Date: 2010-03-06
To: Answers for Family and Friends
Miles today: 0.0

As you all know, when you tell someone you are going to undertake the Appalachian Trail they have many questions. This is a question and answer session we have prepared to help clear the minds of the questionable, you know who you are:1) Wow how long are you gonna be gone? About 6 months2) What? how long, are you kidding? No it takes about 6 months or roughly 184 days to do it?3) How many miles is it and where does it go? Approximately 2176 miles from Georgia to Maine.3b) How many people will you be hiking with? Approx. 3000 people start, about 10% finish. We will be one of the 10% 4) OMG, how many miles do you hike in a day? We will average 12 miles a day but 7-10 at the beginning, then more when we get our "trail legs" after 2 weeks and then more in Virginia and Pennsylvania.5) Where will you be staying, are you taking your camper? We will tent and stay in shelters, they are 3 sided wood structures that sleep 8+ people. It is 1st come 1st serve, so the option will be tenting if the shelter is full. 6) Where do you go to the, you know? Most shelters also have privies. It is an outhouse in the woods. After you do your ¢business¢ you put a handful of leaves over it.7) Where do you take a shower? We clean with wipes when we are on the trail and shower when we are in towns every 3-4 days, wash clothes, contact family, update journals and re-supply food and necessities.8) Oh okay, then what do you eat? We bought dehydrated food from a few websites, harmonyhousefoods.com, nitro-pak.com and other sites, rebag them with added vegetables, meats etc. We use Knorr sides, Lipton sides and rice dinners, take them, rebag them with extra vegetables, spices, Parmesan cheese, etc. It is fun, interesting but tedious putting them together.9) How do you cook your food? We have a small Snow Peak propane stove. 10) How much does your backpack weigh? About 35 lbs with water and food11) Do you see bears? Not usually but sometimes. Any other animals like snakes? Snakes, yes also deer, lots of birds. They say we may see moose in the northeast.12) Where do you get water? Streams, waterfalls Do you treat it? Yes we use Aqua Mira in the southern part and a Filter plus Aqua Mira in the North.13) How many days of food do you carry? Usually 3-4, only the amount needed to get us to the next re-supply.14) What happens if you get hurt? We carry a first aid kit for minor stuff, a cell phone for major. But we are in the wilderness and rescue would have to use forest roads to get to us most of the time.15) Where is your car? Are you moving it up with you? Our truck will be taken home by our friend who is hiking with us from Springer to Hiawassee, Paula Schultz16) How are you getting home when you finish? Planes, trains and automobiles17) How are you going to update your journal? We have a Blackberry to do daily updates, our good friend Karen Miller who owns the Old South Yankee Gourmet Foods in Fernandina Beach (plug) who is also a journalist, will be updating our journal with a more detailed accounting a few days after the fact. We will be mailing hard copies, more detailed of the trek to her.18) Where do you go when it rains? Snows? Forward of course19) What do you carry in your pack? Tent, sleeping bag, kitchen, food, clothes, water bladders, first aid kit, rain gear, ground cloth and guide book or maps.20) Can we call you? Our phone will be turned off all day, messages will be listened to each evening as signal allows.21) Why in the world would you want to do this? Cindy - I have always been outdoorsy, love to be out there, softball, golf, surfing, skating, hiking, camping, fishing, you name it, that is me. I have run a business for 23 years mostly indoors. I am ready to regain my natural tendency and conquer a lifelong dream!Tom - It is an opportunity I may never get it again, I am going to enjoy the natural splendor God has given us. I will be doing it with my best friend, my wife Cindy, what more can a man ask for.22)And what are you going to get out of this? Re-nourishment, sound mind and body, a very humbling experience, new friends and 2176 miles forward.23) Tom and Cindy, you've hiked the Appalachian Trail, What is next? We're going to DISNEY WORLD!!! Just kidding, after much sole searching, we hope to report more on this topic later.Thanks for following us, don't forget to sign the guest-book and as always enjoy life...P.S. Fellow Tenners, be safe and good luck!See you on the trail...