In 1986, a few days after running the Boston Marathon, and following a year of touring the US and Canada in a campervan, I set off by train to realise a dream to walk the Appalachian Trail. I first heard about the Trail from the American wife of a work colleague in Melbourne a few years earlier and had since read widely about the trail. The Trail follows the crest of the Appalachian Mountains for more than 2,200 miles along the eastern side of the US. Starting in mid-spring, I followed the trail northwards from Springer Mountain in Georgia to its northern terminus at Mount Katahdin in Maine, finishing in the late summer. It remains one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, fostering an ambition for more such experiences and inspiring me to retire from work early enough follow through on that ambition. In 1986, only about 80 people each year completed the whole trail, but during that year National Geographic did a feature article on the Trail and its popularity increased dramatically.

Appalachian Trail - Day 069

Day:  069
Date:  Thursday, 10 July 1986
Daily AT Miles:  0
Daily Other Miles:  0
Total AT Miles:  1347.6
Total All Miles:  1389.3
Weather:  Warm, sunny.
Nutrition:
  Breakfast:  Cereal, muffins.
  Lunch:  Salad rolls, muffins.
  Dinner:  Roast lamb, vegetables, ice-cream, jelly.
Aches:  Feet stiff and sore.
Animals Seen:  0
People Seen:  Many.

Journal:
Got up at 8am and called Clio to see if she wanted to come out to the AT.  No conclusion was reached so I left it that I would call again on Saturday.  After breakfast, I spent the morning doing washing and cleaning, updating my diary, trip-planning and playing with the good-natured Aidan.  Gordon came home for lunch and a friend, Celia, and her two children came as well.  A few hours passed chatting and the afternoon went quickly too, as I drafted my reply to Syntec, watched TV and played with Aidan.  After an early dinner, Bo Cocks rang from Australia to say they would be in Maine from August 19 and would like to see me (Bo, the American wife of an Australian work colleague, was the person who had first sparked my interest in the AT).  We worked out some means of contact.  It would be good to see them, but I might almost be finished by August 19th.  Pam then took me to the supermarket and I did my shopping.  On return we all watched TV and talked.  I went to bed at midnight.  It was a very restful day and I feel it has done my feet some good.
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