When Steve and I undertake this hike, and then complete this hike, we are going to be going through quite startling physical transformations over the course of the 6-month hiking adventure.
We are both going to lose weight. A LOT of weight. Once we get into full hiking shape, on the trail, it will be impossible for us to eat enough daily calories to make up for what we are burning on a daily basis.
We are going to finish as lean, mean, walking machines…..easily in the best physical shapes of our lives from the past three decades or so.
We are also going to have a little more hair. Yes, even Steve….will have hair……….. 6 months of uncut, ungroomed hair! And beards! Six months of glorious hiking beards!
I have seen a trend in looking at photos of male hikers who have completed the trail.
Without fail, a male hiker will start the trail in Georgia, with no two hikers looking alike, and by the time they finish atop Mt. Katahdin in Maine, EVERY male hiker will look like the spitting image of 1980’s Singing Sensation Kenny Loggins.
At first, I thought…..COOL!! I go into this hike looking like Santa Claus’ twin brother and I come out the other end looking like 1980’s Kenny Loggins!
The wife was OK with this….
“You’re gonna look like Kenny Loggins from my High School days huh Idiot? I can live with that…”
But..
Then, I realized that this phenomenon only applies to hikers under the age of 40.
My eyes feverishly looked through photos of “older” hikers, hoping that they would at least come out of the hike looking like…
Actor Sam Elliott.
Yeah! That’s the ticket! I go in looking like Santa Claus….and come out looking like Sam Elliott!
The wife hears me talking to myself and yells across the room… “I could live with Sam Elliott!! Of course YOU would have to move out….but Sam could stay!”
But, of course, this was not to be.
I looked closer at photographs of hikers atop Katahdin that would be in OUR age range by the time we finish the hike.
Ouch!!
Without fail, every male hiker over the age of 40 who actually completes the trail, will be posing atop the sign on Mt. Katahdin and will be the spitting image of…
Someone quite different.
No Kenny Loggins for Steve or I….
No Sam Elliott for the wife.
Instead..
Just call us “Uncle Jesse”…………
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