83

How old Richard Bacon would have been today. Happy birthday, Old Man! This hike’s for you — and yes, it’s for me, too. (John Lennon, by the way, would have been 75 today. Two more special men you would be hard-pressed to find.)

1,743

Miles left to hike (mileage changes year to year).

2

States completed (Maine and New Hampshire).

12

States left to go (Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia.)

Hundreds

Times I’ve been inspired on the Appalachian Trail.

3

Times I’ve been frightened (one fall, when I feared a concussion but broke five ribs; two encounters with drifters who appeared mentally unstable).

Thousands

Memories of a lifetime.

2

Things I miss more than anything else back in the real world. (Forrest and Marlowe, Dad can’t wait to hug and kiss you!)