Like this:

Well now that the dust has settled a bit off the boots and I’ve had a few down days, I’m reflecting on the experience of being a thru hiker on the PCT. So much to digest.  I’m sure that it will be months and possibly years that the lessons learned on the trail will reveal themselves.

More than anything right now, I want to sincerely thank all those who have helped me along the way.  Thank you Pinball!  We started the walk together and although our goal was to finish in Manning Park together – Giardia and life happened along the way. My thoughts are with you as you continue to heal and regain your strength.

Thanks to Bill Langton for faithfully posting stuff on the blog, keeping friends and family in the loop – you are a total Rock Star! I have met many people along the trail that have said “Oh – You’re Smudge!  I’ve been following you on the Blog!!!!”

Thanks to the many trail angels – the Saufleys in Agua Dulce, the Andersons, Drakesbad Guest Lodge in Mt. Lassen, the Dinsmores at Skykomish, Washington, the whole town of Trout Lake Washington, and the Town of Sierra City in California, to the so many people who picked my sorry, smelly, hiker trash self up off the side of the road and took me to towns – many call it hitchhiking – hikers call it “Yogi-ing an ride”.

Thanks to all of those who are supporting the efforts of the Siskiyou Land Trust by pledging real dollars for every mile walked in an effort to build an Endowment Fund.

And most of all, thanks to my lifelong friend and partner Linda Richter for believing in me, for sending boxes upon boxes of re-supply, for driving nearly double the miles that I have hiked to fluff me up and for helping me hold the vision. I could not have even thought of doing this on my own – without you.

So as I start to turn the page on this chapter, I think of dreams that we all have conjured at some time in our life. The big things that we have tucked away and have said to ourselves “Someday – I gonna do that…” I encourage you to pull out those undone “Somedays”, dust them off and try them on. We only get to live once – there are no do-overs.  Have no regrets and go for the gusto!

Smudge – Signing Off
Latitude: 41.3698
Longitude: -122.42325
GPS location Date/Time: 10/18/2010 07:42:11 PDT

Message: Just to let you know I am A-OK and livin’ the dream!

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