Sunday, 8/23

AT Miles = 5.9 / 1865.2
Other Miles = 0 / 58.9
Total Miles = 5.9 / 1924.1

Miles to Katahdin = 313.1

Good grief, Charlie Brown! It took me 5 hours to hike less than 6 miles today, and that was carrying a pack barely heavier than a day pack. My knees hurt just as much as they did when I hobbled in to Pinkham Notch last Monday. Six days of rest seem to hqave dome absolutely nothing for them. I can barely walk now.

My plan for tomorrow was to hike 15 miles from here to Rt 2. There is no way that is going to happen. I've got to find the easiest way out of here and take that tomorrow.

Unless some miracle happens while I sleep tonight, and I wake up with healed knees, this is it. My thru-hike is over. I can't believe I even typed those words. I just sat and looked at them for a few minutes. I'm so damned close! But my knees have betrayed me; or maybe it's that I have betrayed them. But whichever it is, there is no way I am going to hike the last 313.1 miles to Katahdin this year. 5+ months of effort down the toilet…

I know that in the great scheme of things this is no big deal, but it sure feels like it is right now. Not a good day today.

—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com