Well, I've been off the trail now for over 2 weeks and I haven't regretted the decision for even a second.  I'll say it again that my purpose was to seek God's direction for my life and I believe that He showed it to me a week before I left.  While I was out on the trail, praying and processing, I kept hearing a certain phrase, "Why are you hiking, go get her."  A very provocative phrase to be going through your head if you ask me.
  So the quick version is, boy and girl reconnect 1 week prior to departure, boy and girl email during that week and talk on the phone once, boy and girl text while on road trip to trailhead, boy calls girl from pay phones in Glacier National Park (conveniently located 2 days apart), boy and girl pray about direction that should be taken, in the 5 days of no communication, boy hears the above phrase.  Boy then decides to leave trail and pursue girl.  
It wasn't a flippant decision, but I asked myself, if I was to die in a year, would I regret not hiking a trail, or not pursuing love?  That answer was easy.
In the processing of my divorce, I knew that if I ever got into a relationship again, I was going to spend a lot of time together, I did't want to do the long distance thing again.  I also wanted to spend time with her community and have her spend time in my community so that we could listen to the opinion of others as to whether or not we are a good match for each other.
So the past two weeks have been a whirlwind of driving, meeting with people, phone 
calls and the joys of getting to pursue a very special girl.

So that's why I'm off the trail...

Stinking Ticks!!!

On my fourth day from the Canadian Border, I felt an itch on my right side, but I just kept hiking thinking that it was just my backpack strap rubbing against my side.  When I got into camp that afternoon, I decided to check out what what causing the itch and I had four little welts, and one of them still had a tick attached.
I did not expect to deal with ticks at all in Glacier National Park, so it came as a total surprise.  I even talked to a ranger about it and he didn't seem to concerned, so I stored the bites in the back of my mind and just kept going.
Well, three days ago I started getting a fever, a headache, abdominal cramps, nausea and the other symptoms of R.M.S.F.  So needless to say, I've started on antibiotics and am hoping that a full recovery is just around the corner.  Its not often that I get sick, let alone get a tick type illness, what are the odds.  
Don't worry, its not contagious, unless you get bit by a tick, so watch out...
I'm just glad to be off the trail and dealing with this and not out in the middle of the woods hoping to make it into town before it gets worse.
But this was not the reason I got off the trail...