The End of the Beginning

1,300 Miles

On October 23, we hiked the last miles of Appalachian Trail that we will hike this year. I sincerely apologize for the long delay in wrapping things up. It's taken me quite some time to process all of the thoughts that come with the end of a journey like this. We considered breaking this section into two days, but ultimately decided we wanted to go down fighting, as it were. The entire hike today was actually close to 17 miles, making it among the longest hikes we took on. And go down fighting we did. It was bitterly cold when we set out around 8:00 AM. It was actually the first time I broke out my heavy down coat. I suppose that's to be expected at the end of October in Pennsylvania. We climbed 1,000+ feet up our last mountain in the Delaware Water Gap state park, and many wonders awaited us. It was almost as if the Trail knew we were leaving, and decided to show us the best it had to offer, all in one day. The first major sight we came across was Sunfish Pond, a glacial pond that is actually on the National Register of Natural Landmarks. The water here is so acidic that only a few extremely hearty species of fish, such as the Sun Perch, can survive in it. Hence the name.

Sunfish Pond

We had a hot beverage and a snack by the pond, which was a great break since it was still very cold out, even at 10:00 AM. When we packed away our coffee mugs and got moving again, we didn't have to go far to find our next natural landmark. This one, however, wasn't created by a glacier.

Cairn Garden at Sunfish Pond. Hikers have stacked these rocks over who knows how many years. It was like walking through an art gallery.

We walked past the pond and through more State Forest, and finally reached an open area on the long ridgeline the Trail follows. We had passed several other hikers, and when we reached the clearing, it wasn't difficult at all to see why the section we were on was popular with the locals.

Fall Views in New Jersey

We didn't linger at the clearing, instead choosing to press on and find a suitable spot to have our last lunch. Just as my belly started grumbling to be fed, a wonderful rock presented itself. This being our "Last Lunch," we had packed our JetBoil canister and some extra water so we could have a hot lunch.

One last Ramen. With a side of view.

Last Lunch

The Trail wasn't finished filling our last day with interesting sights, however. A few miles past our lunch rock, we encountered an abandoned fire tower. We saw lots of these in Georgia and Tennessee, but hadn't seen one in hundreds of miles. They look like something out of a horror movie, but provide an opportunity to really get a bird's eye view of the Trail. With the leaves changing colors, it was an opportunity we could not miss, 60 rickety steps to the top or not.

Fire Tower

View at the top, worth conquering a fear of heights.

Past the fire tower, we came across a group of hikers assembled by a large pond, sporting chest-high waders and wielding shovels and pickaxes. We also heard the sound of rushing water nearby. As it turns out, this group of workers was there to drain the pond. Beavers had built a dam over the natural drainage area of the pond, and the pond was therefore in danger of rising over the Trail. If we had arrived two hours earlier, we would have missed an amazing sight.

Glacial Pond, clogged by pesky beavers.

A waterfall that didn't exist two hours before this video was taken.

After we spent a few minutes admiring the man-made waterfall at the pond, we realized we only had two miles to go to end our hike. Trail Angel Mamma and Trail Dog walked up the Trail from the parking area to meet us, and we all hiked the last mile together, just as it should have been. We all started this together 5 months ago, and we all finished it together.

One last stop for the Trail Family

I sat on the rock you see in the picture above for a long time. Getting into the Jeep in the parking lot was hard. Tears were shed in a mixture of sadness at the prospect of leaving the Trail behind and pride at having come this far. Overall, this was a moment to be celebrated, not mourned, and celebrate we did, with lamb chops and cocktails at a nearby restaurant. As part of my effort to approach this journey with a clear mind and clean spirit, I have not had a drop of alcohol since graduation. I must say, my mojito tasted excellent.

Celebrating.

I have a hard time calling this the end of my journey. We hiked 60% of the Trail. I've come too far to give up on it now. Someday, whether in be in 5 months or 50 years, I will finish this. For the past 162 days, I have poured everything that I have into this trip. It was hard. It tested every physical and mental limit that I had. But I did it. I would like to say that I discovered something life altering in the process. But the epiphany is that there is no epiphany. Just a girl, her Daddy and her Trail Angel exploring the blessing that is our world. Nothing on Earth could make me trade the past 5 months for anything. I did things I never thought myself capable of. I spent 24 hours a day with my father, something that has never happened in my nearly 23 years of life. I rediscovered my mother, not just as the woman who gave birth to me, but as a friend. I thank them for leaving their own busy lives behind to help me achieve my dreams. I thank all of those who have been keeping up with this blog for your continued thoughts and prayers. I thank God for my health and my mind, and for this amazing, miraculous world for me to journey in. This is not the end. This is only another beginning.

Until Next Time. Happy Trails.

All my Love - Nano

Quote of the Day (paraphrased):

The old that is strong does not wither

Deep roots are not reached by the frost

All that is gold does not glitter

Not all those who wander are lost