What I've Learned

(I wrote this before I finished, and just had time to type it up, so remember that I was still on the trail when all of these thoughts and emotions came out. I still beleive in all of them, and I hope that some of these may help a few people understand how my mind works now. )

I had plenty of time to reflect on things that are important to me. And I have actually learned a few things while being in the woods for 5 months. If you will sit back for a few minutes, please let me share my life changing discovery's.... This could get deep.
I have been so tired mentally and physically the past few weeks I had almost forgotten what life is really all about...

True happiness- Someone once said to me "little is needed for a happy life." What a true statement. I have been walking now for over 2000 miles. The past 5 months of my life has been dedicated to this project, my dream. Helping do my part to change the world, and learning what I am capable of. Its what makes me happy, Ive been able to get back into nature and talk to everyone about the impact they leave behind them from trash to life, it all makes a difference.

Do what makes you happy.

Never Quit-I have learned to never give up, no matter how hard life or the trail may be. Rain or shine, thick or thin, together or alone. I wont stop.. You learn what you are capable of when you are put into a miserable situation. Ive had good days and bad days. I even had a couple days where I wanted to quit, but I couldn't. I am to proud (maybe stubborn) to give in.

Compassion-Their are people out there who will do anything for you. It does not matter how far or difficult it may be to get to you, they will drop everything to make sure you are alright. You think that most strangers don't care, well I can tell you that some do. Ive been invited into homes, had meals cooked by people I met on the street. I hope one day to live in a world where everyone cares about each others well-being.

Remember who you are-Ive learned what it means to true to my heart. Never sell yourself short, in anything. Life, job, relationship, whatever your case may be, you deserve the best and don't settle for anything less than perfection. This is your life we are talking about. Remember what your parents taught you, and what your heart tells you.

Slow down or you'll miss something-I think a lot of people have really gotten caught up in the fast paced world we live in. We email instead of calling, we get fast food instead of sitting down to enjoy each others company. We have forgotten what its like to slow down, catch our breath and enjoy this place that was created for us, this beautiful planet. Sure we go with our family's to the beach every summer, but we are still thinking about that bill that needs to be paid, or presentation that's due next week. Kids are stuck to video games instead of being outside getting dirty, parents are working late and missing those special moments with there families. Just slow down, enjoy your life, beacause one day.....one day, you wont have it.

Be good to each other-If everyone would smile a little more everyday, due something kind for a stranger, take a day out of the week to read to a child. We would live in a much kinder place. We are all apart of the human race right? So what really makes us that different? Remember that smiling is contagious.

Live for today-You are only going to be here August 16th 2008 one day in your life. Make it worthwile otherwise your going to wake up at 80 years old and wonder "where did all the time go?" Tomorrow is no guarantee for anyone. So do what you can today to help.

Remember that everyone needs help once an awhile-I was trying to hitchhike to town today when a car drove by me and yelled something about being a hippie...Instead of seeing that I was soaked to the bone and just needed a little help getting 3 miles into town, I got yelled at.Unfortunately this is the world we live in sometimes. Last night, a hiker got to the shelter after walking all day in the rain and realized had left his spoon at the last lean-to, so another hiker let him borrow his. Someone else gathered everyones water bottles and filled them up without asking.

These are reasons that leaving the trail will be difficult. I will take what I have learned out here and apply it to the "real" world I return to. I hope its contagious. Love for one another, love for our planet.

These are just a FEW things that I have learned. I am sure the rest will come out soon......in my next adventure......

stay tuned for more adventures......

you can also check me out at
http://adventuresofjordan.blogspot.com/

Made it home!!! and Thank you!

Well its been a week since I've been home..."home"

I got huge news right before I finished the A.T., I was asked to fly out to Colorado to present a little presentation at the Democratic National Convention!!! So I finished the trail the 18th, flew home the 19th, went into work in Atlanta to get my presentation together the 20th, flew to Colorado the 21st......whewwww!

I worked with my brother at the "Rock the Vote Mobile" tour in Denver for a couple days which was great to help young people of America register to vote. On Wednesday I got to go into the Hyatt to set up a table at the "Green Delegate Challenge Reception" put on by Tava. I had the pleasure of speaking to numerous delegates from across this great country about my journey on the "Trek Against Trash." What a phenomenal experience to get to meet these people, they loved the set up, ideas and stories that I told them. It was wonderful to meet people as enthusiastic about the environment as I am!!!

Well after Denver I flew home Friday afternoon, landed in Atlanta, got in a car and drove to Columbia SC to see my Grandparents.....and just got 15 minutes to breath and update my blog....

Thank Yous!
I just wanted to take a few minutes to thank a few special people/companies for the support they gave-

Carlie "Gucci" Roberts, Thank you for your help, ideas, support and friendship. The trail was not the same without you. Without you this would not have developed the way it did. You walked from Georgia to Pennsylvania what a huge accomplishment! Thank you for everything.

Keep America Beautiful.....what can I say other than WOW!! What a fantastic organization you are! You are the reason that we even stepped foot on the A.T. You helped bring our ideas to life and brought all of your affiliates to support this journey. I hope that our relationship/friendship will continue for a LONG time.

Rob Wallace- You are the man. You are the MAIN reason that any of this happened. We pitched the idea to you, and spoke to you from Springer to Maine. You even showed to climb Katahdin with me. You have become a life long friend, and I could not have asked for a better support team than you and your crew.

Qorvis, you are the reason we had ANY media at all!! Thank you, we would not have been prepared with those quick answers and great tag lines without you. We would have had no radio, magazine or newspaper media if you had not done what you guys do so well.

Sprint, Thank you for your support from the beginning. Without you we would not have been able to blog along the way, OR call our families every time we had service (which was pretty much the WHOLE trail)

Leki, holy goodness......Really?? I would have made it 30 miles without you. I don't need to say much.......but my knees do, Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! You are awesome!!

Mountainsmith, Thank you for being a pioneer in the backpacking world. You have created an outstanding recycled backpack! I put this thing through the ringer, and you held strong in every way possible. I dropped, kicked, beat and got rained on with my awesome pack. And she never....EVER let me down. Thank you for being the BEST BACKPACK I have EVER owned.

My Mom, I love you! You kept me fed well, kept my head up, and are such an inspiration to me. You showed up when I felt like I had nothing, made me laugh, and hugged me when I cried. I could not have asked for a better Mother. Thank you and I love you.

Dad... you helped keep me more than you will ever know. From your letters to your phone calls, you always had the right words to keep me going. You have helped mold me into the man I have become. I love you, thank you!

You are BOTH my Best Friends, Hero's and Inspiration to keep me doing what I do. Thank you.

Family and Friends, I cant name all of you because too many supported me, BUT the few that never stopped showing love, Thamer, Austin, KG, Miss. Wise, Rouge, McBaine, Terry and Zoey, Vernon FD and on and on. THANK YOU. WOW! I had NO idea that so many people cared and followed this adventure. I love and will never EVER forget you and all you did for me.

The final mountain of the Appalachian Trail -Mt. Katahdin

Wow! This thing was HUGE!!!!!

August 17th- The day before...
I didn't sleep last night. I arrived in Baxter State Park in the morning pretty early. I got to the base of the mountain at the ranger station to see that a few of my friends were actually climbing as I was signing in......wow its really almost over.

I asked the ranger for my "2,000 Mile Application" to prove that I actually hiked from Georgia to Maine. After filling out the form I sat down to read a book......all day. Once my friends came down I chatted about the climb and weather and congratulated them on the accomplishment. As the sun was starting to set I got to the Birches lean-to for the night and started my last camp fire on the A.T.......sad.

Just as I got it going a few nice section hikers came into the campsite with....congrats cake and ice cream, yummmmmmm!! Trail Magic at its finest! My great friend Rob from Keep America Beautiful showed up just in time to hang out before bed time. We had a big day tomorrow.....climb Mt Kathahdin!

August 18th- The Day

Well its been 5 months on the date since I left Springer Mountain, and it has been a heck of a journey. I was up at about 4am giddy like a child in toys-r-us with excitement. Rob and I had agreed to meet around 6:30 to get everything ready, and we set off...and up at around 7am.

The first mile of the hike was peaceful and flat....and then we hit mile two. Hand over hand rock climbing for about 2 miles. No joke, it was the most technical climb of the whole trail, but so well worth it.

As Rob and I slowly made our way over the steep part of Katahdin we had a table top stop for the last mile and a half to the summit of Katahdin. With about a quarter mile to go I had the sign in sight....I could see the end of the road ahead. So what did I do? Run. As fast as I could to the top. Full of joy I reached the sign and gave it a huge hug and kiss. (Yes I know it is an old wooden sign, but I had walked from Georgia for this very moment). It was one of the happiest moments in my 25 years of life.

I posed for pictures and enjoyed the scenery for half an hour, just as we were finishing up the clouds were starting to roll in again. I got to summit Mt Katahdin with blue skies and beautiful views of all of Maine.

Next Blogs-
Thank Yous
and Final Thoughts

The "100 mile wetness......I mean wilderness"

So as usual leaving the town of Monson was wet......whats new? I got to the sign that warned hikers to beware of the "100 mile wilderness." All it meant was no resupply for 100 miles. What it SHOULD have warned us about was the "streams" that we would be crossing.....but I will get to that in a minute.

So the first day in I met up with a few old buddies along the way. We decided to hike for a bit together, and I am glad I did. I actually fell twice in a day.....twice in one day!! I was stunned. Thank goodness it didn't hurt and was kind of funny. I had made it over 2,000 miles only falling once....now two times in a day. I must be getting excited to finish.

We got to the first ford of a "stream" (imagine me doing the quotations with my hands and making a very disturbing face when saying "steam") and it was no joke. We had to put on our big boy pants to get across. Luckily we had a rope strung across it so we had something to hang onto, if not.......bye bye Bearfoot. As you got into the "stream" you could feel the Class five rapids trying to ripe you clothes off and throw you down, I am glad that no one got hurt because some of them were kind of scary

Well the wilderness was not all that difficult, lots of river fords. Lots of mud, rain and gunk. Nothing new for Maine. BUT what the wilderness did have was....... our first view of Mt Katahdin, from Whitecap Mountain. It was refreshing to see the end, but sad at the same time.

The last 50 miles of the wilderness was pretty much flat, but roots and rocks everywhere. So we cruised fairly fast. We got to the base of Kathadin and relaxed for the next day to take in the views, and I am glad we did.

Next stop-

Mt. Katahdin!!!!!

Coming to a Close....

Well Hello friends! I am currently sitting 114 miles away from Mt Katahdin in Monson, Maine.

Ive got good news and bad news-

Bad news-

Its still raining

My facial hair looks like I am a 16 year old high school student....

Good News-

I hit 2,000 Miles!

I am still moving forward and I'm almost done!

Okay now I need a little group participation. With a show of hands please let me know if-

You have walked 2,000 miles this year? (Mine is raised!)

You recycle at home and work? (If your hand is not up, we are no longer friends)

If you've ever cried yourself to sleep because the weather was so bad? (okay, I haven't done that yet, but come close a few times)

Anyway I have seen the sun for a total of 2 hours this entire week. The shelter I staying in last night was freezing!!! It was 45 degrees....burrrrrr. I am a Georgia boy who is use to 100 degree days every day by now, so my body is a little confused!

I saw my first Moose the other day.....Holy COW!!! I am 6"1' and I MIGHT have come to the top of his leg. I would have gotten a picture of him, but my cameras were in my pack trying to stay dry. I have gotten use to the waste deep rushing river fords that keep happening on a daily basis here in Maine. I don't think I have enjoyed any of them....until the Kennebec. All I had to do was wave my hand, and a guy in a canoe came over to pick me up! The down side was all the rain has made the water level rise 15 feet in a couple of days so paddling across this thing was something serious. My arms still hurt a little bit.

Maine....oh Maine, You have tested my very soul. From climbing the Mahoosuc the most difficult mile on the trail as far as I'm concerned) up, down, crawl, climb, around, over, under, the boulders. To the steeeeeep ups and downs of Saddleback and the Bigelow's with 50mph wind. You have given my no views, no sun and only misery. But I still love you. Your trails are muddy and wet, but they are better than being back in the real world sitting in traffic.

Maine, you will be a state that I come back to. I can tell that you are beautiful when your dry. The lakes are breathtaking and the wildlife is everywhere.

115 mile to go. Getting ready to enter the "100 Mile Wilderness" to Mt Katahdin. I plan on summiting Katahdin with my Keep America Beautiful friend Rob on August 18th in the morning. Then I will get to an airport and fly home........ahhh home. wow I miss saying that.

I promise to blog as soon as I get home about Mt Katahdin and my overall Appalachian Trail experience and thoughts. I have posted some news videos and pictures from the trail, so make sure to check them out!!!

Thank you all for your support and kind words. Without you I would still be somewhere in Virginia....

T-Minus 10 days......

No Pain, No Rain, No Maine!!!

Well let me tell you a little story about a place called Maine. Like I said before, the only way to get up and over a mountain is literally straight up and down. Which I would not mind at all, BUT the weather has decided to continue to pour buckets on us all day and night. Am I cold? Yes. Am I tired? Yes. Am I sick of stepping knee deep in freezing water? YES!!!

Today at Bemis "stream" the water was waste deep and rushing wild!!! I got three steps in it and felt the current trying to take me away, so I waited for a few minutes for my good friend "Pipper" to get down the hill. We brainstormed for a few minutes and then saw a tree that had fallen across the whole "stream." So we decided that it was best to shimmy across this thing and hope for the best........well I am still here talking to you, but we barley made it.

I have walked, crawled, shook, climbed, rolled and danced through Maine and it never seems to get any easier. 70% of the trail is under ankle/knee deep water, the other 30% is hand over hand rock climbing slick mountains. Needless to say, I am mentally and physically exhausted. Every local that Ive talked to has said this is as wet as it has ever been here. My clothes are starting to get moldy and stink like something died in them. The end is near, but not not near enough. This is a picture of what the entire A.T. looks like...... really? I am thinking about blowing up my Big Agnes recycled sleeping pad and floating down the rest of this thing...thoughts?

Last night at the Lean-to, we got in as the rain was starting to pick up AGAIN and realized that it had a leaky roof.......yeah I know. So we rigged up the canopy to my hammock to catch the water and re-direct it outside....we are awesome! Check out the picture.

I do a non-rain dance every morning, but it never seems to work.

The "Trail Spirits" have sent a message to all of the Thru-Hikers, "we are going to make or break anyone that enters Maine." My response (along with all the others) is........... "BRING IT ON!! I can, swim, climb, and walk through anything you throw at me. You are only making all of the hikers more determined than ever to get to Katahdin."

We had part of the trail wiped out by a land slide due to how wet everything is. Thank goodness that no hikers were on that part of trail when it happened. Once we got to the disaster area, we saw that the only way up was to climb up the roots of fallen trees. We had about a quarter mile up....I mean, straight up. The picture is what it looked like.....wow.

I am trying to get done a little earlier than expected due to this weather. I hope that everyone that reads this will do a special non-rain dance for us thru-hikers trying to finish without drowning out here.

A special story for those of you that know me very well..

I was walking yesterday when a sobo (Southbounder, Maine-Georgia) his trail name was "Flame"said to me,

Flame-"you know the guy hiking in front of you?"

Me-"What? Who?"

Flame- "a big guy with a big pack, said his name was T"

Me- "I don't know a T out here"

Flame- "I asked if he was hiking with anyone and what was in his pack, and he said.... hiking with J and he was carrying the world! he told me that you were a mile back or so and to tell you that he is helping take it off your shoulders and he doesn't mind carrying it for a little while, so take it easy."

Me- "whaa? are you being serious?"

Flame- "very why?"

Me- "No reason, thank you, have a great hike"

I asked a few nobo and sobo's if they met "Flame" or "T." No one had met or seen either.

Its funny how the world works, I am not going to explain the story to you guys, but those of you that know me....really know me will know exactly who "T" is. Thanks T and Flame, without you guys, the load in my bag would be a lot heavier.....

Someone is always watching and helping you. Even when you feel like your all alone in the wilderness.

Magnificent Maine! and Welcome to the family Merrell!!!!

Hello friends! I just walked into Andover, Maine!!! Which is incredibly exciting for me for a few reasons.

1. Maine is one of the few states that I have never been to (Hawaii, Alaska and North Dakota left)
2. It means that I am within striking distance from Mt. Katahdin!
3. umm.... I WALKED HERE!!!

So far the terrain has been very difficult, for some reason the trail makers decided not to make any switchbacks up these mountains. You walk to the base of the mountain, look straight up, sigh loudly enough so someone can hear it to show your frustration, and put one foot in front of the other. Climb over boulders and sharp rocks, and then head straight down the other side, which is just as steep.

Another very VERY exciting sponsor has decided to help me out along the "Trek." Hello and Thank you Merrell shoes!

My last pair of trail runners lasted about 1,000 miles but just were not cutting it through the whites. So I called up the folks at Merrell and introduced myself. They were kind enough to send me a sweet pair of shoes to help finish out the Trek Against Trash in Maine! Between the comfort level of the Merrell shoe itself and the sticky Vibram sole, it will be like walking on a cloud through the rest of Maine!

I will give my full review after I summit Katahdin, but as in the past... Merrell never ceases to amaze me with the comfort and style of shoes they produce.


Next stops-
Stratton, Maine
Monson, Maine
Baxter State Park
259 Miles to Mt. Katahdin