Closing Note

On March 15th of this year, I shouldered my pack, said 'Until soon' to my good friend Diane, and walked into the Georgia woods.  I knew no one on the trail at the time, but I was certain that I would be meeting and making new friends. Excitement, joy and a bit of anxiety charged my initial steps.  I was excited to be back on a trail I had last tried to hike in 2007.  Joy filled me because I recognized landmarks from eight years earlier and I knew that I was restarting an adventure that I would remember for the rest of my life.  I would be meeting people of almost all ages, from different backgrounds and even from other countries. All of us would be united in a common goal; walk this year's Appalachian Trail mileage of 2189.2 miles in one hiking season.  Some of us had walked the AT, or parts of it, prior to this year, most of us had some backpacking experience, a few of us had done only some car camping.  But we would all do what we could to help each other meet the common goal. We would form a community in the woods.  Yet, I had some anxiety. I had stopped my 2007 hike due to an injury after a bad fall on a steep hill.  This year, the wet, cold weather seemed to hang on far too long into Spring.  I wondered if I really had what it would take to stay in the woods for six months regardless of weather, deprivation and sometimes loneliness.  Would injury end my effort and crush my dream again?

Nearly seven months have now passed since that cool March morning.  I have, as I expected, met many fine people and made a number of friendships on this journey.  I've revisited places I first saw in 2007, and caught up with friends from that adventure.  Family, friends, friends of friends and people I've not yet met have followed my progress from afar via Facebook and social networks and given me words of encouragement, comfort and hope. I've been remembered by people on the trail that I met in 2007; which has astounded me considering all the thousands of hikers who have attempted the trail over the last eight years.  I found again that I could find solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems and persevere in miserable conditions. That the simplicity needed to complete a long distance trail brings a certain peace of mind. That small things like a group of tiny red mushrooms on a bed of green moss can cause a feeling of awe every bit as intense as a towering mountain spiking into a brilliant blue sky. That friends are a resource of incredible strength. And that it is amazing how many different parts of your body can hurt at the same time after simply walking all day.

This trip has been pretty much what I had hoped it would be, a renewing journey of discovery.  To be sure, there were a number of times I felt like quitting and going home; but the wonders of the Trail and the encouragement I was given made the difference and kept me going.  The emotional support I've received has been wonderful and has buoyed me through tough times, especially wet days that seemed endless.

The reality that I have finally finished is still settling in, and it will be a bit until I feel comfortable in town surroundings again,  so if you see me backed up against a wall with a 'deer in the headlights' look on my face, it's okay, I'm just mentally still moving at walking speed.

To all of you who have reached out and touched me on this hike and my previous attempt, however remotely, thank you for the gift of your wonder, support and encouragement.  It has meant more than I can express, and has definitely ensured that I was able to complete my journey.  Thank you seems so trite, yet I don't know how to phrase it any stronger.  So, Thank you.

I'll be updating my site on Blogspot to catch up my journal entries and pictures, revise my gear list and post the final schedule.  I'll try to answer questions you may still have about the Trail. I also will be traveling yet a bit more to visit some of you. This trip has been a major divergence in my life and I need a little time to consider which road to travel from here. 

See you up the trail,
Bryan 'Binjali' McCullough

Binjalihiker.blogspot.com
Binjalihiker@aol.com