UPDATED - Back in 1972, I had embraced the dream of Thru Hiking the Appalachian Trail. I had done some section hiking, but after a near accident on the Trail in 2009, I gave up the dream. Before my Dad died in July 2012, his final instructions to me were: "I want you to hike the Trail." At the age of 68 1/2, I began "Chasing The Trail." However, I learned that what Dad had in mind was not a Thru Hike but that the Trail should teach me a life lesson. This Blog is that story.
Happiness and contentment in life come from the merging of Opportunity and Talent. My Dad had Talent but no Opportunity so could not find a way to learn to play the Violin. I had Opportunity but no Talent -- I lack the physical ability to complete a Thru Hike of the Appalachian Trail. I failed to learn this lesson even after numerous section hikes, but in the Spring of 2013, after 41.6 miles hiking in MD and PA, I learned the lesson that Dad had in mind when he told me to "hike the Trail." This Blog is now about the Merging of Opportunity and Talent more than it is about hiking the Appalachian Trail, but I still plan to include snippets of the Trail in the Blog. It's about Chasing the Trail of Life. I hope you enjoy my posts.
COMPUTER TRESPASS---RCW 9A.52.110---Computer trespass in the first degree.
(1) A person is guilty of computer trespass in the first degree if the person, without authorization, intentionally gains access to a computer system or electronic database of another; and (a) The access is made with the intent to commit another crime; or (b) The violation involves a computer or database maintained by a government agency.
(2) Computer trespass in the first degree is a class C felony.
This Blog is Dedicated to my Dad. Although he never accomplished his dream of learning to play the Violin, he did construct and play a Dulcimer at an Elderhostel.
In my previous posts about the dangers of the Appalachian Trail, I have tried to educate the reader to understand that being informed is healthier than blithely thinking that hiking is just "putting one foot in front of the other." It is NOT that simplistic.
From the article: If not for white blazes on granite, a hiker could clamber off the trail on the way up. On the way down, a missed step could mean a snapped ankle or something worse, like a tumble off the narrow trail.
Please read the entire article. And pray for the SAR teams and the volunteer searchers and the Rangers and all the others --- because finding a dead body is not easy on any of them. And those who think that "well, she died doing what she loved" need to reconsider that thought --- sincerely reconsider that thought.
My conjecture is that it was raining, the rocks were slick, Geraldine was slower than she had planned and was hurrying, she did get to the Carrabassett River, it was high, she slipped on the rocks and her body will be found downstream. I hope and pray that I'm wrong, but after reading the story, from my experience on the AT, even though it was 'only 41.6 miles,' this is the scenario that comes to mind.
"Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, Please come 'round, there's someone lost who must be found."
This is what I have been trying to explain to those planning to hike the Appalachian Trail and to Appalachian Trail hikers. It's NOT a walk in the woods, it's a DANGEROUS endeavor. And it may be 'the last thing you do.'
Read the articles and look at the photos in the second article.
When you hike the AT or any trail, you take your own life in your hands. YES, I love hiking and backpacking, and YES, I am well aware of the dangers. Do I want it to be 'the last thing I do in life?' NO! One of the many reasons I got off the Trail when I was hurt was so that I would not push myself while in pain and make a regrettable decision. You may decide to ruin your health over a hike, but I didn't.
Some will comment, if it turns out that this woman has died on the Trail, that she 'died doing what she loved' and I will ask 'REALLY?' Don't you think she'd have rather died at a later date? Don't you think she had other things she was planning to do before she died? What about her husband? Do you think he wants to remember his wife 'died doing what she wanted to do' rather than their living a long happy life together? What about her children, grandchildren, family and friends? Do you not think that ALL of them will be second guessing themselves for the rest of their natural lives for not saying something that might have saved her life? "Take another day off, you're tired" or "Don't worry about any deadlines" or "If it gets dark, just stop and camp beside the Trail" or "Carry those maps, even if they weigh 6 extra ounces, they may come in handy" or "The AT can be confusing around all those snow-mobile and backwoods and ski trails, be sure to check your maps and blazes often." And what about the rescuers? Their time, effort, expense, and then the trauma if they find her dead? It's not all about that Romanticized Version of Dying on the Trail.
Resign from the Mystic Order of the Appalachian Trail and come live in reality.
What are you going to say to Geraldine's distraught family? "Well, at least she had fun before she died?" I doubt that will help them come to closure. And I personally think it is very unkind and selfish if that's your first thought.
My first thought is ...
Dear God, Geraldine has been missing for over a week, please help the rescuers locate her or her body. Please be with her family and comfort them. Please help open the eyes of the hiking community to the reality of the dangers of hiking. Please help everyone to be more honest and truthful in reporting about their hikes, especially their Appalachian Trail hikes.
