Now that I know I will not be achieving a thru-hike this year, I have decided to expand my horizons. While I would still like to accomplish a thru-hike at some point in time, I will be taking the time to perform more section hikes before returning to work. In addition to section hiking, I am planning on a driving tour. This will provide some quality time with me, nature and my big camera!
As most of you are aware, I have decided to move forward with one of my dreams and thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. For those that are not aware of the trail, it is 2174.6 miles of National Forest trail that extends from Mt. Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mtn, Georgia. It travels through 14 states, and the expected time to hike this is approximately 6 months. I will be attempting the less traveled SouthBound hike. Hey, that means it's all downhill since I'm walking North to South right?? J
I am taking a leave of absence
from Leica to pursue my goal. I currently plan on reaching Maine around
July 8th and starting off. However, the first day will be spent hiking
Mt. Katahdin...a 10 mile trek up and back down a very large, fickle
mountain.
Chris will be able to spend the first 2 weeks on the trail with me. After that he will be home keeping the fort together: house, money, dogs, life.
To help allay fears, the trail is a safe place. There will be many thru-hikers on the trail, and I hear the gossip trail is second to none. News can travel far and fast and people definitely watch out for each other.
I will not be carrying all my food for the entire trip! In general, hikers carry between 3-6 days of food, then come off the trail at regular intervals (when towns are nearby) to wash clothes, shower, load up at All You Can Eat buffets, and buy food or pick up a "mail drop" that Chris has sent with food and sundry items.
I am extremely excited about this opportunity. I look forward to working my way through the Northeast in the backwoods. It gives me a great chance to meet the locals and enjoy nature. The trail has increased in popularity over the last decade with more people spending time on section hikes. And the way urban areas are spreading, they are beginning to encroach on buffer of sections of the trail. I would like to take the opportunity now before the natural feel is lost forever.
I am looking forward to being able to share this experience with you. I would love to hear from you along the way and certainly welcome any one of you who would like to come and join me on the trail. Here is a rough itinerary for you to follow. Needless to say, I cannot possibly know exactly what to expect once I get onto the trail and will likely stray from this schedule. When I get into town I plan to send Chris my journal writings and pictures for him to upload and keep everyone updated on where I am and what I am up to. (Generally no-good, but what is new?? J )
Thank you to all who know about this and all the support you have already given to me. Thank you to all for being a wonderful and supportive part of my life and I look forward to being able to share my experiences either during the trip or after my return.
I will be mailing Chris my journal writing and memory cards from the camera. If I can teach him, he will be updating the website on a regular basis and can send reminders out for people to visit it.