thru-hikers here? Or just hikers?

[Ben Kenobi]

As long as he can meet his financial obligations to support his childern why not carpe diem?

Well, if he wants to go away for awhile, I have no problem with that, but a year from his kids? His kids have a need for their father.

[Jon Miller]

Also, I believe his ex was a nut. He has much more than just financial obligations to his children.

JM

[Ming]

Well, if he wants to go away for awhile, I have no problem with that, but a year from his kids? His kids have a need for their father.

That's funny coming from a guy who claims he wouldn't even go to his daughters wedding if she was gay.

[Dinner]

The only long through hike I ever did was the John Muir Trail which is a section of the PCT.

[pchang]

I did not leave my child alone with someone else for more than a week at a time until he was 10 (we left him with his Aunt who had 3 children of her own for 10 days while we went to Argentina). My wife and I are still married and she is a very sane, trained pediatrician. There is no way I would leave small children alone for longer than a few days with an ex-wife as crazy as Pekka has described.

[Pekka]

While this is all true, I am trying to come up with ways to be with the kids. Of course, I should do this later. The thing is, I am not likely to be alive for much longer. It's a choice between going for ones dreams or forgetting about them. Now, it is increasingly difficult to ignore the call, as I am miserable, doing a meaningless job, excluding parenting.

I am thinking of having the kids come to a close by city for a week per month, with their Mum, or something along those lines. That would allow us to be together. That would increase the budget quite a lot, and would mean their mother would have to agree. That would mean 4 trips. Or 3. I am quite fast, and can cover distance if needed. Takes away from the hike (covering distance fast), but if it is what it takes, then that's the way.

Or I could have them for a long time before departing, and a long time after I'd return. And few trips while doing it. And we already stayed in touch via Skype etc in June. Any other ideas are more than welcome.

[Ben Kenobi]

That's funny coming from a guy who claims he wouldn't even go to his daughters wedding if she was gay.

I said that I wouldn't go to a homosexual wedding regardless of the participants. It wouldn't be the first family wedding that I've missed either. I'm Catholic. I don't get to pick and choose what is my faith, and to choose things contrary to my faith just because it is more convenient for me.

I would expect your tack from an atheist. Should I treat you like one?

[Ming]

No... you should treat me as a father, which I am, and you obviously aren't.

[pchang]

The thing is, I am not likely to be alive for much longer.

Has something changed?

[rah]

No... you should treat me as a father, which I am, and you obviously aren't.

I would like to think that if Ben is ever blessed with a child that his love for that child would override almost everything, like it does with most parents despite what they thought before.