Date: 2014-01-14
To: Getting Close
Miles today: 0.0

We had just finished supper, and my wife was sitting on the sofa doing her puzzle book and listening to "Castle" on the TV and I was sipping on my decaf coffee and crunching some numbers on my cell phone calculator app, when I said to her, that there are approximately 80,000 white blazes marking the trail from Georgia to Maine, which means on average they are about 48 yards apart over the entire 2180 mile trip. OK, she said, not looking up from her puzzle book. I continued; also I will have to hike up and over and down about 300 mountains from Georgia to Maine. OK, she said, turning the page of her puzzle book. I was eager to share just one more tidbit of some new found information, so I said that there are about 300 shelters on the AT and that would mean, on average, they are about seven and one-half miles apart the entire length of the trail. She looked up and said," Really, you're down to doing the math on this? You're bored and you need to be hiking the trail right now!"We made our reservations for Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge for Feb.28th, 2014. We are hoping the weather cooperates and we can both hike the 8.8 mile Approach Trail to Springer Mountain. If the weather is bad or if there is any snow, my wife will probably not be hiking. If the weather is good, we will do the Approach Trail together and she will take me back up the mountain on March 1st in her car, to within one mile of the summit and we will get out and go one mile to the top and the starting point of the southern terminus of the AT. We will then retrace our steps back to her car and say goodbye until we meet again about 500 miles up the trail. If the weather is bad, we will say goodbye at Amicalola Falls State Park and I will hike the Approach Trail myself and onto the summit of Springer Mountain and keep on going on Feb.28th.I ordered and received my two copies of The A.T. Guide from David (AWOL) Miller. One is for my wife, and a loose leaf edition for me, so I can take about 500 miles of trail at a time. It looks like the Appalachian trail is 2185 miles long this year. About five miles longer than last year. I will have to get up extra early the last day to cover the extra miles.I got a head cold last week that took me down. It took about four days to get back to normal. If I were hiking on the AT, I would have had to get to the nearest hotel near medical services and rest. It is the main reason I am leaving early, March 1st. If I get sick (and I probably will), I will have some cushion time and still be able to make the finish on time.I have two physicals coming up next week. One is called my "Welcome to Medicare Physical" and the other is my yearly eye exam. I do hope there are no bad surprises and I get the green light to go.I contacted an old friend. We first met in the fourth grade. We walked and hiked all over the city of Wilmington, Delaware when we were ten years old. I last saw my friend at my son's funeral almost 20 years ago. It was fun reminiscing about the old days and some of our adventures as children and then as teenagers. Because of our background in hiking and exploring, I thought he would be interested in my upcoming hike. I am glad we renewed our friendship once again, and we promised we would not wait nearly as long to contact one another again.I read John Grisham's new book "Sycamore Row" and while I was sick last week, I read Michael Connelly's book "The Gods of Guilt". Both courtroom drama type of stuff. I am currently reading probably my last book before hitting the trail. It's called "Hiking Through" by Paul Stutzman. It was given to me by my daughter-in-law for Christmas. Paul is a 2008 thru hiker who's wife died of cancer and he hiked the AT seeking peace and freedom. I still have many little details to tend to before I leave, but everything is on track. I am breaking in a new pair of Asolo Fugitives. I have over 800 miles on the old pair and I am still hiking in them.About six weeks to go and I am like a racehorse at the starting gate, and as soon as the shoot opens I will be heading down the trail. When I start climbing those first mountains, I might do a Katy Perry and just ROAR!