Hikers Lament For months I dreamed of the Appalachian Trail And all the folks I’d meet I tried on 30 pairs of shoes And read how to care for my feet I worried over each piece of gear And how much everything weighed I planned my meals for every day And each night knew where I’d stay I would start in Maine and summit Katahdin Then south through Baxter I’d go Then onto the hundred mile wilderness Where untamed rivers flow I’d planned a food drop with the AT lodge By the bridge at Jo Mary Road To help lighten my pack while I strengthened my legs For the mountains I knew would soon show Though only a section did I plan to walk I made sure to prepare myself well Having read of the stories of this vast tract of land I knew I was entering hell It was my intent to Monson walk Then off to Gorham with haste To give Mt. Washington and the Whites a stroll And maybe Franconia a taste But alas, as with all things, the best lain plans Can all be torn asunder By a quick little slip of a hiking stick I realized a major blunder For it matters not my dreams or desires Or the fire down in my belly The Appalachian Trail threw me down And turned my bones to jelly One small slip and that’s all she wrote My ankle was shattered complete Three days into my marvelous adventure 26 miles of hiker bliss rewarded with utter defeat After a 5 hour rescue which included a piggy back ride Down off Rainbow Ledge I went To a float plane waiting on Rainbow Lake They carried me, broken and bent To Jim, Bob and Charlie, my Maine Warden Hero’s I can’t say thank you enough And to Paul, Jaime and Tie of the AT Lodge Let all hikers know you have the right stuff So now I’m back home with my ass on the couch And my leg propped up in the air Planning my trip for next time around And I dream of the Appalachian Trail
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 00:22:27 +0000
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