living with so little for so long gave me the knowledge that material things have little value.  I'm not sure.  Maybe it was the experience of never knowing what to expect next.  Of course, none of us ever know what to expect next, but on the trail, this experience is more intense.  With many people leaving with injuries, you never knew if an unexpected injury would suddenly end your journey.  We also never knew where we would be sleeping at the end of the day or who we might meet along the way.  Maybe it was just the endurance of the constant trail pains or the sense of accomplishment.  I don't know.

The trail experience was good.  I loved the people.  There was a sense that we were all on a spiritual pilgrimage to Mount Katahdin.  That experience obliterated social classifications and boundaries.  Young and old, wealth, and work meant nothing.  I found it very easy to talk to anyone about just about anything.  I miss this part of the trail experience most.  Although, I would like to think I've retained some of this experience even now.

In a few weeks, I will be starting a new adventure.  This time it will be an attempted 740 mile thru paddle of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.  However, I expect this to be mostly a solitary experience.  I would never have even contemplated such a journey had I not already experienced life on the AT.

Trail Dreams & Experiences

I continue to have dreams about the trail. They may occur now only a few times a week instead of every night. The main theme in recent months has been the quest or spiritual journey. In my dream, I return to the trail, but the quest or spiritual journey is over. I understand in my dream that there is no going back to the same trail. That journey is over and can never be re-captured or repeated.

This is not to say that I can never return to the trail. Its just that if I do, it will be a very different experience, and I will have to return for very different reasons.

I still puzzle over the trail experience. I met Thought Foot in Philadelphia at the end of January when I was there for work. He also seems to have the same questions as I. The trail is an intense experience. It changes your perspectives in ways that are not obvious or easy to understand.

While on the trail, Katahdin always remained unimaginably distant. I would sometimes look through the trail book at points near the end. None of us could imagine those distant locations. That, I suppose, was the quest. Never knowing if you would make it through the next day or what you would experience in the next moment. And that, in my dreams, is what I know can never be re-captured.


Something seemed to keep us going through the hundreds of miles of rain and ankle deep muck at the end when so many others dropped out after walking so far. I still don't understand why I kept going. None of those who finished the trail with me could explain their perseverance either. There were several times that I thought I really should leave the trail, but something kept me on the trail.


I think that I lost so much weight, pushed myself so hard for so many hundreds of miles, and was in constant pain of some kind for so many miles that I began to lose my joy in the final 150 miles of the trail. I really could not understand this change in attitude at the time. My pace also began to slow at this time even on the flat areas of the trail. However, the spiritual quest always remained, and kept me walking. This I did not understand then nor do I understand now.

Trail Dreams

I continue to have dreams about the trail nearly every night even now 4 months after returning from the trail. However, the intensity and reality of my dreams have diminished. For the first month or two, every dream was as intense and real as if I were still on the trail. Over time, my dreams have become more abstract.

A few days ago, I had a dream about being on the trail with Shamrock. In my dream, we had to crawl through a mine tunnel for 100 miles of the trail. I remember thinking about how confining the mine was. I think this dream was probably the result of work related deadlines and stress.

I think the nature of my dreams changed as the memory of the trail faded. I still have visual memories and knowledge of the trail. However, I no longer feel the trail in my bones. I remember talking with several people at Abol Bridge the last full day on the trail about what life would be life off the trail. None of us could imagine life off the trail. We knew intellectually what we would do off the trail, but we could not feel it. Our intellectual knowledge lacked the knowledge of the physical experience. We were on the trail for so long that we could not imagine what it would be like waking up in our own beds. We could not imagine zeroing for more than a day. We could not imagine life without all of the trail pains.

There types of knowledge. We like to think that we can understand something or someone just by listening or imagining, which I think is important. However, there is something else that we can not understand unless we directly experience it, and then its gone. Even that knowledge does not last.

People ask if I ever intend to do the trail again. In a sense, I can never do the trail again. The experience would be entirely different. You can not go back. If I were to do the trail again, it would be a completely different experience, and I would need completely new reasons to do the trail.

What did it all mean?

I read accounts of people who did the trail before me. All indicated that the trail was a life changing experience. Although, I don't think any were able to fully explain how the trail changed them.

I did the trail as a spiritual quest. I was hesitant to do the trail without a hiking partner for fear of being alone on the trail. I was concerned about the uncertainty of trail life. I had no idea if I would even make it out of Georgia. The physical demands of the trail were intense. I wanted to know what it was like to do a long journey by foot. Others were more interested in making this an extended camping trip, and, therefore, did the trail at a much slower pace. There was something about walking and hard traveling that I wanted to experience. By the end of the trail, I was very comfortable walking alone for days not knowing what was around the next bend.

I no longer worry much about the future. The trail taught me how little I really need to be happy. Little pleasures like listening to the rain on the roof is so much more intense now that I know what it’s like to walk hundreds of miles in the rain in ankle deep muck. I still often have very intense dreams about the trail. I suspect that even now three months after leaving the trail that I still do not fully understand all of the ways the trail has changed me.

Trail Friends

I recently heard from Sherpa who was with Sonic and I the first few days of the trail. She wanted to retire this year, but her employer made her a three year offer she could not refuse. She only had a month on the trail before she had to go back to work. That was enough to really make her look forward to the trail in 2010 when she can finally retire. She hiked the trail with Low Impact (later Low). Low is a young man who I think just graduated college this year. Sherpa stayed in contact with several people Sonic and I knew at the start.

Low finished the trail in mid September after developing Lyme disease.

Shamrock left the trail in Vermont. I had heard that he was struggling mentally with staying on the trail. I would have expected him to have done the entire trail.

Sherpa said she shared a room with Stranger in Gattlinburg. Stranger's girl friend called to break up with him a short time later, and he did not have the heart to continue much longer after that.
Stanger was on the shuttle to Springer with Sonic and I.

Danger Mouse who was Sherpa's original hiking partner left the trail in Neels Gap with bad blisters. I remember eating lunch with them while Danger Mouse was trying to tape her blisters. Sherpa said that Danger Mouse was not intending to hike the entire trail. Leaving in Neels Gap just prevented additional pain.

Unicorn and Pegasus left the trail about midway when Pegasus developed a leg injury. They picked up a dog along the way. Many people found dogs along the way. Dogs seem to find their way to hostels.

Starts Slow and Taper Off were another couple that Sonic and I first met at the Marta station in Atlanta, and who was on the shuttle with Sonic and I to Springer Mountain. Starts Slow had gall bladder surgery a few weeks before leaving for the trail. She kept getting sick on the trail, and then got off to do support for Taper Off. No one knows if they made it or not.

Bundy, Caboose, and Van Sherpa all dropped out before Damascus. They were providing support for Zero Zero who is blind. Zero made it to Damascus with someone else he met on the trail, which is an incredible accomplishment. I can not imagine being blind on the trail. I struggled with staying on the trail at dusk. No one knows what happened to Zero after Damascus.

I did not know Toe Socks or Chaco. Sherpa said that Toe Socks broke her leg in PA or NJ. They will be finishing the trail next year.

Tiger Balm and Katahdin Kid both left the trail due to injuries. They are a retired couple that Sonic and I shared a trailer with at the Cloud Nine hostel, and who were on the shuttle with us to Springer Mountain. I met them in Monson, ME just before the Hundred Mile Wilderness. They had both done between 800 and a 1,000 miles before injuries took them off the trail.

No one has heard anything about Red Eyes. I've tried to find him by doing searches for his name on Trail Journals. We know that he was arrested in the Shanadoahs for making threats at a shelter. He was found to have drugs on him, so an extra charge was added to his arrest. Thought Foot told me that he heard Red Eyes returned to the trail using a different name, but he did not know anything else. I'm not sure if he was even sure that the rumor of Red Eyes' return was reliable.

No one has heard anything about Road Rash or Hobo Joe. The last news about Road Rash was that his money was out by Front Royal in VA, and he had to leave the trail to make more money. I heard that he was not hiking with Hobo Joe by that time, and that Hobo Joe made it to Happers Ferry where all news of his whereabouts end. I found Road Rash's phone number, and will try calling him this week.

No one has heard anything about Doc after Harpers Ferry. Thought Foot told me that Doc got sick on the trail, and was found walking in the wrong direction. Someone helped him get to Harpers Ferry where news about him ends.

What surprises me the most was the number of trail injuries. More people than I would have expected slipped and broke or tore something. If I remember correctly, Kathrine was the name of the woman who broke her arm the first or second day out. Stranger found her and helped her get to a road where she called her husband. I think Kathrine was on the shuttle with Sonic and I to Springer Mountain, but I don't remember her. I know that Stranger was on that shuttle. I wonder if she is the red haired woman in the photo with Sonic and I on Springer Mountain.

I think nearly everyone was sick at least once. I got sick twice. I knew many with Lyme disease or giardia. I also knew many who never treated water, and did not get sick with anything serious.

I read that people in really good shape have a lower chance of finishing the trail than people less physically fit. My theory is that no one's tendons, ligaments, and joints are conditioned for the trail. Muscles respond quickly to exercise. These other things do not. I remember several youngsters like the Professor who wanted to do really big mileage early on the trail. The last I saw or heard of the Professor was when he was zeroing indefinitely at Uncle Johnny's in Erwin, TN with an ankle injury. I think anyone can push hard for a few days or even a few weeks. Few can sustain that pace from the start without injuries. The physical difficulties of the trail can not be over stated.

Rain

Laying in a warm bed while listening to the rain is wonderful. It was a pleasure that was hard to imagine on the trail. There were so many days especially after Vermont that were wet all day. There was no way to stay dry. You knew when you got up that you were going to be wet and possibly cold all day long. Those days sure make it so much nicer knowing that I can listen to the rain inside in a warm bed.

Statistics

I'm on an email list with about 14 others who I met in Virginia, and apparently I'm the only one who finished the trail. The responses from the others on the list indicated most if not all were off the trail. I know of no one else I hiked with during the first half of the trail that has made it to Katahdin yet. Although, I'm sure that Thought Foot, Shamrock, and a few others will make it. Thought Foot is probably a week or two away from the end now. What's puzzled me was the official statistics for trail completion. Its reported that about 26% to 28% of those that start a thru hike finish their thru hike. This is not my experience.

I did a web search to find out where those numbers come from. They apparently come from the Amacola Falls State Park Visitor's center by Springer Mountain, and the ranger station at Mount Katahdin. The problem with these numbers is many if not most people starting at Springer do not do the approach trail. They start at Springer Mountain completely skipping the visitor center. This is what Sonic and I did. Of the two dozen people staying at the Hiker Hostel with us, nearly all were shuttled directly to Springer Mountain. My best guess is that there were at least as many people on the trail who skipped the visitor center as there were people who registered their hike with the park officials. This would cut the percentage of completed thru hikes at least in half.

The other problem with the official statistics is that the rangers at Mount Katahdin only ask if you started in Georgia. They do not ask if you hiked the entire trail. Of the 8 people I camped with during the Hundred Mile Wilderness, 5 had yellow blazed well over a 100 miles. This might be about the average for all people at Katahdin. The guide book talked about how you should resist the urge to yellow blaze in Maine. People are getting tired and burned out. I know I was experiencing those feelings too. However, if you count only those at Katahdin who made an honest effort to hike the entire trail, then you would have to cut the finish rate down again possibly by another half or more. This means the completion rate is only about 5% to 7%, which matches my experience much more than the 26% to 28% does.

Trail Magic

I've been off the trail for nearly three weeks, and the one surprise is how quickly the trail magic ended. The kindness of strangers was possibly the most important part of the trail. I can not over state the appreciation I had for all of the kindness I experienced along the way. Just finding a cooler with cold sodas was an incredible experience, but people did so much more than that. I came to realize that there was no small kindness. Everything was meaningful and appreciated.


When I left the trail, I wanted to be the one giving trail magic. This is harder than you might think. It seems like there are very few opportunities to give. I talked to Jaime, the owner of the Millinocket hostel where I stayed during my last day, about trail magic. She thought that everyone wants to give. Trail magic was a way for people to give to others. She also thought that it was very important for us thru hikers to take trail magic. You have to put yourself in a vulnerable position to take what is offered, but Jaime thought that was important. I really agree with her.


So why is it so hard to continue to give in everyday life? We are surrounded by people, but at the same time often very isolated. I read a study comparing the number of friends people reported having in the 1970s compared to today. The results indicated that most people have significantly fewer friends today than a generation ago. I wonder if the technology is partly to blame. We have cable TV and the internet. I think its easier to turn on the tv or the internet than it is to talk to other people. However, neither tv or the internet allows people to develop close friendships.


I don't understand the lack of trail magic in ordinary life. It was such a wonderful connection to other people.

Pictures

I've been very slowly adding photos to blog postings. Keep checking back to old posts for picture updates.

Home

It feels good to finally be home. I've been home the past few days. It was surprising how quickly I adjusted to life off the trail. While on the trail, I thought often about what life was going to be like off the trail. Now that life is routine.


I've been having very intense dreams about the trail every night. They are nothing more than dreams about being on the trail. They are some of the most enjoyable dreams I've ever had.

After nearly a week off the trail, my feet still hurt when I get up in the morning. Although, the shooting pains have lessened, and the pain in my knees has gone away. I hear from people who have been off the trail that it takes about four weeks for all of the pains to go away. The physical demands of the trail are intense. Everyone has significant pain especially near the end of the trail.

I still have some loss of feeling in my feet and toes. Everyone loss feeling in some part of their feet by the end of the trail. I haven't noticed that any feeling has returned yet. I hear that it can take months for the feeling to come back.

My hunger subsided rather quickly. I was eating about 6,000 calories a day while on the trail. It only took a couple days for me to lose that hunger.

I go back to work tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, and I'm looking forward to working again.

The Long Ride Home

I left Millinocket at 9:00 AM on Monday morning. I was expecting a long bus ride home. Its almost 4:00 AM on Tuesday morning, and I have no idea when I will be home. I had a good book, and thought the ride would be a good transition to the "real world". My long bus ride is getting longer than expected.

I did not anticipate NYC. I had to change buses for the third time at the NYC Port Authority. The first thing I noticed was that the NYC culture is as opposite to trail culture as you can get. NYC people seem to have an aggressive, loud, self centered attitude. I watched the bus driver yell at several passengers who did not understand her poorly comunicated directions.

On the trail, people we generally friendly and helpful. You were definitely on your own, but people would likely help you if they could and you were not being stupid about something. At worst, people would just ignore you.

I also noticed the segregation of knowledge at the Port Authority. I suppose thiis could happen anywhere, but it seems to happen most often in big cities or government offices.

At the Port Authoriity, only wokers with dark shirts were directing passangers. If you had a question about why your bus was 3 hours late or why you had to keep lining up at different gates or how and when you were going to get home, well, those questions were for supervisors in white shirts. Supervisors did not mix with passengers, and they did not answer questions asked by workers in dark shirts.

I finally managed to get on a bus to Pittsburgh. I have no idea when the bus arrives in Pittsburgh or when I can get a bus to Cleveland. Those are all questions for supervisors in white shirts. Unfortunately, there are no supervisors in white shirts on this bus.

With bus travel so much more fuel efficient than air travel, its too bad a company can not make the system run more efficiently than the Greyhound. It would not be a bad experience otherwise.

I met a guy with a mohawk who likes to pound nails into his nose. He says everyone can do it. I also met a really aggressive 18 year old magazine sales person while standing in line. He says he makes $90,000 a year selling magazines door to door in Cambden, NJ. It seems like there are a lot of college students riding buses too.

Congratulations Joe!!

That is an amazing achievement! Its been fascinating following your journey. Thanks for sharing it with us every step of the way. I am looking forward to hearing more stories!

4 MONTHS AND 8 DAYS!!!!!

WOW! Joe you must have left the trail in a blazing fire!
You are Amazing!!!!

You are the 7.5 Million Dollar Man!

Awesome!!!

I always knew you would finish the trail. I'm looking forward hearing some trail stories (the ones you couldn't publish).
Mark