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rafe
09-20-2007, 20:14
As of about 1 PM yesterday I've completed the A.T., at the end of a 587 mile section hike from Lehigh Gap PA to Rocky Gap (on Kelly Knob) a couple dozen miles north of Pearisburg VA. Rocky Gap is the place where my attempted through hike (1990) was aborted. This last hike took 39 days.

I met two SOBO through hikers, Chilly and Mr. Wiffle. Both are probably in or near Pearisburg as I write this. Both last seen near Waynesboro. There are a handful of SOBOs ahead of them. My guess is that most of the SOBO pack were behind me.

Heat and drought were the major issues. Creeks and springs were in bad shape along the whole route. Leaves are falling already south of the James River.

Thus ends a seventeen year project. To be honest, I didn't feel much joy or elation arriving at Rocky Gap. It's rather a desolate, lonely place. But glad to finally be able to call myself a "2000 miler" if not a "thru-hiker."

My vote for nicest shelter: Bryant Ridge. Ugliest (by far): Dick's Dome.

rickb
09-20-2007, 20:16
2000 Cheers!

Lone Wolf
09-20-2007, 20:17
As of about 1 PM yesterday I've completed the A.T., at the end of a 587 mile section hike from Lehigh Gap PA to Rocky Gap (on Kelly Knob) a couple dozen miles north of Pearisburg VA. Rocky Gap is the place where my attempted through hike (1990) was aborted. This last hike took 39 days.

I met two SOBO through hikers, Chilly and Mr. Wiffle. Both are probably in or near Pearisburg as I write this. Both last seen near Waynesboro. There are a handful of SOBOs ahead of them. My guess is that most of the SOBO pack were behind me.

Heat and drought were the major issues. Creeks and springs were in bad shape along the whole route. Leaves are falling already south of the James River.

Thus ends a seventeen year project. To be honest, I didn't feel much joy or elation arriving at Rocky Gap. It's rather a desolate, lonely place. But glad to finally be able to call myself a "2000 miler" if not a "thru-hiker."

My vote for nicest shelter: Bryant Ridge. Ugliest (by far): Dick's Dome.

why the new screen name and account/

Lyle
09-20-2007, 20:19
Congratulations!!!!

bfitz
09-20-2007, 20:19
Is this our old buddy T2? Congratulations!

Jack Tarlin
09-20-2007, 20:22
Congratulations and well done!

Pringles
09-20-2007, 20:23
Whoo-hoo! Congratulations!

Beth

rafe
09-20-2007, 20:23
Is this our old buddy T2?

Yeah.


Congratulations!

Thanks. I need to gloat a bit. It's been a work-in-progress for too long. I'm glad it's over.

Phreak
09-20-2007, 20:32
Congratulations!

SGT Rock
09-20-2007, 20:33
Congrats Terrapin. Let me know if you need help with that user ID ;)

dixicritter
09-20-2007, 20:34
Congrats terrapin. Way to go!

Skidsteer
09-20-2007, 21:21
Nice work TT.

Alligator
09-20-2007, 21:25
Congratulations and welcome to WB;) .

ed bell
09-20-2007, 22:30
Congratulations and welcome back, even if just for today.:sun

ed bell
09-20-2007, 22:32
....... I'm glad it's over.Well, I'd have to say that I hope you continue to enjoy the lifestyle.:sun

emerald
09-20-2007, 22:38
Glad to hear the good news. I've missed your contributions. Hope to see you posting regularly again.:)

Jim Adams
09-20-2007, 23:38
CONGRATS!!!!!
1990 was a long time ago...glad you finished.

geek

rafe
09-21-2007, 00:24
CONGRATS!!!!!
1990 was a long time ago...glad you finished.

geek

Thanks, Geek. We did at least part of that trip together. It was a trip looking through the "Class of 1990" photo book at ATC HQ in Harpers Ferry.

Blissful
09-21-2007, 19:47
Congratulations! Sorry we missed you. Wasn't the day awesome?? Fantastic weather. First rate, class one.

hopefulhiker
09-21-2007, 19:58
CONGRATULATIONS! Well deserved...

FatMan
09-21-2007, 20:31
Congratulations. A seventeen year journey is every bit, if not more of an accomplishment than a thru-hike.

Lone Wolf
09-21-2007, 20:38
Congratulations. A seventeen year journey is every bit, if not more of an accomplishment than a thru-hike.

for once, i agree. and by the way, is eating rare lamb patties a bad thing? i'm eatin' them as we speak. don't know if i was spose to cook em thru

Skidsteer
09-21-2007, 20:42
for once, i agree. and by the way, is eating rare lamb patties a bad thing? i'm eatin' them as we speak. don't know if i was spose to cook em thru

That's the way you're supposed to cook it. You'll be fine iron gut.

Lone Wolf
09-21-2007, 20:52
That's the way you're supposed to cook it. You'll be fine iron gut.

thank christ! i was worried.:)

rafe
09-21-2007, 21:23
Congratulations! Sorry we missed you. Wasn't the day awesome?? Fantastic weather. First rate, class one.

We missed each other because we were 1518 miles apart! But it was a fine day, weatherwise, even in Virginia. Unfortunately, Rocky Gap isn't anywhere near as photogenic as the summit of Katahdin. It's a very weird place to finish the A.T.

Jan LiteShoe
09-21-2007, 21:34
Hey, that work in progress has come to a close.
You deserve to celebrate.
Congratulations!

rafe
09-21-2007, 21:47
Hey, that work in progress has come to a close.
You deserve to celebrate.
Congratulations!

Thanks, Jan. By the way, if you're still on that list, you could mention this to the folks on ATML; maybe a few folks there remember me. Tell Toe that "going light" made a huge difference, and I'm thankful for his goading on that issue. Pack base weight was around 16-18 lbs.

Jan LiteShoe
09-21-2007, 21:54
Thanks, Jan. By the way, if you're still on that list, you could mention this to the folks on ATML; maybe a few folks there remember me. Tell Toe that "going light" made a huge difference, and I'm thankful for his goading on that issue. Pack base weight was around 16-18 lbs.

You mean AT-L?
I'll pass the word along, with pleasure.

Oh, and for you: :banana:banana:banana

mountain squid
09-22-2007, 08:02
http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/happy057.gifCONGRATS, _terrapin_!!!!!!!!!!!!http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/happy096.gif. Now what?

See you on the trail,
mt squid

Sly
09-22-2007, 08:06
Kludos.....

rafe
09-22-2007, 08:10
Now what?

Good question, I dunno. Long hikes are out of the question for a while. My house needs lots of work. I'm not really thru-hiker material, never was and never will be. Maybe the JMT some day... Maybe volunteer for work on local trails (eg., MA Mid-State trail.) The Whites, in short doses... for sure.

TJ aka Teej
09-22-2007, 08:51
Congratulations, Terrapin!

shades of blue
09-22-2007, 09:03
Congrats Terrapin, I'm glad you finished too.
Peace!

Marta
09-22-2007, 10:01
Congratulations!

Footslogger
09-22-2007, 10:12
Way 2 GO ...but don't stop at 2000 !!

'Slogger

Blissful
09-22-2007, 13:16
We missed each other because we were 1518 miles apart! But it was a fine day, weatherwise, even in Virginia. Unfortunately, Rocky Gap isn't anywhere near as photogenic as the summit of Katahdin. It's a very weird place to finish the A.T.

Oops! Okay.
Can't recall where Rocky Gap is, but we are in VA so probably closer now definitely! :) Glad you finished though, that's great. My hat and admiration goes off to sectioners who get out there and do it every year. They are not in the shape of thru hikers so it must be a lot tougher and takes a lot more effort to accomplish, IMO. We met a lot of sectioners and really enjoyed getting to know them. Many became great friends.

rafe
09-22-2007, 14:41
Oops! Okay.
Can't recall where Rocky Gap is, but we are in VA so probably closer now definitely! :) .

There's absolutely no reason to remember Rocky Gap. It's a lonely, desolate place. VA Route 601 runs through it, and leads down to Blacksburg. It's significant to me only inasmuch as my (attempted) thru hike ended there in 1990. I sat there for a couple of hours waiting for my shuttle to town, and not one single vehicle came by.

emerald
09-22-2007, 14:53
So are you glad you chose to "summit" at Rocky Gap? It seems a logical place for you to have ended, but your post seems to indicate it was somewhat less than completely satisfactory.:confused:

I ask, because I remember a thread in which we both participated earlier when the subject of where to end your hike was raised and discussed. I expect others planning to complete section-hikes will wonder about the issue of where to "summit" too as it relates to their own plans.

What do you think about Harpers Ferry versus Rocky Gap now?

rafe
09-22-2007, 15:14
So are you glad you chose to "summit" at Rocky Gap? It seems a logical place for you to have ended, but given your post it seems somewhat less than completely satisfactory.:confused:

I ask, because I remember a thread in which we both participated earlier where the subject of where to end your hike was raised and discussed. I'm sure others completing section-hikes will wonder about this issue too.

I dunno if it would have mattered much. There's no lesson or moral to this story.

I was surprised at the anti-climactic nature of the ending, but hey... I have a way of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory... and never really being satisfied.

Could be because this year's hike was planned and engineered to the Nth degree, and actually proceeded almost exactly according to plan. I should take some pride in that... I mean, it took some effort. OTOH, and for the same reason, there was no surprise to the ending... it was a foregone conclusion.

Or it might just be that the gap is such a lonely place... I couldn't even call my wife to tell her I'd arrived. My cell phone didn't even work 'till I walked back up toward the summit of Kelly Knob.