I finished hiking the Appalachian Trail on Labor Day and yesterday I picked up my bike and started south. Here is a photo of my sendoff and an article I wrote for the local paper.
OLD HIKER BIKES SOUTH
The staff at Crandall's Hardware in East Millinocket have received a crate from Maryland containing a bicycle. It is an ordinary bike, a hybrid, which looks like it has seen a lot of use.
The owner of the bike in question is a 70-year-old retired software engineer who has just completed a 2185 mile thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Mt. Katahdin, in Baxter State Park.
So why the bike? He is planning to ride it to Florida to hike the 1300 mile Florida Trail, biking from one hike to another.
Our thru-hiker's name is Dave Roberts of Adelphi, Maryland, but his fellow backpackers call him Elusive. He says he picked his own trail name, but people he meets keep finding reasons why they think it fits: "He's gone before we wake up in the morning." "He doesn't stay with the same group all the time." He disappears on side excursions." "His name is hard to remember - it is elusive."
When asked what he liked best about the trail he was quick to say it was the variety. "From the steep, rocky mountains of the Smokies and the Whites to walking through level corn fields near Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. The weather ranged from 10 degrees in NC in March to 90 degrees in NY in June. There are lots of different kinds of people, too. From teenagers to retirees. From ultra-light minimalists to those who prefer to carry all their comforts with them. No two people are the same. No two days are the same. I like that."
So how long did it take you to hike all that way?
"I started on March 9th, so it took less than six months, but I took two weeks off in July to hike the entire Long Trail in Vermont. That was a hoot. I'm glad I did that."
Did you find that being 70 years old was a disadvantage?
"No, not at all. As long as your body parts are all working, it's your attitude that keeps you going, not your age. I do hike slower than most thru-hikers, and some of that may be related to my age, but I really don't want to walk any faster. To me it's not a race, but a way of life. I want to see it all and enjoy it all."
How will biking to Florida be different from hiking to Maine?
"First of all I won't be in the wilderness. I'll be surrounded by cars and buildings much of the time. And diners. I will have to pass by diners. I love eating in diners, but I can't afford to eat out all the time. I'll have to develop some self-discipline. Self control. That will be tough, but I think I can do it.
"But what I'll really miss is the sense of community. Thru-hikers on the AT are like family. They would do anything for each other. But out on a bike there won't be hundreds of people all going the same place. I'll be on my own."
Katie Crandall-Liba of Crandall's Hardware tells us "we uncrated the bike, re-assembled it, tuned it up, attached the panniers and lights, and sent Elusive on his way with a little champagne party. He insisted on that and paid for it himself."
They will be following his adventures on www.elusiveonbike.blogspot.com.
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