I've been reading AT through hiker blogs for years, and I've always noticed one thing. Toward the end, they all stop writing. Now that my hike is nearly finished, I understand completely.

I rise with the sun. I eat breakfast while I pack as quickly as I can. I walk. Even though I am constantly struggling against roots, rocks, and mud, I take very few breaks. As soon as I stop walking my body temperature drops. The uphills kill my thighs. The downhills pound my knees. ("Downhill" means something completely different in Maine. To descend 500 feet here you must do the following: climb 1,000 feet, then descend 1,010 feet. Repeat this process 50 times.)

The nights are quite cold, but the stars are beautiful.

Within the next two weeks, I will be entering something called the Hundred Mile Wilderness. There is definitely no cell phone coverage there. When I emerge from the Wilderness my last task will be to climb Mount Katahdin.

There will be precious few opportunities for me to communicate with you all between now and that day. Please do not mistake these long periods of silence for lack of adventure. I'm taking careful notes, and I can't wait to share.