“…the rain is gone. I can see allllllll obstacles in my way! Gone are the daaaark clouds that had me blind. It’s gonna be a bright, BRIGHT sun shiny day…”

“Ccccaaaannn you taaaallllk??”, I asked Donald as I was struggling to see through my tears, let alone catch my breath while climbing West Mountain.”

“You look good, kid”, my Dad said as I wearily walked towards the picnic table in Pen Mar Park.”

“I know, I know…it’s been a while. But I am committed to prioritizing 3 things first and foremost- 1.) My safety. 2.) My mileage. 3.) My presence.”

“The “Virginia Blues” are a phenomenon that portray the end of the honeymoon phase of one’s thru hike, where the hardships and realities of living in the woods for 6 months have set in.”

“Who are “they”? Seriously. Who ARE “THEY ”?”

“A mere 8 days ago, I was bartering with Mother Nature, “if it’s never this frigid again, I promise, PROMISE not to complain about the heat. No matter HOW hot it gets.”

“The ‘kids’ made me do it!!”, I’ll respond when questioned as to why I am now partial parrot.”

“For Hiker Trash.” 

“Where is home?”

“ ‘Tis the evening of Saturday, April 24th, as I lay keeping warm in my sleeping bag for the 23rd consecutive hour…”

“Well, now that I have your attention…”

“Considered an utter nightmare to some yet a right of passage to a thru hiker, we want to lay our eyes on a bear.”

“I GOT to manage the flesh-eating fungus that has found refuge on my hands.”

“Ron Haven for president!” we all chanted as 14 of us poured out of the trail legend’s 6 passenger van.”

“One state down, 13 to go!”

“A phrase that I did not coin, but one that I can most certainly attest to.”

“I made it to the highest point in Georgia yesterday, Blood Mountain. Elevation 4461 feet.”

“My feet were on a Nittany Lion, the nemesis of my alma mater (P-I-T-T…LET’S GO PITT!!), all of the way to Georgia.”

“Ladies and gentleman, please give me the pleasure of first introducing…my gearheads. My mentors. My universal guides.”