Trail Sickness

This is what I miss — happy faces, sore feet and the stink of the trail!

by Rick, Keppy’s Dad — Now that I’m back in Nebraska, I keep finding myself amazed at how big the sky looks. In many places I can see from horizon to horizon with only a few trees in the way. That stark contrast stirs up Trail Sickness for me, a longing for all things A.T. No, I’m not physically ill, just sad to miss the journey of hiking the Appalachian Trail with Keppy. Uh, well, let me clarify here because, well, I didn’t actually WALK the trail but I supported my dear daughter and sometimes that feels like hiking the entire trail —barefoot.

After a particularly heavy rainfall, the next time I saw Keppy I would say something entertaining like, “You have no idea how hard it rained here today.” See, that’s funny because she hiked in the rain and, yes, she had a very firm understanding of exactly how hard it rained. Isn’t that funny? Oddly, Keppy rolled her eyes, too, each time I said it, just like you did.

I started working again at the newspaper, the Kearney Hub, and everybody wants me to tell them about my summer in five quick minutes. Impossible. Instead I pick out one story, tell it with as much detail and drama as possible — hoping the listener will vaguely understand the joys, challenges and beauty of the Appalachian Trail.

I even checked out the video of “A Walk in the Woods” to help me get over my trail sickness. Don’t bother watching the movie. It sugarcoats the journey and it left me with an urge to jump in the van and head back to the wilds of Pennsylvania to join the crew in the Mothership and experience the trail in glorious reality.

Instead, it’s off to work I go, helping to support Special K with bundles of cash so Heidi can fuel up the Mothership for another jaunt to another unspeakable Walmart Campground. Man, I miss the journey!