The Massachusetts Turnpike: An unlikely place as any to start a thru-hike. That is, if you consider what I did a thru-hike. For most saner long-distance hikers, the norm is to start at either end. I did not want to experience the hordes at Springer and did not want to wait until summer to start on Katahdin. The logical alternative was to start somewhere in the middle and hike to one terminus, then come back to the middle and hike to the other end. So, on one cold spring morning, I started in home territory, New England, and hiked south towards Springer with pure virgin trail in front. Those first few days and weeks were a tentative time, with frequent physical tests that I did not fully anticipate. Under complaints from my left foot, I took breaks at my brother's and father's place before I got on a good stretch run and put the Mid-Atlantic states behind me. At the same time, the northbound thru-hiker crowd started hitting its peak. Summer was on!

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