As seen in Dahlonega, here we are at the kickoff event for thru-hiker season. We were fortunate to share table space with Gene Espy, the second man ever to thru-hike the entire Appalachian Trail. He did it in 1951. A great sendoff!
Ears to the Ground
As the packing continues for our March 15th departure date, the storage unit is nearly full, and the apartment is almost empty. With only two plates, two glasses, one cup (I’m not a coffee drinker), a bowl, a couple of pans and a coffee maker, the kitchen has only the bare necessities. Counters, shelves, and …
Frame of Reference
I jumped back from the edge of the campfire ring, startled. In the dim light and in my mind’s eye, the crackled, gnarled wood of a well-season timber had the same etching pattern as the scutes of a small alligator, and instinct took over. Never mind we were 3900′ atop a mountain in Georgia! When …
Home Sweet Home
All set up in our Lightheart Duo. Rain or shine, this is home. Been hiking for nearly a week and getting stronger and more fleet of foot every day, and more adept at setting up camp quickly. Life is good!
Living out of a pack
It’s been more than a decade since I lived out of a backpack for more than a week, and the experience brings back echoes of those rambles through Europe and Asia. We’re not quite to the AT yet – soon! – as my authorly duties have us living out of our packs in hotel rooms. …
Prepping for the AT
Furniture against the walls of the apartment continues to vanish as the piles of gear, from winter jackets and gloves to bottles of Dr. Bronner’s Soap, loose stuff sacks, and technical t-shirts, grow. A stack of maps – reviewed, folded, and set aside after the realization that almost no two of the maps are alike, …
The Basics
A sign that means welcome relief. At Gooch Mountain, the tent sites were on a mountain slope and even a walk to anywhere in camp meant a workout.
Tosohatchee White Loop
A botanically-rich immersion into Tosohatchee WMA, the White Loop combines the Florida Trail and the White Trail for a hike of nearly 11 miles.
Trail Magic Begins
Being invited to speak at the 2nd annual “Spring on Springer” Dahlonega Trail Festival sparked a chain of events that propelled me forward to be standing on a mountaintop today with my sweetheart, the Appalachian Trail our journey. And thus the trail magic begins. My old friend and co-author Johnny Molloy recommended me as a …
Walking into Love
As a youngster, I played in the woods, scrambling over boulders and walking a trail through lush leafy glades to school each day. Looking out my bedroom window, I could see a mountain where people walked with backpacks. They chased the spring blooms northward, following the Appalachian Trail. 75 years since its first blazes were …