Thanks for the congrats! It was quite an undertaking but provided me with a lot of personal, physical, mental, and spiritual growth along the way. As an added bonus, it was fun too!
This endeavor required a fair amount of sacrifice in terms of:
Time - Nearly as much time planning as executing. If had to pay by the minute for Acme Mapper and Google Earth, I'd be broke right now!
Personal Relationships - Does my family even remember what I look like?
Dollars - Thousands of dollars in gas and motel fees. I should have used a credit card that earned me points for gas and motels. I'd be able to do Round Two for free...
Auto - I put over 100k miles on my poor Avalon in three years, many of them on logging roads and worse. It's a wonder she still runs and drives. Ava's getting some pampering now though; new struts, wheel bearings, and sneakers. She's going to the spa next week for a complete detail.
Eyesight - Three lacerated corneas along the way. I found it's not enough to carry safety glasses in your pack. You actually have to wear them to be effective.
Physical - I collected bruises and scares like some people collect coins or stamps. Also, glucosamine chondroitin is a permanent part of my diet. I somehow managed to avoid any broken bones, though.
Vacuum Cleaner Bags - I don't know how many pounds of spruce needles I've vacuumed up off the carpet and out of the car but it's a bunch. My vacuum cleaner emits a nice Christmassy scent every time I use it!
Each person that tackles one of these big lists does so for their own reasons and I had mine. Surprisingly, it never felt like a chore or burden. Sure, there were some days that I wondered what the heck I was doing in the middle of the woods, climbing to another viewless summit to find nothing but more woods. For the most part though, those days were few and far between. I couldn't wait for every weekend to come so I could get back to the woods.
I appreciate all those that joined me on various hikes; especially Van Pol who was with me on hundreds of summits. A lot of great people gave me lots of good advice along the way and without them I probably would not have been successful.
Looking ahead, I'll continue to pursue lists but will do so in moderation. I'm not really worried about running out of new peaks to climb; it's more about how far I'll have to drive to get to them!
