Date: 2006-05-15
From: On My Way to the Trail

To: On My Way to the Trail
Miles today: 0.0

May 15, 2006ON MY WAY TO THE TRAILThe day has finally arrived to leave Florida on my way North. It¢s Monday morning, we finished packing the motor home and closed our Florida home for the summer. I have completed more than 500 miles. I have finished bagging so-o-o-o-o much food into individual bags for each serving. I feel like I should say, ¢My bags are packed and I am ready to go¢I have mixed an outstanding GORP. It is a combination of approximately 3 pounds of mixed nuts (no peanuts), 3 pounds of M&M peanut and over 4 pounds of granola. It is really good. I found a different protein bar that I really like.My camera that I was going to carry has decided not to work, so it has been replaced with a new Nikon S4 that has a 10X optical zoon and weighs in around 8 oz. A good friend has loaned me his GPS unit. However, at this point I have decided not to carry it with me until I understand it more. Dennie is going to carry his and this will give me a chance to evaluate it before I am hiking alone. In a book I read was a list of thing that you don¢t need to carry with you. A GPS unit was at the top of the list. In a later chapter, this author then explains what he did when he became lost. (Maybe IF he had carried a GPS unit, he would not have gotten lost. Hmmmmm)I have packed and repacked my pack numerous times trying to reduce the overall weight. It is up to about 23 pounds and keeps going up. It is really hard to guess what cool weather gear to carry when we are sitting in 88 degree weather. I put my fleece in the pack and then I take it out. I have a backup pair of Keen Trail Runners, but my size 13¢s weight over 2 lbs. I still haven¢t decided. Plans have been finalized!!! Ris« and I will arrive in Hiawassee on Tuesday. We will then drive our car to the Hiker Hostel at Dahlonega on Wednesday. There we will meet up with Dennie Henley. Dennie will arrive from Michigan via bus on Wednesday. Originally, Ris« and I were going to hike to Springer Mountain from Service Rd #42, spend the night and then meet Dennie on Thursday morning. When Dennie left Florida several weeks ago, we stored some of his gear in our motor home. Therefore, we need to meet in a comfortable, dry place and make a final gear sort. The parking lot on service Rd #42 just isn¢t the best location. After we finish sorting, all remaining items will go back in the car.   We will try to avoid as much duplication as possible. Thursday morning, we will have our first trail ¢all-you-can-eat¢ breakfast at the hostel and then they will shuttle us to the trail.Final thought I read in one of the hiker¢s journals: ¢It gets really dark just before it gets pitch black and you can¢t see your hand in front of your face.¢ I was reading about night hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park and they made an observation that one needs over three hours without any light before eyes develop their maximum level of night vision. We shall see.It is Tuesday evening and we are in Hiawassee and they are experiencing a cold snap. It has been dropping into the low forties at night.Tomorrow, the great adventure begins. The day is finally here.