As the title says… I leave for my shakedown trip in only 3 days. I have to say that I’m super excited about it but am really feeling the crunch. Let me illustrate: See all of that? That is my gear and food for this 5 day trip – sans a couple of items. I […]
Getting Real: Shakedown Trip #1
Hello faithful readers! Things are starting to feel very real for me right now. Why? Because on May 12th through May 16th, I will be hiking a section of the A.T. in the Shenandoah National Park! (SNP) Yay!!! I had hoped to post more blog entries about my gear selections prior to announcing this, but that […]
Please Let Me Sleep!
Before showing my sleep system, I just realized that I never showed you my tent in its fully stored state. Without further delay, here it is. See that red bag? That is the complete tent rolled down and stuffed to about the size of a 2 liter bottle. Oh yeah, also, it only weights 2 […]
Why Am I Hiking The A.T.?
Well it certainly isn’t for World Peace, that’s what turn signals are for people! I live in a highly congested traffic region. A lot of people around here seem to think that their “optional” turn signals are simply part of the mechanics of executing a turn. They will begin their turn (or lane change) and […]
I Have Just Ruined My Life
What? Ruined my life??? That may be an overstatement – but allow me to explain: If I were a sane person, my current expression would probably look something like this: However, those who know me well will vouch for my sanity being somewhat questionable. Therefore, my true current expression looks like this: Note: I am […]
Where Shall I Sleep on the A.T.???
Among the many concerns faced by hikers of the A.T. is where they will sleep! Along the A.T., there are many shelters. Generally, these are basic three-sided structures with a sleeping platform and a roof. There are many different shelter designs that are used. Some are very basic, as shown in this photo. Others are […]
White Blazes and Southern Terminus
My original intention for this post was to describe the overall route of the Appalachian Trail – the States it passes through and the various National Forests, National Parks and State Parks that host the trail. The post was going to be titled “About the A.T. – Part 2.” However, describing the A.T.’s route in […]
About the Appalachian Trail
Before I get into blog posts about my preparation, I would like to present a bit of information about the Appalachian Trail (the A.T.) itself. Who, What, Where, When, Why, How type of stuff. The Appalachian Trail was conceived of in 1921 by a man named Benton MacKaye (pronounced to rhyme with “sky”). In a […]
New Blog Items
Before getting into the new blog items, I had to share a photo. I am not the most photogenic person on the planet, but I thought this one was an exception. This is a picture of me taken in April 2011 during a short day hike in the Pennsylvania mountains… …I appear so chill… I […]
So It Begins…
So. It. Begins. One year from today, March 12, 2015, I shall embark on an epic wandering journey. I will attempt a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail (the AT) is a foot path that runs through the Appalachian Mountains, having its southern terminus on Springer Mountain in Georgia and its northern terminus […]