The Thrill is Gone

Okay, I'll try not to sound pesimistic, but this is getting old. Jess and I are getting more than a little frustrated after1130 miles on the trail. During a thunderstorm last week, we crested a ridge and both subconsciously thought about how great it would be to be struck, but not killed, by lightning, providing us with an honorable discharge from this 2000 mile death march. As usual, things aren't nearly as bad as the mind makes them out to be, but we are very road weary. We're taking a day off tomorrow and contemplating a trip to a nearby bluegrass music festival to raise moral. Anyway, we're sticking to it for now. The weather has been ungodly hot, the trail has been incredibly rocky, but nether are the root cause of our poor morale. Really, to be honest, we just aren't having very much fun right now. We have decided to postpone any talk of surrender for the moment, and we want to give it another week to solidify our thoughts and feelings. The weather is supposed to cool off later this week, and the terrain is fairly forgiving, so we think things may clear up soon. We are not exactly alone in the quitter camp, as many hikers tend to feel the same way after passing the halfway point and failing to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our decision is to forget about the summit at Katahdin and to make every effort to enjoy the time we have together without regard for forward progress. I think we will be fine and will clear our heads of this nonsensical quitter talk, but I don't know if we're moving fast enough to finish at our five month goal. Anyway, who cares about finishing; barring nuclear war or a meteor impact, the trail will be there when we are ready. I don't mean to sound gloomy or depressing, but I want to be honest and keep everyone abreast of our situation. We still consider it quite an achievement to have made it this far, and we look forward to the ground we have yet to cover. We should be stopping in NYC early next month to visit some friends, and hopefully we will continue pushing northward. Don't worry about us or our morale...if you know us at all, you will realize that we will have a good time regardless of the circumstances. We hope all is well at home, and we may see you sooner than you think. Who's to say what will happen. Blah, blah, blah...sounds like Jon's on another Dennis Leary rant. Hope everyone is enjoying the summer, however scorching it may be. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.