Date: 2005-10-22
To: Made Up My Mind
Miles today: 0.0

Here we go. After a deep breath and lots of research over the last few months, I have decided to attempt a Thru-hike of the Appalachain Trail in 2006!! I am 34 years old now, 150 lbs., 5'6" tall. After a stint in the U.S. Army, a divorce, and now living at home with my brother, who is paralyzed from the chest down (a motorcycle accident almost 13 years ago), I have reached the conclusion my life needs a jump-start. I have been out of work for almost a year after my brothers last hospital trip, and I am ready to move on. I am afraid to leave him alone, as he has fallen out of his bed once, which has resulted in severe, lasting injuries, (thank goodness he cannot feel them). He is still capable of getting around on his own, drives a van, and can pretty much fend for himself, but on the other hand, if he gets a blood infection, it affects him very badly. The last infection caused severe delusion and since he had just moved to this area, the doctors had not seen a case like it before, and were sure he was a mental trainwreck on a regular basis. After fighting them for a week, and getting him on anti-biotics, he started to return to normal. All the nurses that took care of him could not believe the change. Well, anyway, that will always be in the back of my mind as i plan this huge undertaking, and may ultimatly dictate the start or finish of my attempt. I am extremely excited about the prospect of taking my time to hike the Trail, and have the support of my mother in N.Y. and a friend here, for mail drops, looking in on my brother from time to time, in addition to daily visits from a home health care representative. I am planning to try to keep my gear weight down to the bear minimum, with the bulk of the weight being food. I want to keep the mail-drops and high cost hotels to a bare minimum, and will most likely tent (or hammock as the case may turn out to be). I will try for 10-15 days of food carried at a time, resupplied at town stores, and have essential mail-dropped at longer intervals. I will go with Liptons, Bullion, Ramen, Peanut butter, Pita breads, Gorp, and any other light weight, high calorie items I can get a hold of. I figure, if i can keep my gear down to under 20 lbs, that will leave me a comfortable 20 lbs for food. Water will be purified or boiled along the way, and only a gallon or so carried if it is needed (2 32 oz. bottles will be carried, one more if I think I can get away with it.) I am not hiking to get it done as fast as possible, I could'nt marathon it even if i wanted to lol. I hope to quit smoking on this trip, and get into shape again as well. I love my brother very much, but it is time to move on, and before i start a new job,(truck driver by trade) I need to do this. Maybe to find myself, or lose myself, I do not know. But i have fought for this country (Desert Storm) and not since a trip to Bear Mountain in N.Y. and a short hike on the A.T. in my youth have I seen it. As a driver, I've seen the miles fly by outside the windows, all over the highways, but now I want to slow down and see the real country, as it was when it was just a few colonies of outlanders that "discovered" the land (even tho it was populated at the time lol). Well, thats it for now, gear list and more details to follow. HYOH!!!!