Hiker Man, Coming Thru.

Mommy was in love with all things Appalachian Trail. Detailing his journey along the trail, Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods” is what sent my mom into Appalachian fever. Though I didn’t get to experience too many of the hikes with her, she’d gotten to do a few short hikes with my Aunt M and Aunt E (insert other family member names here) the years before she passed away. On one hike I had missed, the fams crossed paths with a thru-hiker, my mother completely enthralled, asking him question after question about his trek. My mother was relentless about me reading “A Walk in the Woods,” and although I am a picky reader, I finally gave in and started reading it a few months ago. Though I haven’t finished it, I wish I could have been there, because I have dozens of questions for mister mysterious hiker man.

Driving home the other day, I realized there is a small part of the road that "the trail" cuts across. Now, I use the term "the trail" loosely because I don’t actually know if it's the Appalachian trail, but a trail nonetheless. That should theoretically count for the integrity of the story, correct? So anyways, said trail, said road, the point is that the car in front of me was stopped. A hiker man with a large pack, sleeping bag and everything hanging off, was crossing the road. I’ve driven that road an unbelievable amount of times, never once seeing anyone cross at the junction. Although I hope it’s not the same hiker man my mom met (for he would have to had been going in circles for some time), I like the signs mommy sends me to let me know she’s just “passing thru.”