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Sunday, January 10, 2010


Malorie and I have decided to hike the Appalachian Trail. We first agreed it was something we were interested in doing about a year and half ago. The idea has developed, and certainly been modified several times, over the last 18 months but we finally settled on heading out this March for a northbound thru-hike from Georgia to Maine. This means we'll be on the trail for ~4-5 months!
Now, we are realists---it takes the average AT thru hiker about 6 months to do the entire thing. And we are, self-admittedly, a couple of extremely novice hikers. So by those calculations, we won't likely make it to Maine in 4 months by "white-blazing" (the trail is marked with white swatches of paint--to 'white-blaze' is to pass every one of them, or hike every step of the trail).

Point is, we may take a short cut or a side trail or a taxi up the road a bit
---but the way we see things, 4 months on the trail---whether we walk all 2179 miles or 50 miles----will still be an adventure, an invaluable learning experience and the journey of a lifetime.

This brings me to the business of this blog.

So I guess hiking the Appalachian Trail is a lot like baseball..."It's 90% mental, the other half is physical."

Staying focused and motivated is so important and is why we can't thank our friends and family enough for their encouragement and support.

This blog was created as a way to keep those people updated on the preparation for and progress of our journey, and as an outlet to keep in touch throughout the entire process. Contrary to what some may think, we won't be completely off the grid for 5 months. We'll have to hike into town to re-supply, pick up drop boxes at the Post Office, grab a hamburger and a beer, and of course, update our blog ----at least once a week. So keep checking in with us, we'll be updating on a pretty regular basis!

Also, I know that several of you have expressed interest in meeting us out there for a stretch of the trail (which would be awesome!) This blog will be a great way to track us down and coordinate a rendezvous.

Today, marks 60 days til departure, and crunch time for getting ourselves in gear!
More updates to come...



~Jess

1 comment:

  1. Hey Jess! Just checking in - you've been heavy on my mind today! Hope you're feeling strong and soaking in this beautiful weather. I'm sure the cool days help on the long trail.
    Do you need anything? Send out a shout!
    Love you!
    Aunt Jen

    ReplyDelete