Believe it or not, I have finished my trek … Nov. 10, 2008, 10:08 EST.

Eight months and two days. At times I thought it would never end and now I can’t believe it’s over. It’s been 17 days and I already feel like a man without a country. Call it A.T. withdrawal. Within five hours of getting home, I was bouncing off the walls. So I called a fellow hiker, Berf, and asked him “What can I do?”

“Well, you could walk around the block, but make sure you wait til it rains.” This is an example of “hiker humor.” Hilarious. Me, maybe not so much to the civilian world.

I’ll tell you what wasn’t funny – hiking in Maine. For an orthoplegic like myself, it was all serious business. The state of Maine throws more at the A.T. hikers than perhaps all of the other states combined. In no particular order, here’s what you get.

• Roots, bloody roots. It was like hiking thru and around hard squid tentacles. Not so easy with size 14′s.
  Rocks. Whether wet or covered with snow and ice, their size and scope and numbers made Pennsylvania look like childs play.

• Leaves. Yes leaves. Hiking in the late Fall results in the trail being obliterated by all the leaves. They help cover up all the roots and rocks making each step an adventure.

• Fording. I got lucky. Never had a ford deeper than 3-4″ above my knees. Others who preceded me were not as lucky. But the water was always 35-45 degrees. When the water is in the 30s, your feet feel like they are on fire. When I wasn’t getting wet, I was trying to cross on skinny logs or snow and ice covered boards. Try that sometime when you weigh 210 pounds and are 6 ft tall and are carrying a 40 pound pack.

• Snow and ice. While I only had to endure five days of it, I can tell you this – without proper footwear, it’s a suicide mission. It also helps obscure the trail and hide the white blazes.

“We don’t die, we just multiply … colors, colors.”

Whether it’s wet, dry or covered with snow and ice, Maine is all about the ascents and the descents. Even in the best of conditions, it is the supreme challenge faced by the majority of hikers. I will say this about Maine, if you are lucky enough to have a clear day, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views. And most of those contain little or no signs of civilization.

Despite all of the views, harsh weather, missteps, incredible people, etc., my most enduring Maine memory will always be my bear encounter. On an awesome day in the 100-mile wilderness, I was hikeing thru a tall forest heading South. I made a slight turn to the West and immediately heard something moving on my right. I looked over and there was a black bear, 3-1/2 feet at the hip, “hiking” North. Right next to the trail. He was at most 8 feet from me. Luckily he apparently did not give a rat’s ass about me as he never stopped or so much as turned his head to acknowledge my presence. I however froze in place and made no attempt to dig out my camera. I just watched as this amazing beast lumbered on as I stood there puckering.

Regardless of where you are on the trail in Maine, there is always one constant. You cannot take your eyes off the trail for one minute or one step. If you do, you’re going down. I had to live by this self-made credo, “stop-look-hike.” But sometimes your mind wanders and you glance up. Doing so resulted in me eating dirt 12 times. Sometimes it hurt and sometimes it didn’t but it always pissed me off.

Lastly I want to talk about four incredible hikers that i had the extreme pleasure to hike with and who all helped get me to the finish line.

• Vigil Auntie: Half of a two-woman team, she is in the top one percent of “smart people” that I’ve ever met. Thanks for keeping me sane, grounded and humble. She’s the only human being that I’ve ever said this to … “you’re too logical to argue with.”

• Y: A woman of incredible physical strength and one that possesses a huge heart. After injuring my right knee and my lower back due to yet another fall, she strapped on my 40-pound pack without batting an eye and carried it for eight miles. She and I had two things in common: We were both hiking the A.T., and we both knew who Chad Little was. Thanks Y for opening my eyes and teaching me so much in such a short period of time.

• Stuart Rudolf: I met Stuart on my last Saturday in Maine. The following Wednesday, he rearranges his work schedule, drives two hours in the dark, hikes the last 10 miles in Maine with me, takes me to his home, I meet his family, spend the night, and then he takes me to the airport the next morning. And does this without asking for anything in return. I am humbled by your generosity Stuart. Thank you for showing me the way.

• Barley: After finishing the A.T. with his wife Rain, he volunteers to come back and hike the last 89 miles with me. And then he takes a train on his own dime from Mass. to Penn. Rain didn’t come because every time she saw me on the trail, she threw up. This is without a doubt the greatest gesture anyone has ever made on my behalf (the hiking – not the puking). I will never forget this and from this point forward, I will do the same not just for hikers but for anyone that needs it. Thanks Barley, you are the man.

This snake is giving his friend the frog a ride.

A milder ford.

Harvest and Scout – Beautiful and Gutsy

The Northern Terminus – Kahtadin

The famous Dr. Scanlon.

This is how you feel after 2,000 miles.

It’s 1:30 p.m., and the moon is still visible.

Oh joy … another mountain to climb.

Can you find the white blaze?

Vigil Auntie and Y

Typical Maine Trail

Stuart finishing a ford.

Hell on Bad Wheels with Barley.

Only nine miles to go!!!

The last steps …

My logistics manager – JD Sr.

Nothin’ like beer at 10:15 a.m.

Please read the thanks-you’s. You just might find your name amongst the many mentioned going forward.

I’m still hoping to attain my goal of hiking all eight national scenic trails for charity. But I’m going to need sponsorship help. If you know a company, foundation, etc., that I should talk with, please contact me. If you have ideas on charities, need hiking or equipment information, please contact me, and I’ll be glad to help in any way I can.