It has been a long process, the preparation with the maps, the buying of gear, the planning and boxing of food, making arrangements for my clients at the two agencies, and doing some physical training by walking with my pack. I have been taking care of work, personal, and hike details right up to last night. Sitting in my car this morning, after loading every, I contemplate briefly what I am about to embark upon. I have history: hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2000 and working as a Ridgerunner in New Jersey for 4 summers on the AT. I have also done long hikes in Arkansas and Florida over the years. But, this hike will be different. I had my hip replacement two years ago, and the 2 years prior to the operation, I was in enough constant pain to prevent me from doing the high level of physical activity I would have normally done. I am overweight by many pounds. My other hip has had episodes of pain, causing me at one point to get it x-rayed and evaluated. The doctor looked at the x-ray and said it was fine, and then sent me to physical therapy. After 6 weeks it was much better, but I still have episodes of pain when I walk even without wearing the loaded pack.
Putting the key into the ignition, I fire up the car and head out of Janesville, Wis headed for Indiana where I will stay with my high school classmate and his wife, Ted and Wanda for 2 days. I will catch up with them and their world while I visit my 98-year-old mother in the nursing home. I have traveled these highways since 1969 when I was discharged from the Army and took my first job as a social worker in community mental health in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. I have traveled the roads through all seasons and weather conditions and for numerous reasons besides the holidays. I often use the time, especially when I am alone, to reflect on the past and speculate about the future or I simply zone out and drive in a meditative state of foggy mind.
As I drive through the flat lands of Illinois, my Garmin keeps interrupting my “zone” by telling me that I need to go right at the next exit, then turn left to get back on it idea of the proper course to Cambridge City, Indiana. I turn off the Garmin, I will turn it on later to see what time I will be getting to CC and then call Ted and Wanda so that they will know when to expect me.
It is a 7-hour trip with a little rain in central Illinois. It is not too hot at first but later the temperature reaches the high 80's so I turn on the air conditioner. Then I have second thoughts and turn it off. I need to get my mind and body ready to accept whatever temperature and weather conditions come my way day after day during the hike. I have planned to be gone for 8 weeks with 6 weeks allotted for hiking. At least that what I have figured out and set up my itinerary allocate. I have done this based on my past experience of how many miles I can expect myself to hike in a day. I know that I am 70 years old now but my head is filled with memories of the past hiking experiences. I have to admit that there have been times, when I have felt a little proud of myself at people's reaction upon hearing my plan to hike 550 miles alone on the Finger Lakes Trail. I only know a few people who have done something like a long hike and know the details that have to be accomplished to do a hike like I have planned for myself. I stop at a Pizza Hut along the way and buy their salad bar. I recognize that something back in my head is saying, “carbo-load for the hike”. For now, however, I need to drive to Indiana and complete this first leg of the trip.
I arrive at Cambridge City in the late evening. Wanda tells me it has been really foggy in the morning due to the high humidity. We eat and have a beer. We talk about out families and our kids. Then we relax and watch some TV shows. Before I go to bed I check my email on their Internet connection. I have slept in this room many times over the years. It is comfortable tonight with the air conditioning on medium high. Tomorrow I will have lunch with my mother. My sisters were not able to arrange for a visit at the same time, so I will be doing the visit alone.
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