[pct-l] Go Take A Hike!

[bighummel at aol.com]

Sometimes, the pressure gets too great and you just have to get away!

Governor's Hike Sparks Mystery, Anger

BY JIM DAVENPORT
, 
AP






COLUMBIA, S.C. (June 23) - A spokesman for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said Tuesday the Republican checked in with his staff and was surprised by the attention given to his secretive vacation and planned to cut it short and return Wednesday."Governor Sanford called to check in with his chief of staff this morning," Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said in a prepared statement. "It would be fair to say the governor was somewhat taken aback by all of the interest this trip has gotten. Given the circumstances and the attention this has garnered, the governor communicated to us that he plans on returning to the office tomorrow."

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Sanford hadn't spoken with his staff since last Thursday. He left the state on what Sawyer called a routine post legislative vacation to unwind.

His absence left fellow state leaders scratching their heads.The lieutenant governor couldn't figure out where Gov. Mark Sanford was. Calls from a state senator and close friend rolled to voice mail. Even his wife said she hadn't talked to him for several days.The explanation came late Monday night from his spokesman: The second-term chief executive was hiking along the Appalachian Trail "to kind of clear his head after the legislative session."The Republican governor left town on Thursday, Sawyer said, with plans to hike the trail, which passes through 14 states but not South Carolina. Sawyer said he didn't know where exactly Sanford was along the 2,200-mile route and declined to discuss if anyone was hiking with him."He's an avid outdoorsman," Sawyer said. "Nobody's ever accused our governor of being conventional."

Greg Hummel "Strider"