Date: 2003-03-02
To: Intro
Miles today: 0.0

Who Am I?           I am a woman, I am a musician, I am an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker.    Whoo! How is that for an auspicious beginning!??! :)        Well, in my heart I am a thru hiker!!! The AT is buried so deep in my heart and soul that thru hiking it was just a matter of time. And my time has come!           My name is Anna, and I am a musician by day and a dreamer by night. It was close to fifteen years ago when I first heard those magical, scarey, stirring words.......Appalachain Trail. And I have been a goner ever since.            It started slowly, mind you. For years I just read all of the books, thinking to myself, how cool those people must be!!!. Slowly but surely, that became, Is there any chance that I could do something like that?. After years of my brain screaming, No, my heart finally took over. It was about time!!! :)           My hiking career started very, very small. The summer of 1989 found me at Brevard Music Center hanging out with my good friend John. He took me on my very first hike and it was mere minutes before I found the nearest, and only, mud puddle and promptly fell in it!!! Thus, Mud Butt was born. After traipsing around the Pisgah National Forest all summer, and falling in every mud puddle I could find, a hiker finally emerged.            So here I am, about a billion years later, and I am leaving in two weeks and five days for my thru hike.       In readying myself for this trip I have learned a few things that I would like to pass on to those of you dreaming of your own hike....... 1. Ask your loved ones and boss for permission to leave them for six months.........at least three years in advance!!!! This is a strategy that worked wonders for me!! :) No one will think for a minute that you will really do it, so no one will hesitate to say yes!!           Makes sense, doesnt it?!?! My poor parents listened to me talk about this for three long years, and frankly, the will to talk me out of it left them a long time ago. I just flat out wore them down! :) I am telling you, this is a strategy that cannot miss!!!         Note: My folks are now my biggest supporters, and no hiker could be luckier!! 2. Before you leave for your hike, do some trail magic, if possible. (See my journal entry regarding this) Not only are you paying big time into the karma bank.........and trust me, I know that it will come back to you!!!......but you will also learn more from these thru hikers then you can imagine. 3. Join as many of the on-line lists that deal with hiking as you can!!! I am a member of AT-L (for Appalachain Trail hikers), the Women Hikers list on Yahoo, and HikersRUs which is a list for this years thru hikers. You will learn, you will make amazing friends, and you will be the recipient of more good will than you can imagine!!         For example, the TinMan on the AT-L list sent me a pepsi can stove, wind shield and pot cozy. Why? Because he is wonderful! And because he loves the trail and wants to help anyone who shares that love. He is only one of countless people that I met on these lists that are like that! Trust me.......they are worth their weight in gold! 4. Last but not least.........go to a Gathering!!!! A meeting of long distance hikers from all over the country. But beware........if you are already feeling the tug of one of these amazing long distance trails, this will do you in completely.           And of course, while you are at it........join ALDHA and the ATC!!!! Without these, where would we be!?!?!?         But enough of my going on and on..............:) If you love hiking and adventure, then I hope you will log on and follow my hike here in my journal!! I cant promise wisdom or great writing, but I promise you that you will have a good time!! I can also promise that after I start hiking, I will not be this long winded!!! :)         So sit back and enjoy my first few shake down hikes. And on March 19th....think of me! Cause I will be off!!!!!!                Anna aka Mud Butt