The trail continues...

Cruntching the numbers.

2011-05-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it, gas prices are probably going to get higher as the summer goes on, so it is my intent to ride Olive-the Ninja 1000 as much as humanly possible. I typically drive a Ford Ranger that gets about 16 miles to the gallon and on an average week I will drive about 220 miles, give or take. For the Danger Ranger I use the 87 Octane, I am not sure if he’d know what to do with the high-end stuff. My fuel consumption, with current prices, is about $55 bucks a week. Now, with Olive getting strictly premium fuel the price per gallon is going up, yet I am still going to save money. Initial fuel savings looks to be about $25 a week… At the end of 90 days I will have saved $321 and if I were to continue for a year, it would save me $1300. So let me get this straight; I am having a blast and I am saving money? Perfect.

Since I travel to school, to the gym, to different accounts for work, I need to get some way to carry my goodies while riding. I was a little concerned when I started looking for luggage for the Ninja 1000, since it is a new design. Without too much trouble though, I found some and hopefully they are on their way to me as I type this; stay tuned for the installation. For now, I have a couple ICON tank bags that are doing the trick. Luckily, the Ninja 1000 has an all metal gas tank, so all four of the magnetic pads are able to hold it in place. So many of the newer model motorcycles have started putting the airbox up in the tank area, rendering the magnets useless… This is the first time I have been able to use these tank bags since 2005!

That new bike smell.

2011-05-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

There are a few smells that awaken my senses; coffee in the morning, a freshly printed newspaper, and the smell of a brand new motorcycle. Thanks to Cycle World Magazine and Kawasaki, the latter of the three was made possible by simply being a subscriber, incredible. A few weeks back I received an email about this Ninja 1000 Experience, and thought to myself, “this sounds way to good to be true!” The deal was like this: Submit a form asking questions about yourself, your activities on a motorcycle and on a social media websites, and why you think that you would be a good guest editor. Why not take the 15 minutes to fill this out? I was confident in my reasoning, I was truthful in my answers, and I was probably even a little cocky; it’s not like this was a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, someone was actually going to read my submission. Lo and behold, I was selected.

Still in awe that I actually won something, I made my way to Cycle Nation of Canton (Canton, GA) to pick up a shiny, 2011 Ninja 1000. The guys at the shop had it all ready for me; insurance card, California license plate, and a full tank of gas. After the handshakes, a picture, and even a hug, it was 1 pm. There is no way I am going back to work, sorry guys. Lucky for me, my husband was able to join me for an impromptu afternoon of canyon carving in north Georgia.

Now back to that new bike smell that I mentioned, it doesn’t last long, it is really hard to describe, and I am very certain that it can’t be replicated. There is something that happens within the first few miles on a motorcycle that only happen once, which creates this sweet odor that makes you feel like you could ride forever. Simultaneously all the components, moldings, cast and machined engine parts, fluids and the new tires all rise in temperature for the first time, creating a harmonious and symbiotic relationship for many miles to come. It is a smell you must experience, at least once in your life.

Day one with my Ninja was incredible; after 225 miles that new bike smell had came and gone, I have reignited my passion for the open road, and I have decided I love this motorcycle. I love, I love, I shall call her Olive!

and there it goes...

2010-06-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

I am still waiting... For the out come of this knee injury. As I mentioned in my last blog, I don't have any torn tendons or ligaments, I have particles under my patella. Unfortunate and uncomfortable; I know in my heart that it isn't strong enough for 25-30 lbs; so unfortunately my thru Hike is finished.
I will never forget the 47 days, the amazing people, and the beautiful sights; I am lucky to have experienced all that I did. I am so thankful for all of the love and support from friends and family, I am truly blessed. I wish that everyone could take some time like this, time to realize who and what is really important in life. I have to admit, that outcome may shock you!

So on to the next adventure; what next? Wedding, school, new job, new house; all of these are just around the corner. I just have to refocus my motivation and getting healthy is job one!

Injury update and the plan.

2010-05-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

OK, I have been off the trail now for about eight days and feel like a part of me is missing... Interesting because when I was hiking, I didn't feel that way. Don't get me wrong, I missed Matt and Lola terribly, but I knew they were with me in spirit and they would be right beside me if they could be. I am really looking forward to getting back out there.

On the 4th of May, late afternoon I was hiking along and I stepped over a log and I heard an awful "click" or "crunch" in my knee. I don't know if this was an audible sound, but it certainly seemed like it was; this sound was accompanied with a really sharp pain under my patella. Unfortunately, I had about eight miles to go for our campsite and about six for the closest road crossing. In true "Teri" fashion, I took an Ibuprofen, Vicodin, and a NoDose and I hiked on; what else is there to do?

I was hiking with a good group, that were adamant about making sure I made it to the campsite OK (mostly because we had planned a Cinco De Mayo party for the next day), and we finally hiked into our destination by about 11:30 at night. Honestly, I was feeling pretty good when I got into my sleeping bag and I fell asleep thinking that if I take it easy tomorrow, I would be fine.

We woke up early on the 5th, took our shots of Tequila and started the day off right, this was before I even got out of my sleeping bag! It didn't take very long for me to realize that my knee was in pretty bad shape, so I decided to walk to the hilltop and call Matt. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but he is always a good voice of reason when I am stumped. On the walk to make the call my knee gave out about three times, there really wasn't much to discuss when I got Matt on the phone, other than logistics of getting to the doctor.

Matt ended up driving the five hours to Atkins, VA to pick me up, the Grey Hound would have taken about 13 hours and cost almost the same as gas, I am lucky he is so awesome. Doug and Pam Elleby (One of Matt's buddy's parents) referred me to a good Ortho Doctor, who had actually treated Matt in the past.

After seeing the doctor, he was sure that I tore my medial meniscus and he told me to prepare for surgery as early as next week. Saturday morning I had an MRI and Monday I was back into the doctors office, prepared for the worst. Luckily, I didn't have any damage to meniscus, ACL or MCL; I do have bone fragments behind my patella and some major inflammation.

The doctor drained my knee and gave me an injection directly into the joint, to reduce the swelling and to ease the discomfort. As of now, I am simply trying to strengthen the knee muscles and I will be back to see the Doc on the 27th of May. If all goes well on that visit, I will be back on the trail after the 1st of June!

What campsite?

2010-05-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

What can I say? I am a planner, even though out here there isn't much to plan but when and where to get water and sleep.. I do just that! I am fairly accurate when it comes to planning a campsite and an arrival time, but there are days that outside forces affect my planning! This blog is a little back dated, I would say around mile marker 320, I would have to take a look at my Guide Book to be sure, but it is too funny not to type up.

I had planned about a 17 mile day and my camp spot was just before you start the ascent up and over Roan Mountain; I knew the specified campsite didn't have water, so I would have to carry it in from about 2 miles prior. A 17 mile day is decent and normally should take me about 7-8 hours of good hiking, with a few breaks in there for food, water, and socializing; this day was a little different. To make a long-story short, it was full of elevation changes and by the 15 mile marker, where I was to get water, I was beat! My goal was just just cross the next road, get to my campsite, eat and sleep....2 miles.

Water, of course is essential, so loading up isn't really an option; you have to have water. I typically use about three liters of water for dinner, clean-up, breakfast, and my hydration pack for the next morning hiking; this is an extra 6.6 pounds of weight! I know 6.6 doesn't really sound like a lot, but water is also not static weight, so as you move, so does the water. At this point in my day, I feel like I have an anvil strapped to my back.

With moderate terrain for the next two miles, the time flies by fairly quickly; as I approach the landmark road I know that I am getting close to my home for the evening. Everywhere I go and pretty much everything I see, relies on my Guide Book and my ability to guesstimate time and distance traveled. I see that I have about 0.2 to get there and some climbing.

This was the longest 0.2 of my life! It was quite literally directly up and I never did find that campsite. Switchback after switchback and about 20 minutes into the climb I decided just to do what I can, with what I find on the side of the trail.

Now, selecting a spot for your tent takes a little practice; you can't just slap that baby anywhere! It has to be fairly level, since everything we carry is made from nylon, which turns into a slip-n-slide when you an not level. You can see where I am going with this... I was tired, I did what I could and it looked ok.

4AM I wake up in a ball in the corner of the tent, it is raining and I have to go to the bathroom... ARGH! You can't go out in your nice dry jammies, the jammies ALWAYS have to stay dry, when it is cold your life depends on it. I could get dressed, but it was a little early for that. What do I do? Hang the boody out the door and hope for the best! Don't judge, guys do it all the time!

Chillin'

2010-05-02T13:02:00.001-07:00

4/30

There are days that I blaze the trail and then there are the days that
you have to lay in the wildflowers and watch the clouds go by; today
is that day. I lay here wondering when the last time was that I've
done this... It has been to long.

It's about 80 degrees and sunny and we've probably only hiked about 7
miles, but it's wonderful. Damascus is a very cute, hiker and cyclist
town; I'm not sure I want to leave!

~TG

2010-04-25T08:39:00.001-07:00

Damascus Address:

Adventure Damascus
Thru Hiker T Gorrell - Little Foot
PO Box 1113 128 W. Laurel Ave
Damascus VA 24236

Priority mail only :)
ETA 4/28

From Erwin, TN

2010-04-21T07:12:00.001-07:00

I've been for a few days now, resting, spending a few days with Matt,
and relaxing. There is surprisingly a lot of work to be done on the
non-hiking days; such as laundry, shopping, and lots of ice and
elevation!

I had promised Matt that I would be in Erwin by 4pm on Sunday; he had
reserved us a cabin and had planned a little cookout for us! Yay for
real food, at this point anything that isn't cooked on my JetBoil
tastes good!

Seeker, my hiking buddy, has been having some need troubles; for me to
make it to Matt on time, I had to split from her after lunch and pick
up the pace. At 1:20 I had 6.3 miles to go, I put my head down and
basically jogged into town; I set foot at the Hostel at 3:35.

It turned out that Uncle Johnny gave our reserved cabin away, so we
were without a home for the night; to make matters worse, I had asked
Matt to brig Lola and no hotels were listed as Pet-Friendly! We ended
up sneaking her into the local Super 8... But we ended up paying an
extra 20 bucks when we got busted.

Matt ended up staying until Tuesday, which was a day longer than he
planned, he had to take me to the local REI in Asheville, NC so that I
could research a new back pack. It turns out that the pack that I had
was only adjustable to waist size 28, but amazingly enough I have
shrunk smaller than that! REI is was very helpful and they were able
to get me into the same brand, but an interchangable belt; 100%
exchange!

All and all, I'm ready to get back on the trail; however it is raining
off and on today! I don't like starting in the rain, getting caught in
it is one thing, but starting in it stinks!

I'm also recieving one more package today that I plan to wait for; I
have had a great time opening care packages! Those of you that have
sent them, thank you so much! It certainly makes the stops more
interesting :)

300 miles...

2010-04-19T04:37:00.000-07:00

It is interesting how simple life becomes out here; sleep, eat, hike, that is about it! One thing that I have found really interesting is how in-tune I am with my body. I can feel what foods give me the energy I need to complete my daily tasks, I can tell if I have drank water that may not be just right (I have drank water out of a ditch in the last five days), every little thing I do or do not do has a major impact on how my day goes! Bottom line or moral of this story, you have to take care of yourself! I think in normal life we oftan forget to do this... work through lunch because we have a deadline, or stay up late doing laundry and then end up draggin @ss the next day. On the trail, you simply cannot! To finish this and have your body survive the day and the miles, you must be prepared, mind, body and soul. Life should be lived the same way...

Snake Charmer, eh?

2010-04-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I have been a bit of a basket case since Gatlinburg, I have been hiking like a mad woman to get to mountain tops, to see if I have cell coverage. I guess that sounds pretty strange, I have to admit that myself, but it is hard to be so isolated when you are normally very connected!

Aside from the fact that I have been out of touch with the world, hiking has been wonderful! We have had the most incredible weather and I consider myself so lucky to be hiking this year, compared to some of the past seasons. We always seem to have a good water supply, sunny hiking days and the few days that I have seen rain, I have been sitting in a hostel or a hotel! I am sure this will not always be the case, so I will enjoy and cherish it while it lasts!

I have stepped up the mileage and I am trying to average more that 15 miles per day, the last two days have been more than 17 miles; we had to get to Hot Springs! I had a bit of an Allergic reactions to something and I needed to restock on Benadryl and get my EPI-Pen that Matt mailed to me. I hope to not have to deal with that again... it was scary!

Yesterday, while coming into Hot Springs (again running to get cell service) I was greeted on the trial by a black snake... or I should say "grazed" on the trail; he managed to bounce off both of my shins! I screamed like a little girl and I have to admit that I almost sh!t my pants! He was a big snake, I am guessing about three feet long.

Next mail drop!

2010-04-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,

I am sorry to get these addresses to you relatively last minute, it is hard to plan ahead when you are counting on things like weather, feet, shelter space... This is a very different world than what I am used to, I am a planner and this goes completely against everything that I know.

I will be heading towards Erwin, TN this afternoon, it is only about 80 miles from where I am currently at in Hot Springs; I am assuming I will get there in about 5-6 days. Please send any mail drops to:

Uncle Johnny's Thru Hiker T Gorrell ETA 4/20
151 River Road
Erwin, TN 37650

Please be sure that anything arrives on or before the 21st, I will be leaving that day :) If you are wondering what to send... small lotion, baby wipes, VIA coffee, anything small... I don't carry anything that is more than about 6 days worth. If you have some shampoo/conditioner that you can squeeze into a ziplock... that would be AWESOME! My hair is fried. Oh, ziplocks of various sizes are the best!

~Little Foot~

The trail continues...

2010-04-08T08:27:00.001-07:00

*Published from my iPhone without edit*

It is overwhelming to imagine that I have over 1900 miles to go, it almost doesn't seem possible; but it is! I'm sitting in a hotel in Gatlinburg, TN and thinking about how far I've come and what I have left to do.

I feel like I've done a lot, met a lot of people, seen the most amazing veiws, and experienced some of the most physical challenges since I was in the Marines. Reality is that I am still only a few short driving hours from my house, Matt drove up here yesterday for a quick visit and to bring me a few supplies; this is when I know I've got a lot to go! I can't think about 1900 miles, I've got to think of milestones!

My next stop will be Hot Springs, NC, which is a true trail town and does in fact have hot springs! I am so looking forward to soaking the weary bones in a natural hot springs. I hope to have Matt join me on the trail there for a few days, but we just have to see house the week plays out.

As of today I've been on the trail for 22, taken two days off and I'm averaging about 12 miles a day; this all sounds great but I've got to step up the miles to get to Maine before August 10th. I'm set to start school in Georgia on the 24th of August, so I've got a deadline!

The trail continues...

2010-04-08T07:19:00.001-07:00

2010-04-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Mail Drop Hot Springs, NC:
T Gorrell AT Thru Hiker
ETA 4/14/10
PO Box 223
Hot Springs NC 28743

2010-04-04T14:21:00.001-07:00

Sunny and 70 today starting the Smoky's, 12.6 already done and pondering and additional 2.5. The Great Smoky Mountains are incredible, everyone should see them.

2010-04-03T15:26:00.001-07:00

Today was a much nicer hiking day! Temps were mild, cool breeze, and I'm into Fontana Dam. Tomorrow we are starting the Great Smoky Mountains! I'm so excited to start!

2010-04-02T18:01:00.001-07:00

The last few days have been challenging; how do you go from rain and snow to sunny and 88 degrees? I wasn't prepared for the temp change, the last few days took a lot out of me. Not to mention the drasticly changing elevation, it has been brutal.

It has been new to see the tree starting to bud their leaves and the animal life start to move. Unfortunately the bugs have come along with it; Mosquitos, No-see-ums, and bees seem to be running the show!

Tomorrow I'll be at Fontana Dam, NC and Sunday I will start The Great Smoky Mountains!

Mailing address:

2010-03-29T14:09:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! I thought I'd post the addresses where I will be collecting
mail for the next few weeks, just in case you'd like to send a note or
perhaps some cookies! LoL

Ship to:
T Gorrell Thru Hiker ETA 4/3/10
C/O Hike Inn
3204 Fontana Rd
Fontana Dam NC 28733

T Gorrell Thru Hiker ETA 4/8/10
C/O Smoky Mountain Outfitters
469 Brookside Village Way
Gatlinburg, TN 37738

~TG

Timing and Hiking

2010-03-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

*published without editing from my iPhone*

I haven't had any service over the past few days, my last opportunity
to check in was 4 days and fourty miles ago... Seems like forever.

We've walked over several ridges and had some amazing veiws, I'm
waiting for Matt to upload some pictures that I can share on here, for
now please check my FaceBook page.

It seems I'm fairly lucky when it comes to timing and hiking, I've
have been playing leapfrog with a gal from upstate New York and it
seems since Hiawassee we have been pretty good hiking buddies; I'm
happy to have the company and someone that travels close to the same
pace. Even more importantly we get along great.

Since my last post we climbed Tray Mountain, one of the last major
climbs in Georgia, it was a full day, up hill chug! We ended up at the
shelter in rain and cold weather, with just enough space for a few more.

Sleeping in the shelter seemed like a good idea; warm, dry, and
company.... Not. First of all, it is difficult to be patient when you
are cold and wet. Waiting for someone to organize their gear, when
all I want to do is change into dry clothes and get in my sleeping
bag, was challenging to say the least. I managed to keep my mouth
shut, but I'm sure my chattering teeth got my point across.

I was too tired to cook, I'll I wanted to do is lay down, so a handful
of trail mix would be the cusine of choice. This meal works nicely in
the sleeping bag!

The night was full of snoring, farting and thunder storms... This may
be my first and only shelter night, it certainly wasn't a restful
night! The only good thing that came out of it was a dry tent for the
next few nights.

Friday started off as a foggy, cold morning but before noon it started
to clear and turn into a beautiful day. Matt and I had pre-arranged
to meet at a Forrest Sevice road and even though we didn't have cell
service, I was coming down the hill as he was pulling into the parking
lot! How is that for timing?

Matt seems to be pretty lucky when selecting hiking days, we had
perfect weather for the two days he was on the trail. We summited
Albert Mountain on Saturday afternoon and the veiw was incredible;
certainly a great way to finish the day.

We found a nice campsite along the trail and enjoyed a quiet evening
next to a stream, with a full moon and wonderful campfire.

Sunday morning brought rain and some wind and of course it was time
for Matt to head back to the truck and for me to head North. It is
hard to walk in the opposite direction as your soul mate, but knowing
he will be back in a few days makes it easier.

My hiking buddy, Seeker, and I continued up the trail and made our way
into Franklin, NC, for a much needed day off. As I type this I have
been on the trail for 11 days and traveled 107 miles, rest sounds good!

Rain, snow, soggy socks

2010-03-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

*Published without Edit via iPhone*

The first three days of my trip were a piece of cake, compared to the
last few... Matt finished the three day stint and sent me off into the
rainy wilderness early Sunday afternoon; which was a fairly miserable
night.

My goal was Low Gap Shelter, but as the rain kept coming and I got
colder, it didn't seem like I was going to make it in day light. The
biggest concern is water, if I could only capture some of what was
falling on me, I'd be good to go!
I decided to fill up at the next opportunity and start looking for a
place to set up my tent, the wind was so strong that I was worried a
tree would fall over and crush me! They had been falling all day;
Georgia soil is so saturated from several inches of rain, it doesn't
take much for a heavy tree to tip over.

I finally found a spot pretty close to the trail and luckily there was
a small break in the rain, so to got the tent up and food bag strung
up. Cold, soggy, and miserable night.

I woke up to snow the next morning and froozen Under Armor to put on;
which quickly motivated me to get moving. It rained and snowed all day
and when I got to my next shelter it was 28 degrees... I hitch hiked
to town!

Myself and two retired Navy boys lucked out and hopped into a Church
group bus the took us to a cute hotel in Helen, GA. Great food, nice
warm shower, comfy bed; what more can you ask for after a few cold
days on the trail?

I felt bad checking out this morning, my room was thrashed... Leaves,
mud, and food crumbs were everywhere. I had to lay everything out to
dry!

A really nice local hiker, by the name of Fibro, picked myself and 5
other people up this morning and took us back to the trail head. 10 am
was snowy, 12 was sunny, and 3pm was almost hot! Crazy.

Burned up my tires!

2010-03-21T05:19:00.001-07:00

I guess the best way to explain my last few days is: incredible! I can
honestly say that all my planning and preparation has certainly paid
off; however I made one serious mistake. I pushed my feet too far, I
can only relate it to racing... A soft tire will only go really fast,
and grip really good for a short time; then they burn up! My legs, my
ankle, and my lungs are much stronger than my feet!

As I'm typing this I'm soaking my tooties in a hot bath, mentally
preparing myself to remove a toenail off my right foot! Ugg. Ok,
enough with the bad stuff! Honestly, we clip our toenails every week
anyway... This will just save me some time.

I couldn't have asked for better weather to start my trip, sunny and
66 all three days! I left a few days earlier than I originally
planned because Matt as going to be at VIR testing with a new team,
even though the test was pushed back, I stuck with the earlier start
and Matt joined me. What a great way to find out how truly compatible
you are... Don't worry, we are still to best of friends and somehow
enlightened after only spending a few days on the trail together.
Unlike some of the other characters we've met on the trail!

The first night at a shelter was nothing like I expected; their was
probably 25 or more people staying there! Right from the start I met
up with one gal I have been talking to via the web, she is from Ohio.
We met several other people but the one couple that stick out in my
mind I have to share.

These two looked rough, like too much partying in their life... Rode
hard and put away wet, if you will. Matt and I start hearing a little
bickering from our left, quietly at first but it escalates quickly.
Luckily we were starting to pack up; about the time we hear, "I
wouldn't be sore if you did throw me off the hood of the car... It's
not my fault you're an abusive husband", I realize now is as good a
time as any to get stepping North! Maybe I should blame my feet on
them, I was desperately trying to escape! The moral of this story is,
maybe you don't hike 2000 miles with someone that throws you off car
hoods.

The second day in was a good one, we made it to our day goal by about
1PM and I had far too much energy to stop there. We pushed on, but
here is when I made a crucial foot error. We came across a stream and
I soaked my feet, it felt so good! Little did I know I was setting
myself up for blister city.

Since we only carry enough water to drink, we have to camp fairly
close to a water source, which can really make camp selection a pain.
When we reached our selected water source we were fairly dissapointed
with what we found, but we were too tire to hike another mile. Tent
was on a somehwat flat chunk of turf and we were in our sleeping bags
by 7:30. At this point I knew my feet were tore up, but I was far to
tired to deal with them.

Final Days

2010-03-12T19:00:00.001-08:00

I'm mostly testing the blog feature from my iPhone, sorry if it's

short and gramatically horrible! I'm doing my best to eliminate extra

costs while I'm hiking, so the iPhone is going to serve multiple

purposes while I'm out there. I don't want to pay for computer time,

if I can avoid it.

It has been a busy last few days, finishing up some freelance work I

have on my plate, wedding stuff, and the final trail preparations! I

haven't slept much, even if I wanted to, I probably couldn't ... So

excited at this point.

Matt and I are trying to do a few fun things before next Thursday;

Alice in 3D IMAX, Blaze of Glory Trail Party tomorrow, and my Sending-

Off shindig on Sunday.

I may need rest after the weekend.

The Support and how much it means to me!

2010-03-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

There is no doubt that hiking the Appalachian Trail is a huge undertaking, probably more planning involved than my upcoming wedding (10/10/10). I couldn’t do it with the support of my fiancé, Matt; he is incredible. Not only has he promised to make sure I don’t wimp out and come home, but he is planning to visit me on the trail; I can’t explain how much that means to me. I also have a great group of friends that have promised to visit me along the way, send me goodies, and follow my blog; these are the things that will keep my spirits up when I am sitting in the tent on cold rainy days!

Thank you so much, you guys mean the world to me.

Research, testing and training...

2010-03-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

Unlike other things I have done in my life (um, Marine Corps); I have decided it may behoove me to do some research before I start this 2176 mile journey to Maine. I think I have started my 4th book on the Appalachian Trail, reached the end of the internet Googling the how-tos and what-to-expects, and talked to as many people as I can find that may know anything about any part of my journey! It has been exhausting; I only hope that all these efforts pay off.

I have attended two separate classes at REI and both times I felt as though I could have taught the class, even though I didn't have the credibility of actually hiking any of the trail. It was nice, however, to hear from the men and women that have taken then steps; I know I can do it, I just have to convince everyone else that I can.

The first challenge was getting some gear together, this was no easy task! Even though I had a lot of gear already, most of it wasn't exactly what you would need for a five month trip. My pack was to small, my shoes were too small, my sleeping bag wasn't warm enough... the list goes on. Luckily for me, I have a really outdoorsy family, my brother and parents swooped in and helped me out with a few of the higher priced items.

Now, having all this nice new gear is fine-and-dandy, putting it to the test is a whole different story! Hot spots, cramps, pinches, sore knees, easy-access water! ARGH, testing is key. I have logged nearly 50 miles in the last week and a half, trying to see what works and what doesn't; Matt and I even slept in the yard on Saturday night!

Training has probably been the most challenging part for me; you may or may not know that I have two screws in my heel that still cause some problems. This is from a road race crash in 2004, my ankle has never really been the same, I am sure it never will be again. My challenge is to train long enough that I can get used to the weight (27 lbs without food), yet not push my ankle too far that I can't do anything productive the following day. It is a delicate balance. My hopes are that I will strengthen my ankle enough that it will no longer cause me problems, I have been favoring that foot for about six years, it is time to get back to where I should be.

As I write this today I am 19 days from starting and there is currently three inches of snow in my front yard, yikes. Matt asked my the other day, "do you think you will average that many miles if it is cold out?" I can tell you this; the only way to stay warm is to hike! Maybe I will average more.

The idea...

2010-02-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

It was only last summer that I was introduced to the idea of hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT), which came from our white water rafting guide on my birthday weekend. He had told Matt and I how he spent the summer with his dog, hiking from Georgia to Maine. Sleeping in shelters, spending time in solitude, meeting people, and loving life. I jokingly said to Matt, "if work gets much worse, I am going to hike the trail!" I didn't think about it again until several months later.

Since that whimsical proclamation, a lot of things have changed in my life. I left my job in October of 2009, Matt and I are planning a wedding for October of this year, and I have several opportunities for both school and work, none of which seem feasible immediately. It seems to me that life if providing me the opportunity!

As you can see, this blog has been changed from my riding, racing, and traveling journal to my Appalachian Trail blog. I will be posting as much as I can before, during, and most definitely after the trip. I plan to host a Sending off party on March 20th and I will be leaving the next day from Springer Mountain, GA. Here goes nothing...