Date: 2018-06-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

After many months of research and preparation, I'm currently en route to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, so that tomorrow I can start my two-month long adventure on the Appalachian Trail. In many ways, however, this trip started many years before. My mother tells the story of the day when, in her words, she knew she was in trouble with two adventurous sons. Approximately nine years ago, when my brother was a young scout of Troop 516, two young men of the troop invited all of the scouts to watch a presentation they were giving about their thruhike of the Appalachian Trail. My brother was inspired to do something similar; from that idea hatched a plan that slowly grew into my brother's graduation trip. The summer after his high school graduation, he and a fellow Eagle Scout, along with a trustworthy and experienced scoutmaster, embarked on a 3,000 mile bike ride from the Pacific Ocean in California to the center of our town in Ohio.From the beginnings of my brother's trip planning, I knew I was similarly inspired to do a trip between graduating high school and starting college. Reading (and watching the movie versions of) "A Walk in The Woods" by Bill Bryson and "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed as well as countless other journal entries by my brother and thruhikers of various trails only furthered my thirst for adventure. The decision to hike the Appalachian Trail developed for several reasons:While the Pacific Crest Trail, which I originally wanted to hike, is more mountainous and arguably has better views, it is also longer and more expensive to travel to as well as more rugged and challenging to hike.The AT makes is easier for others to join me for time on the trail.I'm not as experienced of a biker as my brother, so a hike works best for me.Additionally, the AT is only becoming more and more popular, and has growing issues related to an increasing number of people attempting to use the lands. I want to hike as much of the AT as I can before it becomes "too busy". In the future I'd like to hike a new and remote trail as well.After attending orientation and leaving myself with two weeks to get ready for college when I return home, I'm left with 8 weeks for a trip. In this time frame, I've estimated that I can hike close to 700 miles. I decided to start from Delaware Water Gap, near the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, so that I have an opportunity to see some of the more interesting parts of the trail and so I can have time to get in shape before some of the more elevation-intensive parts in Vermont and New Hampshire.This trip serves a few purposes. One, I like camping and the outdoors. Two, I like being physically fit and anything that pushes my limits. Three, I'm looking forward to spending time with those who will be joining me. And finally, I need a break. I work myself hard during the school year, and the most recent summers haven't been a huge break either (70 miles of running a week plus working a 40hr work week anyone?). While I'm definitely looking forward to college, I worked my butt off in high school and I'm looking forward to relaxing my mind for a while so I don't burn out in college.Thanks for reading!P.S. I promise my journals will be shorter to read in the future!