Gilligan on the AT Revisited: 22-Sep-1993

September 22, 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.

9/22/93 – Wed.

Looks like better luck tonight — alone so far! I could have gone another 2-1/2 miles and then taken a 0.6 mile side trail to the Spaulding Mtn. Summit House, but I think there were already going to be a couple of northbounders there. Besides, it would have turned an early day into a not-so-early day.

I was thinking today about what I wrote last night about being “glad” that Dee died when he did, and I have an addition/clarification to make. When Mom told me he died, I immediately began trying to figure out how I would get to the funeral rather than if I would get to it. Does that make sense?

For some reason, I have felt somewhat detached about Dee’s death, but I don’t necessarily think that is bad. In many ways, Dee was already dead when I last saw him, which may seem rather harsh, but which is the truth. He no longer had even a glimmer of the wit and dignity that made him so special, so it was then that I said my farewell.

he is “officially” gone now, though, and that may or may not hit me at some other time. I still have all my memories.

196.5 miles to Katahdin!
1950.2 miles I have come!

Posted in Appalachian Trail, Tim