Date: 2013-09-08
To: The Wilmington Trail Club
Miles today: 0.0

In 1939, the opening shots of WW 11 were sounded, and the invasion of Poland began. That year also saw the opening of the New York World's Fair, and Yankee first basemen, Lou Gehrig, ended his 2130 consecutive game playing streak. The films "Gone With The Wind" and "The Wizard Of Oz" premiered, while Bobby Hull, Neal Sedaka, Bobby Vinton, and The Wilmington Trail Club were born. The Wilmington Trail Club (WTC) is an organization of people who are outdoor oriented people, who like to hike, paddle, cycle, cross country ski, and more. The club publishes a monthly bulletin with all the club activities, which are too numerous to mention here. Their website is located at www.wilmingtontrailclub.org The Wilmington Trail Club will celebrate its 75th year in existence in 2014.The WTC is one of 31 trail clubs that help to maintain the A.T. from Georgia to Maine and they are responsible for maintaining 7.2 miles of the A.T. from the Delaware Water Gap (at the border of New Jersey/PA) to Fox Gap at PA 191.In the early months of 2006 the WTC completed the rebuilding of the new Kirkridge Shelter that lies within their area of trail maintenance. It is a very nicely constructed shelter with a picnic table, fire ring, privy, water source, and partial views. Its official sleeping capacity is listed at 6, but hikers have reported 8+ people can fit into it. The elevation at this shelter is 1467 ft. and after I pass this shelter next year I will have 903 miles to Katahdin.I feel the best way to get into shape for hiking, is to hike, so after retirement I started with a group within the club called the "Wednesday Milers" The Wednesday Milers are folks who are in there fifty's, sixty's, and seventy's and most of them are retired. On my first outing with them I was a little worried because I heard they were a fast hiking group who took few breaks, and hiked in almost all weather conditions for up to sixteen miles. It's the reason I carry water in my backpack for weight, I haul presently 25-30 pounds and if I could not keep up I could dump the water very easily. I also took Ibuprofen the first day thinking if I hurt myself I would take two capsules and keep on hiking. I survived the first hike with the Wednesday Milers and did not have to dump any water or take any pills but I remember that I was sore that night. I have also started hiking with the Saturday Long Hike folks and this is an energetic group as well. I am appreciative of these two hiking groups because they are helping me to get into shape for the long hike ahead. Shortly I will add a third day of fifteen mile hiking and I will increase one day extra per week every six weeks.I joined the WTC in the early part of the year 2000. Rotating shift work kept me from consistently hiking with the WTC so I did a lot of solo hiking and backpacking.On a cool sunny Saturday morning at 9AM on October 21, 2000 at a trail head called Peters Rock I met Nancy who was also a WTC member. I can't remember how many miles we hiked that day but I do remember that Nancy and I had a lot of good conversation for the whole hike. She said I nearly tore her shoulder out when I helped her up an embankment. We continued to see each other on hikes over the next six months and we started dating.In May of 2002 after Nancy and I hiked up Mt. Mitchell (see Hike Up Mt Mitchell photo, in photo section) in North Carolina and while overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains on a bright, see forever clear day, from the highest point on the east coast, I proposed to her and we married in May of 2003. Nancy and I still love to hike together and we still enjoy lively conversation on the trail. We seem to be able to figure out all of our life situations on the trail. One day we figured out how we were going to renovate our home, and on another hike we finalized our retirement plans and goals. Six months to go until I start the A.T. I remember when it was six years; soon it will be six weeks, and then six days.Although the physical and mental requirements of this hike will be challenging, the hardest part of this hike for me will be the absence of Nancy, but I know she wants me to succeed so that will keep me going and focused.I know as I am hiking north on The Appalachian Trail, and probably with tears in my eyes, I will be pondering these early beginnings with Nancy and how our love of hiking brought us together on a Saturday morning hike with the Wilmington Trail Club.Happy Trails,