Since my last writing, I have traveled a long ways, visited with friends and even taken a trip out of the country, but still, it seems like only a short time has passed.
Danny continues to do very well on the trail. From our start on top of Springer Mountain, our vistas have changed daily. And how different from what we were seeing farther up north. 
We have gone from naked trees to budding trees, 
to a full complement of foliage: from wide open vistas 
to a full complement of foliage: from wide open vistas 
to the renown green tunnel. We have followed the blooming of the spring flowers and the blossoming of the rhododendrons. And through it all the people ... even though I am dropping off and picking up, I too have become known on the AT and I, in turn, have made friends, even if superficially.
While in the northern part of Georgia we stayed with friends who welcomed us into their home, put up with the comings and goings, and accompanied us on our daily outings. Due to distance constraints we missed being able to visit with some very good friends in Blue Ridge. To them I say, "we will be back!"
Danny and friends in N George heading out for the day's hiking
At many of the put-in and pick-up points, we came across Trail Angels. These are people who go out of their way to help the hikers on the AT. At this particular point, way up in the mountains, on roads that required 1st gear and 5mph speeds,
are you sure that you are going the right way?????
this man and his friend (ex-marines) had set up a grill and were serving all who came grilled hot dogs, sodas, snacks, fruit, dog food (I think), and cigarettes. As I was waiting across the road, he was heavily visited and he made a point of talking with each and every one of the hikers individually. Amazing...
I sent Danny over rather than coming to the car after making plans for our next meet up point.
One of the stops was an outfitters/hostel, the first major one on the NOBO trail. Here the trail actually goes right through the building. 
Man, are the birds abundant here? - guess they are used to getting lots of things to eat... 
but wait, not birds, but 
yes, people change them out here after walking for _____ miles since the start. What to do with the old ones, well, this is one thing that can be done.
Man, are the birds abundant here? - guess they are used to getting lots of things to eat... 
but wait, not birds, but 
yes, people change them out here after walking for _____ miles since the start. What to do with the old ones, well, this is one thing that can be done.
Another day on the trail... 
The AT does not follow the valleys much, but rather the ridges, going up and down the mountains.
Unfortunately the end point is always a downhill hike and the beginning a long uphill hill.
One day was scheduled for heavy rains so we took a day and visited the John C Campbell Folk School where we wandered in and out of classes that were in session while exploring the campus. Of course no visit is complete until one visits the gift shop where the class-produced items are sold. All manner of classes are offered in weekly sessions.
...blacksmithing had it's own building, designated by the heat radiating from the building and the hanging hammer over the door.
where whimsical yet useful to some, items were produced 
... a cooking school where basics to gourmet classes were scheduled.
oven for baking a very heavy but tasty bread
made by another of the many classes
made by another of the many classes
Areas for parking were found after miles and miles of uphill forest service roads, on top of a mountain with which the AT intersected ... A good pick up and drop off place ...
the roads are pretty good for early spring although the rains leave deep ruts from water run off and 4WDs that have to test their mettle in and after the rains. 
... because of the many days of heavy rainfall, there are often impromptu waterfalls above the deeply rutted roads...
Soon we are out reasonable range for driving back and forth and we once again start our life on the road. Although it is many days hiking from where we were, the drive is probably only 40-50 miles north. We find a wonderful rejuvenated motel in a small town without offered breakfast. It overlooks a lake with quietening views. And then there is a wonderful deli that serves a breakfast buffet that would rival any in a larger city.
Day by day we delve deeper north. This end of the AT is very mountainous although not the highest by far. Each day brings hiking of major up and downs with very few level walking spots. The trail silhouette can seem daunting when viewing but Danny says it isn't that bad. He has been averaging 10-16 miles per day. When driving that doesn't seem like a lot but hiking it will take all day. What an opportunity this is.
This may be so, but in fact, Danny has walked a total of ~420 miles to date and I have driven, including the trip out to Pennsylvania, the return trip back to Dallas, to all the auxiliary site seeing sites, and the return trip to Charlotte NC's airport, a total of 8200 miles.
And so we continue, enjoying the many opportunities afforded us and the chance to be surrounded by the quiet, peaceful beauty of this great land. The Great Smokey Mountain NP is our next big hurtle, stayed tuned as it will be Danny's turn to write - I will be in Canada.
April 8, Virginia
It is said that the AT in Virginia has 1/4 of the miles of the whole AT but not the highest in elevation. Each state has its own unique traits and so far our unique trait has to have been SNOW.
first on March 18
our car has a mustache
Then yes, we have been grounded once again because of the snow. This time for 3 days and possibly 4. The weather forecast on the morning of March 24 showed us that
the snow was scheduled to fall, 5-8inches worth, starting in the afternoon, all along the Shenandoah Valley and National Park (NP) where we were scheduled to hike through. Well we, thought, Danny could at least go into the park and hike out before it hits. Right! We got to the entrance and we were informed that they were preemptively closing the park in a couple of hours because they expected ice in the higher elevations. So that ended that.
We decided to go further south and see what things would happen, visiting with a PC friend in Radford, VA. Only a 4 hour drive to get there ...
Driving through the countryside on a backroad, we followed where the hiking is, along Skyline Dr in the Shenandoah NP, where there is still snow from the last snowfall and the temps remain in the 30's. The sky was grey but occasionally the sun would peak out. In no time at all, however, the snow, giant thick, heavy, wet flakes started to fall. We headed over to I-81 where the traffic would keep the roads passable, we hoped.
We arrived without incident and settled in to wait out the storm and visit with our friend:
The next morning we awoke to a world of white:
outside of Sean's home
with fluffy, sparkling snow and blue skies. Soon however the clouds rolled back in and we were under storm conditions again. The next day, more of the same. But this time we ventured out on a small excursion to see a village highly recommended.
with fluffy, sparkling snow and blue skies. Soon however the clouds rolled back in and we were under storm conditions again. The next day, more of the same. But this time we ventured out on a small excursion to see a village highly recommended.
Floyd, VA: 
The General Store renowned for it's Bluegrass/Appalachian music Jamborees on Friday nights.
The General Store renowned for it's Bluegrass/Appalachian music Jamborees on Friday nights.
the old school house that has been transformed into 3 floors of fabric and quilting supplies. Apparently people come from all over to this business establishment. But a lot of the tourist-type businesses were closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Danny was anxious to get back to his hiking and the snow was scheduled to diminish greatly by Wednesday afternoon so we headed out that morning. The drive was good, heavy clouds interspersed with blue skies and sunshine and an occasional snow flurry. We decided on a stay in Luray and contacted PC friends who happened to be in Luray at this same time. Arrangements were made to try and hue in the morning. We made a foray into the park later in the afternoon to take a look at the trails - I know that Danny was hoping to get in some miles as well but .... all fresh snow, all 6-8 inches of it and the trails not broken.
none in the valley
but more on the way...
but more on the way...
A wonderful coffee house breakfast, great conversation and then we were off.
cold and dreary, heavy skies, no sunshine
We can try this trail here, not too far
Mel, Ann, Danny ready to try it
Shirley really needs to dress better, don't you think?
and they are off ...
they came out here 
unbroken trail, too heavy a toll on the energy, maybe another day! Of course, the sun came out later in the day and so did the hikers.
unbroken trail, too heavy a toll on the energy, maybe another day! Of course, the sun came out later in the day and so did the hikers.
We had a wonderful day however, and look forward to tomorrow when Danny plans on hiking 10 miles, unless he has to break the trail. It is Easter Weekend and the hikers will be out in force, as will the sun and the temperatures are scheduled to rise.
March 29 - Yup, the hikers are out in force. The sun is shining and the temps are on the rise, 
and Danny is out on the trail again. We have no cell service up here on Skyline Dr, in Shenandoah National Park so am unable to watch his progress on Spot. We arrange it so that we meet every few miles so that I know he is ok. It is very taxing going through 6" or more of fresh snow. Some trail segments have had only a couple of people on them, others none, so he is pretty much in fresh snow.
and Danny is out on the trail again. We have no cell service up here on Skyline Dr, in Shenandoah National Park so am unable to watch his progress on Spot. We arrange it so that we meet every few miles so that I know he is ok. It is very taxing going through 6" or more of fresh snow. Some trail segments have had only a couple of people on them, others none, so he is pretty much in fresh snow.
hopefully this will blow over
he is determined 
this was my view point at one of our checkin points.
It is pretty awesome to look at, even if not so for hiking
friends (as well as an abundance of squirrels) shared the road
he is in his glory!
But then life reared it's head and we headed back to Dallas for a very quick trip. Plans are never set min concrete and ours are about to change again.
March 29, Sightseeing
Doesn't seem to matter where we are or what the conditions are, we still manage to sightsee. We love to experience and see new things. As Danny hikes, depending on the length of the hike of the day, I will rive around to different places or drive to the pick-up point and sit in the car. Often I will talk with the people who come into the parking area but more than likely I sit and read or do some needlework.
I call this my "Stitching studio"
here I am starting to work on my latest project, Father Frost, an internet group class.
But mostly I sightsee. This is an area that is filled with Civil War sites, but not so many NPS that will give me stamps in my Passport. Seems like every battle was fight on a field ... had they never heard of using cover while fighting?
We stayed 3 nights at a AT hostel right on the trail, The Bears Den.
This was a wonderful old stone mansion, built by a doctor and his opera singer wife.
everywhere has a map of the AT
It is now run by the Potomac AT group. Here we met people both on the AT and traveling through. The managers had done the trail themselves in 2011. We had full access to the kitchen and living spaces. Fun times.
... from the very simplest 
... to the biggest, most elaborate
we saw all forms of housing
we saw all forms of housing
... the unusual
yes the tree is growing through the bed of the truck
yes the tree is growing through the bed of the truck
... so what is a pink blaze? thought that we were following the white ones ...
I might not hike the distances that Danny does, but I am seeing the majesty and beauty as well a the whimsy of this land.
imagine when the trees are covered with green leaves
major estates behind the trees
meeting Danny at the pick up point
some parts are quite civilized
the vistas are phenomenal
and yes, the temps are definitely this low
the biggest pair of binoculars ever
a welcoming sight...
with a place to rest
Oh yes, and Spot has arrived and it is twins!
Now I have one (Right side) when I go out by myself geocaching.March 13, Day, after day, after day ...
... and so it goes, drive in, hike/geocache, drive out, tour or ???, drive in, hike sometimes, drive out, eat, watch the weather channel, sleep .... What can I say, the same routine, yet no day is ever like any other. They promise rain, deliver nothing; they promise sunshine, get occasional rain/sleet; they promise gusts, deliver full winds at the gust speeds; and the pace continues, one step ahead of the other. There is a book out there called 5 Million Steps, by Lon Chenowith and I truly believe that it is at least 5 million steps long, this AT.
Over the last week or so, we have been in three, (yes 3) states, albeit some rather short, and now are into the 4th one. Pennsylvania was our start and here we encountered many wonderful, helpful people, many who relished retelling their own stories of the AT. Although Danny hikes miles, I drive MILES as shown by a photo of our driving atlas where I diligently marked the roads. 
very lower SE corner of Pennsylvania
very lower SE corner of Pennsylvania
Some I can't mark because they simply are too small and often country lanes, not roads. I am seeing more of the country, and what beautiful countryside I am finding, than I ever thought I would see in a very short time.
From Pennsylvania we headed into Maryland by way of Pen-Mar State Park. Here we climb The Stairway to Heaven, which gave a truly magnificent view of the valley and a heart-thumping realization of just how far one had climbed. 
===> 
===> 
Maryland is considered the shortest of all the segments that crosses a state.
This is the Appalachian Trail in Maryland 
This is my driving in Maryland
While in Maryland, I have also been adding stamps to my National Parks Explorer pages as this is an area ripe with parks/battlefields/monuments and all close to each other. 
out in the middle of nowhere, a statue of Gen E Lee. Guess he had some headquarters here.
out in the middle of nowhere, a statue of Gen E Lee. Guess he had some headquarters here.
a canon in the middle of someone's yard 
If you are a Civil War buff, it is an area rich in Civil War/1812 battles, and a good place to learn some history. When you go into an office all are manned by a volunteer who is passionate about his chosen arena - the Civil War. You have to be quite polite and listen but after awhile it does get carried away and I look for a natural breaking point or ask a question about the display or anything to allow for a graceful retreat. Even the state parks where Danny ends up and leaves from often have interesting monuments.
Climb a hill and find the first monument built in memory of George Washington at Washington Monument State Park. Dedicated onJuly 4th, 1827
The only War Correspondents memorial in memory of all those brave war correspondents that gave their lives so that the general population would know the happenings is found in Gathland State Park. 
Now there is another, but it is in Washington DC and it is a tree.
Now there is another, but it is in Washington DC and it is a tree.
Francis Scott Keys is buried in the Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, MD.
This has to be the first in the nation - established in 1815
the old in with the new 
sometimes we even see a house that has been built around a cabin with the cabin wall visible on one side of the house
sometimes we even see a house that has been built around a cabin with the cabin wall visible on one side of the house
Even a mausoleum that is being rejuvenated 
West Virginia brought us to Harpers Ferry, an emotionally important trail centre for through-hikers. Haven't quite figured all that out yet (we havet been on the trail long enough I guess) but we did use the AT Conversancy as a meeting/pickup point. 
Here we had our photo taken for their book of thru-hikers and bought a bunch of trail maps. 
We are #5 this year. All profits go into maintaining and developing the trail, most work being done by a vast army of volunteers. Someone even donated a quilt which hangs in the hikers lounge. 
Pretty impressive appliqué.
Here we had our photo taken for their book of thru-hikers and bought a bunch of trail maps. 
We are #5 this year. All profits go into maintaining and developing the trail, most work being done by a vast army of volunteers. Someone even donated a quilt which hangs in the hikers lounge. 
Pretty impressive appliqué.
Between Harpers Ferry and Virginia, there was trail, and just that. We commuted back and forth from Maryland, about 35 miles and then moved on into Virginia.
our first glimpse of the Shenandoah River and Valley
1000 miles from Springer Mountain
spectacular, mind-bpggling views
and the ever-present datum.
In each of the shelters that Danny visits along the trail, there is usually a trail book where the hikers write their observations, musings, ponderings and zen moments. 
He leaves a little something of himself when he writes in them and signs it "Idigo" his Ngöbe name. He has adopted this name as his trail name and yes, his hair still sticks straight up and is cornsilk white and fine (the translation of Idigo). 
He leaves a little something of himself when he writes in them and signs it "Idigo" his Ngöbe name. He has adopted this name as his trail name and yes, his hair still sticks straight up and is cornsilk white and fine (the translation of Idigo). 
Along the way, hikers in all shapes and mindsets were met. Through-hikers, day hikers, segment hikers, and weekend hikers:
Along the way I have been doing some geocaching which gets me out hiking. Sometimes they are easy ones, sometimes a little harder, but always fun and always filled with exercise: walking the AT, climbing hills, climbing rock piles, trying to find the satellite for the gps in the forest.
in every state we pass through I am leaving a Texas State Parks path tag keyring.
For days now there has not been any snow yet the temperatures are remaining in the low 40's. I can see where the description of the green tunnel would come from. 
For now, the trees are leaf-less and one can see through the limbs to the surrounding valleys and mountains making for a fantastic visual journey, but come summer, all you would see is the trees and green and no long distance vistas. That is supposed to change tonight. We should, operative word here, have snow again on the ground in the morning.
For now, the trees are leaf-less and one can see through the limbs to the surrounding valleys and mountains making for a fantastic visual journey, but come summer, all you would see is the trees and green and no long distance vistas. That is supposed to change tonight. We should, operative word here, have snow again on the ground in the morning.
Someday it will warm up, I guarantee it, but for now...
this is a favorite of mineMarch 8, Overnight makes all the different
Yes, we knew that there was a 100% chance for snow in the forecast, but how bad could it be in March? Ha, always listen to your instincts, I say! And mine said, March storms are not just flurries!
Danny arrived mid afternoon to his pick-up point in beautiful, albeit cold weather.
And of we go to finish up seeing Gettysburg - the museum especially.
Watching the sky as we come back in to Chambersburg, we see a few clouds only but the weather report is "ominous and foreboding" as Danny loves to say.
Although this is from the next day, it is exactly like the one from the evening before. Snow all night and all day is reported. And this is what we woke up to ...
... wet, sticky, huge, beautiful snowflakes; the car under 6 inches of snow, the streets slushy while everything is white and a temperature of 34 degrees. We were unable to see the mountains to the east where we were planning on going for the day. It was decided that we would take what is called "zero" day meaning that zero miles would be hiked. Instead, it become a laundry, catch-up day.
By that evening the snowfall had abated to occasional bursts but it remained cold enough that nothing was melting. The locals were all saying, "don't worry, it will be melted by tomorrow!" and I thought"wanna bet!"
Awaking to occasional clouds and sunshine, Danny prepared for his hike of the day. Not only was it with snow conditions, but also the longest one that he had done and with no accessible extraction points along the trail (due to the snow conditions). Do you have enough food? Do you have enough clothing? Do you have your matches and fire starter? Do you ... Do you ... he is going to get real tired of my questions pretty soon, I guarantee it! All from the comfort of my warm car ... 
Part of these shortish (8 miles) days has been trying to decide which shoes to wear. He has decided on his Keen's but sandals in the snow? 
Thank goodness for WalMart bags. Not only do they keep him dry, but also warm!
Thank goodness for WalMart bags. Not only do they keep him dry, but also warm!
And he is ready to go ...
And he is off 
with 6-8 inches of freshly fallen soft snow without a crust and anyone ahead of him
A beautiful, tranquil scene filled with my trepidation about this whole thing.
As I went about my own agenda,
observation tower at Gettysburg Military Park overlooking the Confederate battle positions and yes I went all the way to the top
the first Union soldier to be killed - Pvt Geo. W Sandoe
I did this as a geocache. Fun and outside of the national park.
This is really the Thaddeus Stevens who was part of Lincoln's proclamation group, also an educator, conservationist, and Pennsylvanian statesman
Caledonia State Park and another iron ore oven that has been saved for historical purposed. Waited here for Danny to come to the pickup point after trying to get up the mountain to a point where the trail crossed a road. Too much snow.
... I closely watched his movement on the Spot to reassure myself that he was doing fine.
as I was tethering to my cell phone, I only had this capability in the areas close to the highway so I stayed close to it.
Finally, as it was turning to dusk, he came out to the road. I was so happy to see him, a tired but satisfied person who had met the challenge and then some: 12+ miles, breaking a path in 6-8 inches of snow, up and down in the mountain. He did have a snowshoe-clad person ahead of him who had sunk into the snow at most, 6 inches. 
snow shoe tracks.
snow shoe tracks.
With every step he would pretty much bottom out, utilizing far more energy than normal hiking would do.
Because of the physical stress of this hike, it was decided to do a short hike the next day. Driving back to the start point, it was patently obvious that he would have more of the same - sunshine, cold temperatures, and snow. The nice thing about slack hiking is that decisions like this can be made. We drove around to the exit point and saw that there indeed was still a lot of snow going through the mountains. Instead we went further south where it wasn't as bad and here he put in.
along the drive we saw this building - a military college? University? No, a state nursing home.
and he is off once more... 
...not much snow or so it seems
...not much snow or so it seems
a cosy setting off in the woods.
a babbling brook with stones to cross over it. I think that the spring thaw could prove to be quite dangerous as the water levels rise.
he crosses the Mason Dixon line - the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania
one of many mileage signposts
... and comes out on the top of a mountain in Pen Mar County Park, MD. Again having crossed mountains, valleys, through trees and across open spaces, all in snow.
Tomorrow? well, I guess more of the same but with each turn of the trail something new will come about and add to the already memorable experience.
The rest of the afternoon we spent touring Pres. Eisenhauer's retirement farm, "the only home they ever owned"
March 5 Who would have thought ...
He's off ...
It is amazing what one finds along a side road or without looking for anything in particular. Our routine stop for the day was at Pine Grove Furnace State Park.
Who names a state park something like that? While waiting for him to come in, I ventured into the office and lo and behold - it all made sense. This is an iron ore area and they had an iron ore "furnace" extractor here that used the forest wood to make charcoal and the limestone to extract by adhering to the impurities. And guess again, yes they even have a restored furnace that one can see. 
the old and the new
want to know how it works?
You can go for a walk yourself, find a geocache and a hidden lake.
You can drive along the road and a sign catches your eye - immediately your find yourself in for a history lesson.
who would have thought, a secret interrogation camp from WWll?
or a sudden breathtaking vista opens before your eyes and you have to remind yourself that you are driving and to pay attention to the road. So you pull over to take it all in.
and you return and you wait - oh how this must look when everything is all green ...
You can't believe your eyes when you look at the weather and this in town in the valley. What must it be like up in the mountains?
Yup, you got it, that is snow, and you wait some more, enjoying the "fresh" air, the sunshine and quiet yet not quiet as you listen to the sounds of the wind and woods.
And he arrives!
it is amazing what one can do in one day of waiting, besides going to visit a National Historical Park 
Gettysburg National Military park
Gettysburg National Military park
"Four score and seven years ago ..."
What a way to learn some history! And then return the next day to tour the museum, and watch the movie with Danny. Wow!
March 3 Routine is setting in ...
Drive in, drive out, to starting point, to pickup point and all points in between. At least I am not having to set up camp in between yet. It is simply tooooo cold - brrrr. When driving the backroads to the point where the AT crosses an accessable road one would think that we are somewhere in Alaska or the backwoods but turn a corner, and you are in the middle of civilization.
You are really never too far from it and yet you feel isolated from all the trappings, hustle and bustle, and noise; that is until you come to an access point and there are cars parked everywhere.
This being a weekend, there are many section hikers out and about (these are hikers that go out for a specific amount of time or a specific part of the trail). I saw no one waiting in the car like I did today.
The last couple of days Danny has hiked in 30-32 degree weather
notice the temperature
bundled to the max
The trail is marked with white hash marks painted on the trees but that hasn't stopped him from loosing the trail a couple of times. He carries a Spot - wonderful thing that - and I can track him on the computer. The best thing about it is that it tells me when he is getting close to the area that I am to pick him up at and I can head on out. But really, it is a safety thing - should he not arrive at the designated spot, or should he fall and hurt himself, we have knowledge of where he is or last moved from. Gives me much peace of mind.
I am really getting to see this part of America. It is beautiful, but then all parts have their own beauty. I made the comment today that we might have to stay out here for a few months just to tour and get to know it. We are but a short distance at any given time from historical, national and state parks that offer a world of information and outdoor activities. The streams are running, giving off their fresh smell as well as their tinkling or rushing water sounds as they rush over the rocks and fallen trees.
A couple of ponderings: why all the candles in the windows and why the iron stars on the side of the buildings?
And tomorrow, Danny starts a more strenuous part of the hike - lots of up and downhills in the mountains of southern Pennsylvania leading us closer and closer to Maryland - our first state change.
March 1, 2013 Day 1 (Day 4 of the journey)
After 3 days of car travel my butt is sore, my legs tight, and my arms fatigued but we arrived in
Boiling Springs, PA our new destination and start of Danny's hiking. A total of ...
and travels that have taken us over hill and dale, through thick and thin (snow and rain) with temperatures ranging from 36 to 41 degrees and nada más.
once we arrived, our first stop was at the office of the ...
where we bought maps and joined the Conservancy. Good conversation and lots of wonderful advice was had, as well as some not so wonderful information - the ticks are going to be out in full force because they had a warm, mild winter. They weren't killed off. And of course we went and forgot the permethrin spray at home. Will have to make sure that I get some in the next day or so. Thank you doc for giving us the prescription for doxy.
Then it was off to this wonderful old, stately hotel - The Allenberry Inn whose claim to fame is Mystery weekends and giving a $140 room to AT through-hikers for $40. We came in to an empty hotel but by nightfall, it was filled to capacity. Tonight there is a show, and tomorrow too.
The hike begins - Danny is off and plans on 6 miles today.
The temps made 41 degrees this afternoon when he left, and he was dressed accordingly. Me? I kept asking if he had enough to keep warm. Did he have enough water? Did he have ... boy if I keep this up he will be good and tired of me by the end of the 6 months on the road. :)
Me, well I wandered around town and tomorrow plan on a trip for a manicure and pedicure. A relaxing interlude. Then I will try my hand at finding a geocache.
February 27, 2013 A.T. or Bust ...
Spring has sprung, at least here in E. Texas - cool temperatures (52 degrees F when we left), strong, cold northern winds, green grass, trees in bud, and rivers and streams overflowing. Soon the flowers and tree leaves will soon be visible and ding to the riot of color that accompanies spring. As we drive down the road, heading east, we see and feel all of this plus more. Danny reviews his The A.T. Guide by David "AWOL" Martin as we discuss and finally decide exactly where we are headed. The final decision, Duncannon, Pennsylvania, we think.
His plan is to "flip-flop" the trail, but still hike it in its entirety. By "flip-flopping" he will not start at one and go straight through to the other end, but rather, start somewhere need the middle and go south to the southern terminus in Georgia, then drive back to the starting point and head north to the northern terminus in Maine. In this way he will hike a fairly flat area as he gets his hiking legs and in tune with the Trail. He has been hiking long distances since the first of the year but still feels that he has to "find" his legs.
The total distance is 1350+ miles to our detonation and we zero out our odometer. It will be interesting to see just how many miles we do with this trip. Our recent driving roundabout journey to Canada ended up having over 8000 miles in less than 5 weeks of travel. This time we are planning on being out approximately 5-6 months but our actually driving will be less as it will be dependent on Danny's hiking. I will drop him off in the morning, locate the days stop for the night, then pick him up and returning to our stop for the night, each and every day.
We know what Danny will be doing this whole time, but what about me? What will I be doing? I have been throwing around the idea of going back to school to obtain my Master's Degree, just because I want to. MAybe I will take some classes towards that. Then I brought a very small basic sewing machine and a couple of small projects with us. It is not just a matter of bringing the sewing machine, but with quilting there are the extras as well. So I also packed a travel iron, a rotary cutter and cutting board, and 2 projects and 3 ideas festering in the back of my mind. Of course, this will also require fabrics! I also brought a couple of needlework UFOs, of which Chrissy Cleo, Miss Cleo's alter ego, is the most important to be finished. Reading, sewing, and introspection will be probably what I will be doing for this segment of our life.
By the end of the day we had travelled 396miles which is more than we had expected and leaves around 1000 miles more to get to Danny's start ...
February 25, 2013:
How often have I heard the wistful sound of Danny saying that he wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. Well, say I, it is probably now or never - you aren't getting any younger. With that said and having finished up with our last Peace Corps assignment, the planning began. It began in ernest however, when the The A.T. Guide by David "AWOL" Martin, was given as a Christmas gift: he to me, me to him.
I have no desire to hike the trail in it's entirety but I will do a little of it and mainly through my hobby of geocaching.
~ Def'n: also referred to as GPS stash hunting, is a recreational activity in which someone "buries" something for others to try and find using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. The pursuit can be thought of as a GPS-enabled treasure hunt.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/geocaching-GPS-stash-hunting
My main focus instead, is to support Danny so that he doesn't have to carry a full pack except when necessary because of a lack of close car access or I am on another gig. Although far and few between, there are parts of the trail that aren't conducive to daily support. There is a general term for this, "Slack [Packing] Hiking".
~ Def'n: A long-distance hiker who carried a daypack rather than a full backpack. This is accomplished by arranging to have someone [me] bring the rest of the needed gear to the end of the day's section. For more information, check out http://www.slackpacker.com
Once we had decided that this was to be our next big adventure, we started to read. We read everything that we could find on the Kindle about both the trail and the hiking of it; memoirs, how to's, the best way to's, but nothing on supporting a hiker. Why is there nothing on supporting a hiker? hmmmm maybe this could be a book in the future! Of course, we didn't forget about the internet - the sheer volume here is overwhelming. And then, don't forget the people talked to: it is amazing how many people have done it, know someone who has done, or simply has an opinion on it.
Books read:
~ of course there is the classic, or so people think. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
everyone we meet or talk to recommends this book to us. It is a must read for anyone who enjoys a light-hearted, tickle your funny bone read.
~ The A.T. Guide by David "AWOL" Martin
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