Date: 2014-02-10
To: 3 Month Countdown
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It is here, the three month countdown until I arrive in Georgia. My exact start date is still not set, but I will be heading to Georgia sometime during the second week of March. It seems although the next three months are going to feel like six, but I hope they fly by. The preparation for this hike is much different for me from preparation for my 2011 hike. There are a lot of contributing factors, although I would say the biggest contributing factor is the fact I pretty much know what the start of the hike is like. I know, and I am 100% sure, that I am not entering a piece of land that is never-ending forest without people and no places to take a break in town. My thoughts about the trail are much different in this day and time then they were a few years ago. The biggest difference I have noticed this year is that I already ¢know¢ some people hiking and their trail names, before even setting foot on the trail. This is much different compared to 2011. This is all thanks to social media at its finest; Facebook. I have joined a few Facebook pages that are designed around the thru hiking class of 2014, or at least those who are attempting a thru hike. These pages are interesting with some helpful information. When I starting hiking in 2011, I knew absolutely no one who was attempting to thru hike that year besides the three people I set foot on the trail with; Ghost, Moose, and Beard Grills. Of course, my trail family formed rather quickly, and I made life-long friends within a few days. I spent Thanksgiving with my family in Maine. It was a great time although I was hoping for some snow. On the way back, I made a stop in Pittsburgh where I planned to stay with some of my friends from the trail. B Man I met on St. Patrick¢s Day in 2011. Jo Cool is B Man¢s girlfriend and I met her on St. Patrick¢s Day in 2013 before she set out on her thru hike. B Man has thru hiked twice, once in 2001 and once in 2005, and has thousands of other miles on the trail from long section hikes. He is a walking encyclopedia about the trail. Jo Cool made it to the top of New York when she decided her hike was over. It was great to be at the start of her hike and also be there at the end of her hike. When speaking with B Man about physical preparation for the trail, he made the statement: ¢Hiking the trail is like a NFL football season. GA-VA is pre-season, VA-VT is mid-season, and VT-ME is playoffs.¢ He simply was talking about the changes your body will make. Your body will have trouble and be weak in the beginning. Mid way through, it will become stronger; hiking double the miles compared to when you started. At the end of the hike, you are working your hardest to finish, in great shape, but tired. I thought this was a great way to look at the physical aspect of the trail, or at least one way. I grew up in Maine and many of you know Moose (Steven) was my next door neighbor growing up. He attempted the trail with me in 2011 making it around 400 miles. It was a blast to be on the trail with him. His brother attempted to hike the trail this year making it close to Virginia, but I am unsure of exactly where. I received a text message a month or so ago from their mom, Deb. Deb is Finch. She will be attempting a thru hike this year. I think it is GREAT! She seems determined and dedicated. She will be starting a week or so ahead of me, but I certainly hope to cross paths with her along the way. I could start hiking tomorrow, and wish I could. I have all my gear ready to go with the exception of my 2014 trail guide from David ¢Awol¢ Miller. I spoke with Awol today, and he said there is a chance the guides could be out by Christmas, which will be great. This is by far the best guide for hiking the trail, NoBo or SoBo, hands down. There is so much information that you can literally read a page a few times, and still miss little details. It is incredibly helpfully and I cannot wait to get mine. With that said, I also ordered the ¢AT Passport¢ which is new for 2014. This is a small booklet that you can get stamped at various stops. I think it is great keepsake therefore being the reason I purchased it. I have purchased one of Awol¢s guides every year since 2011, and I will continue to do so. They are great to have no matter if you¢re hiking a day, week, month, or six months. I strongly encourage anyone attempting a thru hike to purchase his guide. The hardest part for me right now is staying busy. I try not to think about the fact I still have three months left before I start my journey, a new journey, the journey of a lifetime. I have secured the funds needed to hike, so I know for a fact, that money will not end this hike. I told myself years ago I will not let money end my hike and I have made sure it will not. Also, a mentally hard topic for me to consider is the fact that this hike, in 2014, is NOT the same hike I had in 2011. It is a different hike on the same trail. I actually look forward to this. I thought I would miss my 2011 hike, but, I think about it as my 2011 hike was a great memory, and it is that, a memory. This hike will be much different, I know many more people along the trail, and I have a sense of what is to come. I cannot wait! I believe I am more excited to start in March this year than I was in 2011 because I have an idea of what is to come. I cannot wait for the pain, sun, rain, snow, ice, wind, cold, heat, woods, views, and so on. If it was easy, everyone would finish. It is not easy, but that is what makes the trail. It is great fun and builds character. I plan to stay in North Carolina for Christmas. I will be making a trip to Maine in January or February to see my family there one last time before I set off on the trail in March. I will not see them again until I make it to Maine, unless some of them hike with me along the way. While in Maine, I will certainly be skiing as much as possible. I have the great privilege of staying at a friend¢s grandmother¢s house in Andover, which happens to also be a trail town. I cannot wait to call her for a hot shower and a hoagie from Andover General Store (the best hoagies every made) when I make it there. After Maine, I will be stopping in Pittsburgh again. I will see B Man, Jo Cool, and hopefully Steamer, Geek, and Ziggy while there. Although, I hope to see many of them on St. Patrick¢s day on this hike, just like when I met them all on St. Patrick¢s day in 2011. There are two ways I will be getting to Georgia. My mom will either be giving me a ride to Amicalola Falls State Park where I will hike the approach trail and head North. The second option is hitch a ride from everyone heading to Georgia from Pittsburgh. Either way, I will be heading to GA the second week in March, regardless. I am focusing on some physical preparations, although much of my focus is mental readiness. Obviously, the physically better shape you are in, the easier the start. You also have to be mentally ready, and to me, that is more important than physically ready. I cannot wait to meet everyone who I cross paths with on this hike. The people I meet along the way make my hike great. I¢m very eager for March to arrive with spring in the air. Until next time,