12 Steps

[lemon b]

In Ma. Great Barrington has a nooner m-s @ 1st Cong. Dalton Mondays @ 8 Grace Espis.

[lemon b]

bump........

[Karma13]

Thanks for the bump, lemon b! This has been on my mind.

Starting March 7 (March 6 at the Hiker Hostel).

One day at a time!

[hikerhobs]

I going on 5 years being sober. you just have to remember how life was when you were drinking, And how life is now without drinking. ( best decision i ever made) There's plenty of stuff out there to help you get thru tough times, take with you on trail. The lil big book, daily reflections, the grapevine. contact phone numbers, I carry a one day at a time medalion on my shoulder strap, just remember it's easier to stay sober then to get sober. good luck every one on your journey thru recovery.

[brotheral]

What we really have is a DAILY reprieve based on the Maintenance of our spiritual condition. Pg 84-88 in our text. No matter where I'm at I practice the 11th step EVERY DAY !! No Excuses !!

[prain4u]

I have not thru-hiked (yet). However, I have been "clean" and in recovery for over 25 years. I am a pastor and military chaplain. I am also a certified alcohol and other drug counselor. Here are some tips that I would share for 12 Steppers:

Look for 12 step groups that meet in towns that are near the trail. Make contact with people from those groups PRIOR to your hike--and carry the contact information with you. Call these people again as you near those towns and request a ride to the meeting. I am pretty certain that SOMEONE would be more than happy to meet you and give you a ride.

Here are some starter websites to help you find meetings. If you need information for other types of 12 Step groups (or more information about the groups listed below) please send me a PM (Private Message) and I will try to help.

For Alcoholics Anonymous:
http://www.aa.org/lang/en/meeting_fi...fm?origpage=29

http://www.step12.com/meetings.html

For Narcotics Anonymous:
http://portaltools.na.org/portaltools/MeetingLoc/

For Gambler's Anonymous:
http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/mtgdirTOP.html


If you are an alcoholic--and there is no AA meeting in the area where you are hiking --my guess is that folks at MOST NA or GA meetings would welcome you with open arms--especially if you explained your situation. However, you might want to check with the group in advance just to make certain. SOME groups are not as willing as others to open their meetings to folks with another types of addiction.

I would carry 12 step literature with me on my hike--possibly daily devotional type of 12 step literature. I would not only carry it--I would also READ IT!

I would carry a cell phone--and a sponsor's contact number. The phone could also be used to help you phone for rides to meetings.

You could use public computers at libraries and other public places near the trail to contact online 12 step meetings and forums. You could also carry a Blackberry, iPhone or similar web-capable device to access online meetings. Some of the many sites include:

http://www.12stepforums.net/aagroup.html

http://www.recoveryrealm.com/

Keep your eyes and ears open on the trail for other possible 12 Steppers. Even in the midst of the Hurricane Katrina disaster response I bumped into other 12 Step folks and we held our own informal "generic" 12 step meetings in the middle of a totally destroyed New Orleans. Some "meetings" were as simple as just two of us recovering folks talking to each other about our addiction and our recovery (like Doctor Bob and Bill W. did in the earliest days of the program). We had other informal "meetings" that had more structure--such as reading the 12 steps/12 traditions, Serenity Prayer, reading from a "Big Book", etc. Having informal "partial" meetings is better than attending no meetings at all (and sometimes such informal meetings are even better than formal meetings!!!!)

Anyone with recovery issues please feel free to PM me to brainstorm other possible ideas and solutions. (and if I have questions, I will try to find you and contact you!)

I am repeating this (long) post that I made almost 4 years ago (original post is on page # 1 of this thread, post # 10). It is the best information and advice I have. I checked the links--and they all still work.

[chiefduffy]

Glad to see this thread back! In the past couple of years I have run in to many hikers on the trial in recovery. It's very healing, at least for me. One step at a time!!

[Karma13]

Good to see that others have run into this situation.

Part of my plan is that when the new AT Guide comes out in January, I'm going to go through and mark down the larger resupply towns, then look at their meeting lists online, and get them bookmarked into my phone. I'm also going to put my cell number in the trail registers, and ask for Friends of BW to look for me.

In my ideal world, there would be one or two folks in recovery in my bubble, so we could have occasional meetings. But that's one day at a time--and completely out of my control.

[xokie]

I have a small circle and triangle drawn on the back of my pack in Sharpie. Since I am one of the slowest walkers out there a lot of people get to see the back of my pack and am often asked the "friend of Bill" question which often leads to a few passing words of confirmation.

[Karma13]

Hey, that's kind of a great idea! Thanks!

[lemon b]

Looks like I ,'ll be back throughing again at 58.

[Karma13]

Looks like I ,'ll be back throughing again at 58.

That's great, lemon b! When are you thinking about starting? NOBO or SOBO?

[rocketsocks]

I have a couple "Charley Painter" cd's that I'd like to up-load to my Ipod, pretty darn funny stuff. They were given to me when I couldn't get out to a meeting..some buddys brought the meeting to me if anyone would like to listen to these, I'll mail em to ya, and then you pass em on to someone when you've had a good laugh.

Thanks for the Bump!

[stranger]

I think the Serenity Prayer is a great tool for rainstorms, bad tentsites, full motels, blisters, etc...Just my two cents, we should set up an online resource for adventurers in AA, anyone have any ideas?

[rocketsocks]

I think the Serenity Prayer is a great tool for rainstorms, bad tentsites, full motels, blisters, etc...Just my two cents, we should set up an online resource for adventurers in AA, anyone have any ideas?

Definitely good for snow down the back of your neck, or flat tires at the trail head after a three day trek, sometimes ya just gotta laugh...and then get to changing the tire..."Dude..where's my jack" hehe..Serenity Now!

[Karma13]

Easy does it!

[lemon b]

Day at a time.
Who's Charlie Painter?
Went to a good meeting last night a few miles from Cookie Ladies.

[Karma13]

Is that Charlie from "Joe and Charlie"? I love listening to them!

Edited to add: Nope. Different Charlie P. But I still love Joe and Charlie!

[q-tip]

I started this thread back in '09. Now in my 28th year, I found that I did not hit many meetings on my 3 1/2 month journey from Springer to Harpers Ferry, but I had hours each day to pray and meditate. That surely carried the day. Best to All....

[rocketsocks]

Day at a time.
Who's Charlie Painter?
Went to a good meeting last night a few miles from Cookie Ladies.

He's a public speaker....One thing he said was "If you wake up on a park bench in the afternoon, and the roof of your mouth is sunburned....you might be an alcoholic"

Is that Charlie from "Joe and Charlie"? I love listening to them!

Edited to add: Nope. Different Charlie P. But I still love Joe and Charlie!

I don't know if it is? I have heard of them ...but haven't heard them, the tapes show up from time to time at meetings around me....just haven't caught em yet.

I started this thread back in '09. Now in my 28th year, I found that I did not hit many meetings on my 3 1/2 month journey from Springer to Harpers Ferry, but I had hours each day to pray and meditate. That surely carried the day. Best to All....

And to you q-tip...great thread.