[pct-l] Thanks to all

[bluetrail at aol.com]

Well, "my" hiker, Rodknee Dangertrail aka Jon Phipps, is back home.  With less than 300 miles to go, he bailed off the trail.  

Thirty years ago he separated/dislocated his left shoulder as a result of a bad landing from a military parachute jump.  That injury came back to haunt him, getting more and more painful in recent weeks.  He tried to find a way to adjust the back to make his shoulder hurt less, but nothing worked.   It also led to a shift in his gait which resulted in knee and foot problems.  All this may or may not have been made worse by the fact that since April 28, he's taken ONE zero day.  Other than that day, he hiked every day, albeit some short mileage days.  
 
He flew back to Orlando on Friday and was glued to the couch all weekend, getting up only to eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom.  I spent the weekend cooking, baking, and doing dishes to keep up with his appetite.  He lost 51 lbs. on the hike.  I'm pretty shocked at his condition:  he's walking at half his normal speed with a hunch that makes him look 90 instead of 68.  However, he may be on the road to recovery as he was out doing chores this morning. 

I want to thank all of you for the support, answered questions, and for tolerance with my freak out when it was erroneously reported that he was in the hospital the weekend of the kick-off.  You were a great resource for me, and I really appreciate it.  I'll be signing off PCT-L soon, but will always be glad to answer any questions about what it's like to be the one at home, shipping the boxes and worrying.  I've done this for 17,000 of his now close to 18,000 backpacking miles.

We may (or may not) drive out to Washington next summer for him to complete those pesky 300 miles.  

Joan, Base Commander
Hiker Logistics Supply Command Headquarters
Oviedo, Florida