Beyond The Rainbow's End
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"Come, my friend - 'Tis not too late to
seek a newer world...to sail beyond the setting sun, and all the
baths of the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs
shall wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy
Isles, and see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Though much
is taken, much abides;
and though we are not now that strength
which in olden days moved earth and heaven;
that which we
are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
made weak by
time and fate, but strong in will:
to strive, to seek, to find,
and never to yield.""Ulysses", by Alfred Lord Tennyson
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I give you the tale of a most ordinary couple
and their extraordinary quest - a four-year, 2000 mile pilgrimage on a
winding footpath from Georgia to Maine. But it's far more than just a path from Georgia to Maine - it's
a path from darkness to illumination, from novice to artist, from failure to redemption. It's a life-changing bit of
Americana known as the "Appalachian Trail".
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We are Bob & Coleen Bridges, lured from our midwest roots
by a job opportunity to your nation's capitol. Life here
began with 11 years as a corporate pilot, and Coleen doing a brief
stint as a flight attendant before returning to her training as a
nurse. Fun as corporate flying was, a life of ease at the airlines
was even more enticing, and I (Bob) enlisted with World Airways -
the "jack of all trades" in the airline business. We fly passengers,
freight, military, charters, even hajji pilgrims to Mecca in
a fleet of widebody DC-10's, MD-11's, and Boeing 747's. I found myself with ample time
off and a desire for some new challenge we could share as a couple. |
| My "day" job - our new 747 at Hong Kong
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| So it was that on our 15th anniversary we
climbed into a sea of cloud atop Mount Springer, GA, southern
terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The days that followed would
transform us from our lackluster professional personas to the wily
and adventurous Wildfire* and Wounded Knee. In the kinship of the
trail, we're no longer just a couple, but a part of a vast movement,
an immense band of brothers each going to sleep nightly dreaming of
a common goal - a mountain in Maine called
Katahdin.
Four full years the quest for the mountain held us in its sway, until finally in October 2003 the path entered the
famed "100-mile Wilderness" - the final hurdle on the road to Katahdin. With a dozen fellow hikers we slogged
through the fords and over the summits, standing together at the threshold of the Promised Land on October 11 -
Valhalla itself couldn't have been any more beautiful! Next morning at first light we all forged up the final climb,
touching the sign at 10:12 am with an elation beyond description, and yet a sorrow that we'll never again duplicate the
feeling of this moment.
These are the chronicles of our pilgrimage -
enjoy them and share our quest!!
Links & Shows
We experienced a fleeting celebrity when the Washington Post carried an account of this hike in December 03.
It can be found here.
Pictures from our October 2005 Hawaii trip may be found here. (Webshots)
But what you really came for is the SlideShows :
You'll need a high-speed internet connection and speakers, but it's well worth the effort.
Have the sound cranked, and be sure to select Full
Screen using the right mouse menu.
(Note: If this is your first Proshow viewing, the web page will install the 2 MB Presenter software needed to
view the shows) Happy Trails!!
Our 2009 hike on the High Sierra Trail (the high Sierra's in
California). 9 minutes
Our 2008 hike to finish the on the John Muir Trail (the high Sierra's in
California). 10 minutes
Our 2007 hike on the Continental Divide in Colorado. 16 minutes
Our 2006 hike on the John Muir Trail (the high Sierra's in California). 19
minutes
Overnight winter camp in Shenandoah Natl Park. 3 minutes
Remember to select Full Screen with the right mouse key menu as the show starts - Enjoy!!
The following list contains links to each sections we hiked - click on the departure point to go straight to the
journal page for that hike. To return to this home page, click on the bear in the upper or lower left corner. I've
also added the Off-Trail button to a page with an update from the rest of our lives. Enjoy!!
| From |
To |
Date |
Mileage |
|
Front Royal VA |
Harpers Ferry WV |
Oct 1999 |
45.9 miles |
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Mt Springer GA |
Dicks Creek Gap GA |
Nov 1999 |
66.8 miles |
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Big Meadows VA (Shenandoah NP) |
Panorama VA (Shenandoah NP) |
Dec 1999 |
18.3 miles |
|
Dicks Creek Gap GA |
Wesser NC |
Feb 2000 |
67.3 miles |
|
Harpers Ferry WV |
Smithsburg PA |
Apr 2000 |
30.7 miles |
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Bellvale NY |
Delaware Water Gap NJ |
May 2000 |
78.3 miles |
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Erwin TN |
Hampton TN |
Jun 2000 |
65.6 miles |
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Stormville NY |
Bellvale NY |
Aug 2000 |
60.6 miles |
|
Williamstown MA |
Great Barrington MA |
Oct 2000 |
63 miles |
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Caledonia SP (PA) |
Smithsburg PA |
Oct 2000 |
27.3 miles |
|
Caledonia SP (PA) |
Pine Grove Furnace PA |
Nov 2000 |
20 miles |
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Hot Springs NC |
Erwin TN |
Feb 2001 |
67.8 miles |
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Port Clinton PA |
Delaware Water Gap NJ |
Mar 2001 |
77.5 miles |
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Duncannon PA |
Port Clinton PA |
May 2001 |
69.9 miles |
| Great Barrington MA | Stormville NY | Jun 2001 | 96.8 miles
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| Panorama VA (Shenandoah NP) | Front Royal VA | Jul 2001 | 36.1
miles
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| Wesser NC | Newfound Gap TN (Smokies NP) | Nov 2001 | 69.7
miles
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| Burkes Garden VA | Elk Garden VA (Mount Rogers SP) | Jan
2002 | 81.0 miles
| | Duncannon PA | Pine Grove Furnace PA | Feb 2002 | 45.1 miles
| | Burkes Garden VA | Pearisburg, VA | Mar 2002 | 57.5 miles
| | Big Meadows VA (Shenandoah NP) | Rockfish Gap, VA | Apr
2002 | 60.9 miles
| | Elk Garden VA (Mount Rogers SP) | Hampton, TN | May 2002 | 74.4
miles
| | Franconia Notch NH | Gorham, NH | June 2002 | 74.8 miles
| | Franconia Notch NH | Reel Brook Trail NH | July 2002 | 9.8
miles
| | Danby, VT | North Adams, MA | Sept 2002 | 75.8 miles
| | Rangeley, ME | Monson, ME | Oct 2002 | 105.5 miles
| | Newfound Gap (Smokies) | Hot Springs, NC | Nov 2002 | 67.1
miles
| | Rockfish Gap, VA | Dripping Rocks Picnic Area, VA | Dec
2002 | 13.5 miles
| | Pearisburg, VA | Daleville, VA | Mar 2003 | 91.9 miles
| | Gorham, NH | Rangeley, ME | May 2003 | 77.9 miles
| | Daleville, VA | Dripping Rocks Picnic Area, VA | June
2003 | 119.9 miles
| | Reel Brook Trail NH | Hanover, NH | Aug 2003 | 59.4 miles
| | Hanover, NH | Danby, VT | Sept 2003 | 78.1 miles
| | Monson, ME | Mt Katahdin | Oct 2003 | 114.5 miles
| | | | | |
| Total Mileage to date: | | | 2,169 miles
| Mileage left: | We're DONE!! | | 0 miles
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*In AT
tradition, each hiker is bestowed a trail name reflecting some
aspect of their hike. Coleen's name refers to a small knee strap
that eases her strain on the downhills; and Bob's to an event which
occurred on our 1st night on the trail, in Rod Hollow shelter. The
tab marked AT Q & A offers more info on AT traditions and
definitions such as these.
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