Day 114 going home

I am on a bus going home to Maine. I have been on the trail almost four months and hiking without Sassafras is not what I want to be doing at rhis time in my life. I wanf to be home with my family. The separation has been hard on both my wife and I.

I want to thank everyone for their kind words and support. I apologies if I have let anyone down. Kaboose

Day 113 Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

7/11/13
Miles hiked 6.4
Total miles 1405.8

Today was my first day on the trail without Sassafras. It was tough emotional.  I miss her very much, but I know her feet need at least two more weeks at home to heal and more important she is happy at home and already has the rest of her supper planed. She already met with her principal and she is doing work to help get all caught up with school,  so her reentry at school will be much easier. I miss my wife very much as well, but we both are committed to having me complete this thru hike. I am blessed in having such a wonderful family. 

My sister who just happened to be visiting from New York gave me a ride back to the trail. (Thanks Wanda) I am at a pavilion at the Graymoor monastery. The place is beautiful and very peaceful.  It is a good place for me to be tonight. There are several other thru hikers here tonight. They seem very nice. I had not met any of them before.  It looks like I will be with a new group after being off trail for a week. So much seems new. This is a whole new chapter in our adventure.  Kaboose

DAY 109-112 Home in Maine

We have been home  in Maine for a few days. Sassaffras's needs to be off her feet for two more weeks. Once we got home it was apparent that she done enough. 3 1/2 months with her Papa is enough, she missed being with people her own age. I had thought she would develop some friendships with some of the young ladies hiking the trail, but that did not happen. We now know she was very lonely. She still has plans to do the Triple Crown and backpack thru Europe. She will spend the rest of the summer doing as she call it "regular stuff" like camp and spending time with Mrs. Kaboose and her friends. We are so very proud of her, she is the strongest person I know. She always sees the good in things. She even thought the Doyle Hotel was beautiful. She was able to look past the decay of time and see the original  beauty of the building.

It is with mixed feeling that I tell everyone that Sassafras is off the trail. Tomorrow my sister who is visiting from New York will be driving me back to Fort Montgomery N.Y. to continue the hike. It will not be the same without Sassafras and I do not know how I feel about it. As a family we decided it is important that I try to finish the thru hike. We do not know when I would be able to try again or if I would able to do it if that time came.

I will continue with the blog. I do not know how much interest it will be to others without Sassafras? 

Mrs. Kaboose will be uploading videos from Harpers Ferry thru Fort Montgomery. I plan to continue to take some pictures and videos. I also do not know how interesting they will be without Sassafras. Kaboose

Sassafras update

Sassafras has rested all day today and soaked her feet in epsom salt and we are applying antibiotic ointment per her doctors suggestion. Believe it or not they look better already.  She has a dr. apt. tomorrow and should see what is next.  I still can not beleive that she hiked 270 miles with her feet in the shape that they were in. She is my hero!

Mrs. Kaboose

day 108 on the way home to maine

We flew home today. Sassafras is happy to be home. We will see her doctor asap.  Her toes are very sore and it breaks my heart to think how strong she was hiking so long in such pain. It looks like I will get back on  the trail next week and continue hiking. When Sassafras is cleared to come back on the trail and if she want to she will come out and finish the hike.

Thank you to all support and kind words.  Anyone who knows Sassafras will tell you she is a very special girl. If she ends her adventure at the 1400 mile mark it still was a great success. She had fun, challenged herself, met many wonderful people. I hope she will  have positive feelings about our adventure and the time we spent together. Kaboose.

Day107 Fort Montgomery NY

Sassafras has had an infection in her great toe for over two weeks. We have been treating it the best we can with imput from her doctor at home. It has not improved. She tried to hike out today and was lethargic and got sick to her stomach. After talking with my wife we have decided to go home. Sassafras says she does not feel well is tearful and is ready to go home. It hurts me so bad to see her like this. We will fly home tomorrow and evaluate our options after she sees her doctor. Kaboose

Day 106 Fort Montgomery NY

7/4/13
Miles hiked zero
Total miles 1399.4

We rested all day. Back at it tomorrow.  Kaboose

Day 105 fort Montgomery ny

7/3/13
Miles hiked zero
Total miles 1399.4

We took the first of two days off the trail. We rested most of the day.  We had to take a cab to the next town to get to a grocery store.  It definitely was our most expensive resupply.  Kaboose

Day 104 Fort Montgomery NY

7/2/13
Miles hiked 15.4
Total miles 1399.4

We are in Fort Montgomery NY. We had a wrt start.  Bear mountain was cool and so was the Trailside Zoo. I am feeling fatigued and we plan to take a fee days off to rest and recoup. Kaboose

Today was fun. We hiked saw 15.4 miles. The weather was good. The trail was good. We hiked through a zoo. We are having 2 zeros in town. Sassafras

Day 103 Finger board shelter

7/1/13
Miles hiked 14.3
Total miles 1384

Today was one if not the hardest days on the trail. We were ready to start hiking this morning and it started to pour. We waited until 9am to see if it would let up. It slowed down a bit and we hiked all day in the rain. The trail had some hard rock climbs that would have been fun it it was not raining. It was a little scary at times. Kaboose

Today was hardwork. The weather was ok. It rained for part of it. .The trail was ok. There was a lot of rocks though. A doggie named Tucker cuddled with me. Sassafras

Day 102 Wildcat Shelter

6/30/13
Miles hiked 17.1
Total miles 1369.7

We had a good day. We got a ride out of town from a great guy who does a lot of hiking in the are and was very knowledgeable about hiking gear. We are now in New York,  the trail is a little more challenging but the bugs are just mormally bad not crazy like New Jersey. We are alone in the shelter tonight. We seem to be between groups of  Nobo's.  It threatens thunderstorms but nothing bad yet. Kaboose

Today was fun. We hiked 17.1 miles. The weather was great. It only rained at the end a little bit. The trail was great. We are in New York. I also can not wait till we go to a zoo in two days. Sassafras