The Trail.

So. On June 21st I'm leaving for my next big adventure, perhaps more perilous than the last. I will be hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT for short), which runs from Mt. Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mt. in Georgia. This year the mileage is set at 2,181 miles, but it changes every year. Nobody is sure exactly how long the AT is. Most people who thru-hike (the term for hiking the entire trail all at once) it go from Georgia to Maine, but I will be one of few "Southbounders", the name for people who hike from Maine to Georgia. I will be hiking with my wonderful girl, Catherine Joyner. We will hike somewhere between 20-10 miles each day (approximately), summiting many peaks, as the trail goes through the entire Appalachian Mountain range, just walking up one mountain, down it, and then up the next. Not to mention we have to carry everything on our backs, which will equal a pack probably somewhere around 40lbs in weight.

We have all our gear set (some of it may have been a tad bit expensive). I'm going for the what-the-hell-is-she-wearing color scheme. I have a gray/black/navy blue pack (which is rather normal. I have a bright orange sleeping bag, along with a pair of shorts the same color. My raincoat is bright green, and my fleece is a pastel blue. I have one fire-truck red and one neon yellow shirts. I have a long underwear teal shirt, and an army green one. My long underwear pants are purple with blue stars and a black pair. The pants are sadly rather normal, one black, and the other kind of khaki-ish/off-white-ish. To top it all off a purple bandana or a blue wave hat. I think the best word to describe it all might be: clash. I'm excited. (Also, I am not bringing any more clothing than this (except I have undergarments as well) so it will all have to last me six months.)

My mom will drive us up on June 21st, and we'll spend the first night at the base, summit Katahdin the next day, spend one more night there, and continue on our way. The first part of the trail is the "100 Mile Wilderness", which is exactly that, 100 miles without anything. So we'll have to carry enough food with us to make it through those days. Its one of the reasons most people start in Georgia, but we can handle it.

Only 25% of Thru-hikers make it all the way. We aim to be part of that 25%. There is no stopping us, count on it.