The Place:  Fado

The Cup: Strongbow Cider for me and Stella Artois for Doug.

The Background: One of the perks of this project is that it provides the best cover for my curiosity. If there is someone I want to meet, I add them to my wish list. Eventually, someone comes along and makes an introduction. Or, if I don’t have a name, but I want to meet someone who has done something specific – like someone who lives in the iconic Pecan Grove RV Park, I put it out there and bam! Someone makes an intro.

For a few years now, I’ve been considering a thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT). If you have read up on this hike, you just had a “Really…seriously?” moment.  For those who aren’t familiar with the AT, I’ll explain why someone might be shocked I want to do this.

A thru-hike on the AT is a 2,200 mile hike between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. Most hikers who plan to complete the entire hike in a season start off in March, or the beginning of April, and must conclude before Mother Nature blows the whistle by blanketing the area in snow – usually the start of October. The trail passes through 14 states, eight national forests and two national parks. Most hikers begin in Georgia and end in Maine – south to north – and are referred to as NOBOs: north-bounders. A small percentage go the opposite route and are referred to as, you guessed it, SOBOs: south-bounders. There are also flip-floppers who start somewhere in the middle, hike to the end and then travel to the opposite end and hike to their original start. Seems like a lot of unnecessary work, if you can avoid it. Of course, there are also folks who don’t plan to do the entire hike in one fell swoop; they are called Section Hikers.

Which one am I? I hope to do the thru-hike as a NOBO, starting the end of March and hoping to complete the first week of September. A lot of work and thought goes into making the decision, and a lot of logistics and planning go into making it happen. I’ve read tons already, and am reading even more. There are books, magazines, guides, videos and blogs. No shortage of information out there. But to talk to a person who has done it – that’s the  crown jewel. In anything, really. If there’s something you want to do, learn or accomplish, find someone who has done it, buy them a coffee or a beer and ask a ton of questions!

Which is how Doug and I found ourselves at a dimly-lit table sharing laughs and stories over a few beers last Thursday night. Well, let me back up. First I went to Twitter and posed the question – Who knows someone in Austin who has done a thru-hike on the AT? My pal Lance chimed in, made the intro and that is how Doug and I connected.

Before we jump into Doug’s story, let’s cover some:

Common Grounds:

1. What’s a food you can’t live without? Spaghetti. From my years spent as a bachelor – it’s the perfect, easy meal.
2. What is the best place to eat in Austin? For pizza, it’s House Pizza. For sushi, it’s DK Sushi, because it’s good and it’s laid-back and kid-friendly. Mexican, I like Maudie’s and for BBQ – it’s Rudy’s.
3. What is your favorite thing to do in Austin? It used to be, get up early Sunday and head to Lady Bird Lake for a run on the trail. Now I’m old and my knees don’t allow that. So I’d say it’s biking on the greenbelt.
4. If you could swap lives with someone for a day, who would you pick? A guide on Mount Everest on summit day. I’d love to do Everest one day, but it’s very expensive and there’s like a 10% chance you’ll die, so I doubt it will ever happen.
5. What’s the last thing you fixed? Well, I fixed a few bugs at work today. {Using coding parlance here. Doug did not spend his day fixing a cockroach or a beetle.} Do you want to hear about the most interesting thing I fixed? Doug asks me. Yes, I most certainly do. We’ll get into that story in a moment.
6. What is the most impactful book you’ve read? It was probably a book that was suggested to me by my brother: Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. Before reading it, I was so politically naive, and had no real interest in politics. Reading it allowed me to understand the world better.

Doug grew up in a small town outside of Buffalo, New York, the second youngest of five kids. Following in his father’s footsteps, Doug took his love of math and science and decided to get into engineering. One of the first classes he took in college was a programming class and instantly, Doug knew he had found his calling – Computer Programming. {One of the most in-demand professions, especially in Austin. If only I had known that in college…oh, and if only I had any natural math abilities or interest. OK, never mind.}

How’d You Get Here?

Part of Doug’s education requirements at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) were five quarters of internship. When an Austin-based company came to campus, Doug decided he’d apply. Getting accepted provided a mix of emotion. On one hand, he was eager for the opportunity and the experience. On the other hand, Doug had been through Texas with his brothers on a road trip, and wasn’t exactly impressed. If all you know of Texas is the panhandle, and you aren’t a fan of wide swaths of nothing but dirt, wind and desolation, then Texas probably isn’t on your Top 10 list of places to live. Or your Top 50, for that matter. Doug took a chance and when he got to Austin, he was pleasantly surprised.

When I ask Doug about the event that shaped him most as a person, he names two. First, losing his father in an auto accident when he was still in high school. Although we don’t get into the details, I can only imagine how devastating that was for Doug and his family. Then second was getting a scholarship to RIT, because Doug says without it, he would not have been able to afford the tuition, which means he would likely have not made his way to Austin, and hence would not have met the woman who is now his wife and mother of his 15-month-old son. Interesting how events in life are not only tied together, but often are dependent on one another.

Not So Surprising

Doug says the thing that people might be surprised to learn about him, particularly folks who only know him professionally, is his passion for the outdoors and adventuring. His analytical, engineering mind often comes in handy during these adventures. Recall earlier when Doug asked if I wanted to know his most interesting “fix-it” story? Doug tells me about a motorcycling adventure he and a buddy went on. They decided to do a little off-roading. Doug’s skills weren’t as fine-tuned as they could have been, and he had a bit of a crash. Nothing major; no injuries. But he did manage to snap off his clutch lever in the process. When his buddy went to town for help, Doug quickly tired of reading his book and decided to attempt a repair. First, he whittled a clutch lever replica out of wood. Looked great, but once he attempted to use it, the wood snapped under the torque. This failure gave Doug the idea that he could make something functional, even if it didn’t look like the lever. A screwdriver part, duct tape, a coat hanger and a twist tie proved to be the perfect combination. Doug drove the bike back down the mountain, found his pal – who had ordered the part with next-day delivery – and they were soon back on the road.

Doug has yet another MacGyver-like story of motorcycle repair. Different trip, same friend. Rains had caused a slick spot on the road and Doug ended up taking another spill – this time skidding to a stop in a ditch. He was fine and thought the bike was as well, but he soon realized the back brake pedal was bent and unusable. Analytical problem-solving mode kicked in, and Doug decided they can turn a campfire into a forge; heat the metal up and bend it back into shape. Just three attempts at it, and the bike was as good as new.

It’s not at all surprising that Doug names his problem-solving abilities as his most useful skill. He tells me it was his analytical skills that got him a college scholarship – when the test he took was completely made up of analytical problems. He finished and felt the test was a snap, and was surprised to hear other students bemoaning the test’s difficulty. We all have had that moment when you realize not everyone is the same as you. Usually in college or early adulthood. For Doug, the skills have proven useful professional and personally.

A Softer Approach

How about a lesson Doug wishes he had learned sooner in life? It relates to the negative side of possessing such an analytical bent. When it comes to interacting with others and communicating with people, not everything is black and white. Not all decisions can be reasoned through. Doug says he recognizes now that some of his early interactions were more harsh and brash than they needed to be. He’s embraced a softer communication style and has come to realize that sometimes logic does not prevail.

A ritual or habit Doug says contributes to his overall happiness and well-being is his commitment to staying active. It used to be running, and has shifted more to mountain biking. When his son was born, Doug wanted to be home more, so he decided he could bike to work and accomplish a few objectives at once. He gets his exercise and because of Austin’s nasty traffic, his commute time isn’t much longer on bike than it would be in a car.

Time For An Adventure

This activity level also serves to keep him in shape for another one of his passions – Adventure Racing. I didn’t know what that was, so Doug explained it is a team event that combines mountain biking, trekking and paddling – usually in a canoe or kayak. He has participated in this type of race since roughly 2005, and at one time was so into it that he had races up to five weekends in a row. In answer to my question about the most significant thing that’s happened to him in the last 30 days, he tells me an old friend found him and invited him to be on his team for an upcoming race.

Another interesting aspect of this type of race is that they are navigationally based. So you don’t get a course map. You get coordinates and it’s up to you and your team to figure out the best route. A combination of physical and mental exertion. Oh, and they are typically 12, 18 or 24 hour races. And no, you don’t sleep during the race.

North-Bound

Knowing all of this, it isn’t at all surprising to me that on May 4th, 2008, Doug set off to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. He enjoys testing himself physically and mentally – and the AT will push you to the edge of both, and then give you a little shove so that you are left teetering on a very thin line. Most can’t endure, and that final shove is the last straw. They get injured, they get lonely, or they just can’t take one more day of hiking.

Finishers of the AT thru-hike are known as “2000 Milers” – even though it’s more like 2,200 miles. By the time you finish, you have taken over 5 million steps. Doing the hike is strenuous and the terrain is mountainous. In fact, by the end, a hiker has hiked the elevation equivalent of hiking from sea level to the top of Mount Everest 16 times. Whoa!

In the Minority

Approximately 1,800 people attempt the AT thru-hike every year, and depending on which statistics you go by, 15-25% of those who start, fully committed to hiking the entire trail, actually do. Doug is one of the roughly 14,000 people who have completed the hike since the trail opened in 1937. Quite the fraternity to be a member of.

Doug shared stories, tips, advice and inspiration. We chatted for three hours about the trail, and if you had asked me how long it had been, it seemed like 30 minutes. Doug absolutely came to life when he talked about the trail. I’d say with nearly the amount of enthusiasm and love as when he talked about his wife and son. Nearly. The trail holds a very special place in Doug’s heart, and he admits, as we leave, he’s a little envious of me as I make plans for my very own adventure. I’m grateful for the knowledge and the first-hand account of the AT.

AT Pro Tips

I realize not everyone is as interested in the AT as I am, so I will summarize a few highlights of the three hours into a handful of bullet points.

• Hazards were my first concern – especially bears. Doug says he did have several bear sightings on his hike, but he says the most common part of the bear you see is his backside, as he runs off into the forest to get away from you. The exception is momma bear when she has cubs in tow. In that case, you’ll just need to be patient and be prepared to hike way out of her way to avoid confrontation. Same with rattlesnakes. They will let you know they are there. So pay attention. Respect their space and carry a big stick.
• Speaking of sticks: walking poles are a must. But Doug says there’s no reason to pay $100 or more for fancy metal poles. He found ample sticks in the woods that served the purpose quite nicely and he never worried about them getting stolen or attracting lighting in a storm – both concerns with fancy metal ones.
• You will stink. Doug tells me he started the hike with spare clothes and quickly realized it wasn’t worth the extra weight in his pack. He’d go into town stinky as could be. He’d clean up, and by the end of the next days’ hike, he was filthy and smelly all over again. So why bother changing clothes? Better to have a lighter pack.
• Hitchhiking is the norm, and offers opportunity for connection. Doug admits that a solo female hiker has her own concerns, but he advises me to get comfortable with hitching a ride into town – which you need to do every 4 to 5 days to get more food, wash up and do laundry. Doug says that a lot of his special memories came from the generosity of the folks who offered him a ride. And for someone as interested in strangers as I am, he says I’ll have a blast.
• Speaking of magic – trail magic is a thing. People who live near the trail do all kinds of nice things for the hikers. Some of Doug’s favorites include coolers of beer, fresh fruit and candy. Really, any time you can eat something that you didn’t have to carry, it’s a real treat.
• You will want to quit. You will be exhausted. You will be worn out. Your feet will hurt. And you will get lonely. Doug says everyone has at least one moment when they seriously consider giving up and going home. His advice – never make a decision when you are emotional and tired. Hike into town and spend a night in a hotel. Spend two nights there if you have to. And then get back on the trail and make sure you really, really want to quit. I heard a quote once that I will paraphrase – but essentially it’s that the pain and fatigue are temporary, but quitting is forever.

Finishing

Doug is full of great advice, so I ask him what his message to the world would be, if given 30 seconds to offer it. He admits that he thought some of my earlier questions were tough – but this one is the hardest yet. In a tone that suggests more of a question than an answer, he offers, “Don’t worry, be happy?” Then he catches his stride and adds, “Live a good life. Do stuff that makes you happy, but that doesn’t make other people unhappy. Live life by the golden rule and don’t expect things from other people. If everybody lived by that, we’d have a whole lot fewer problems.”

I love that. Do what you love – as long as you aren’t hurting others in the process. Doug’s story also offers a reminder to make time for the goals that are important to you. If you have a dream, there is a way to achieve it. A simple way of figuring out your path is to ask someone who has been there for advice. Life, like the AT thru-hike, isn’t promised to be easy. There will be trials, set-backs, injuries and exhaustion. There will also be connection, accomplishment, kindness and magic.

Life, like the trail, is what you make of it. Live big or live small. The days will go by, no matter if you’re sitting on the couch wishing you were somewhere else, or if you’re out there living a dream. It’s easy to forget that we only get one shot, and this is it. I am grateful to Doug for reminding me that lots of people start something. Very few people are finishers. Doug is a finisher. And I’m planning to start off, following in his footsteps, and do some finishing myself. Stay tuned, friends. And here’s to whatever you decide to finish next!