Charles Konopa - Section hiker June 6, 1964 to September 19, 1970

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I bought the two volume Hiking the Appalachian Trail last year. This year I've begun reading through some of the stories.

So far, Mr. Konopa's adventure stands out for his use of the English language with plenty of flourishes and references to terms or 'things' that I have to stop and look up. It's a wonderful read, without the rush of point to point descriptions often in journals or stories now-a-days.

I've begun my acquisition of gear and facts while increasing my activity level in preparation for my NOBO excursion in March of 2020: yes, I like to [finally] plan ahead. The mental preparation is what these stories help with. It could be easy to forget why I am walking. For me, the journey will be similar to noticing the differences in snowflakes - I like metaphors. I don't think a walk in the woods will be boring since I'm looking at what is here and now.

Other hiker's stories provide inspiration to continue, and often show what they did that they won't do again. For me, THAT wisdom is a 'pay attention, Grasshopper' moment.