Gilligan on the AT Revisited: 14-Sep-1993

September 14, 2008

This is a 5-month long series of blog posts that are the entries in my journals written on most evenings as I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1993. The journal entry appears first — indented — and then any additional commentary from my 15-years-removed perspective follows.

9/14/93 – Tue.

Exactly one year ago today I reached that magical age of 21 where I legally became old enough to purchase and consume alcohol. To celebrate that event, today was the first time ever that I was denied that right to purchase alcohol — no New Hampshir I.D., no sale! Happy anniversary!

I did remember to set my alarm for midnight last night so that I could wake up and celebrate John Teichert’s  and my “magic” moment — the split second where we share a birthday.

We were in town by 8:30 this morning, and it seems like just about everyone is here — Missing Person, Chow Hound, Special K, The Last Ones Out, The Mushroom Man (N.J. Ridgerunner), Cloud & Scout (!!!), Old Man Sundance & Terrapin Flyer, Pooh Bear, Maniac & his girlfriend, Seeker U.K., Jane, Airplane, Mosquito Lunch, Buck, and myself. It’s quite a reunion!

Sadly, Buck is probably going to jump ahead to Monson, ME, and spend a slow 20 days doing the 100-mile wilderness.

(Buck got off phone — end of entry)

This stop, I believe, was the first place that I ran into flip-floppers with whom I had hiked much earlier in the trip. A flip-flopper was someone who started the trail at either end, hiked towards the other end, then, at some point, got off the trail and headed to the other end and started hiking in the opposite direction, thus completing their thru-hike somewhere along the trail rather than at its northern or southern terminus. This was more common with people who were heading north from Georgia and realized that, by the time they reached New Hampshire and Maine, it would be too late in the year to hike. Cloud and Scout were the sisters I met back in the Shenandoahs and hiked with off and on for a week or two.

Posted in Appalachian Trail, Tim