I have a friend, Richard Larson (trail name Skittles), who is finishing up hiking the Continental Divide Trail in the next week. It’s the 3rd of the 3 major North / South trails that go all the way across America. I’ve written about him before. Today, I got an update email from him. It started with a moving story. Very moving.
People do different things, for different reason. In this story that I will quote here, I have met most of the hikers that Richard mentions. Specifically, I met Disco this past summer when I hung out in Wyoming for a few days. It’s extra interesting for me to learn more about these guys, well after meeting them in person. Intriguing.
Here’s the moving story…
One more week.
That is all that remains for me to complete the Continental Divide Trail and to finish the Triple Crown.
There is going to be a large group at the border as we have six thru-hikers finishing together and at least three people meeting us. I have been hiking with Speedo, Disco, and the Princess of Darkness since Pie Town. Pi and No Trace caught up to us on Halloween in Silver City, our last town stop on the trail.
On the road walk into Silver City Disco told me the story of what led him to hike the Appalachian Trail.
A friend of his in college hiked the trail under the name Gatorboy in 1998. He reached Liberty campsite just before Franchonia ridge. He was feeling sick there, but tried to continue his hike. Near Mt. Lincoln he lay down in his sleeping bag along the trail. A few people passed before someone asked him if he was OK. He said no. The hiker went to Lafayette hut and the hut workers came out to help Gatorboy. They asked if he could make it to the hut and packed up his stuff. He got up to walk, but a bit later collapsed and died of a brain aneurism.
Disco went to a memorial hike on Franchonia Ridge and decided then that he wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. When he reached Monson, Maine, the mother of Gatorboy sent him a small canister with some of Gatorboy’s ashes, asking Disco to spread them on Katahdin if he felt comforable doing so.
Disco carried the ashes through the 100 mile wilderness and spread the ashes on Katahdin.It was probably the most powerful story I had heard of what led someone to be a long-distance hiker.
[...]
UPDATE: I spent much of Tuesday evening and most of the day on Wednesday helping a friend move into a new condo. This post is not a “story about moving.” 
Yet, it is ironic to happen this way. No pun was intended.
Filed under: Perspective
