Introductory Post
Hello, and thank you for visiting. My goal is to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (AT) in 2024, and I am registered to start hiking the approach trail to Springer Mountain (the actual start of the AT) on March 18, 2024. This first post shall serve as an introduction to what I plan to do along the way (as far as I can tell at this point). The “about” page gives some of my personal background if you’re interested. My first overnight hike was in 1981, when I was a first-year camper at Pine Island Camp in Belgrade Lakes, Maine. I was nine years old. I have very little memory of that, other than the moment our little group rose above the tree line. Walking high enough to leave trees behind was mind-blowing. Ever since, I have loved to hike. I spent another four summers as a camper at Pine Island and then worked another five as a counselor and went on as many backpacking trips as I could. Several times, I was lucky enough to meet thru-hikers, and I always made a point of reading their entries in the various hiker logs along the way. My backpacking adventures as an adult have been few and far between, but I’ve always tried to get to the mountains from time to time.
I can’t remember when I decided I wanted to attempt a thru-hike. My best guess is sometime when I was a camper in the early 1980s. Now, roughly 40 years later, enough pieces have fallen into place so the time has come. The most important piece is the support of my incredible wife. About a year into the pandemic, I was stressed out, unhappy, and a bear to live with, and, while on a walk, she said, “I’m not a huge fan of this version of you.” As she said it, she held her hand up, palm facing me, and rotated it in circles a few times just to emphasize her already very clear point. Her statement was made with love and support and was the final catalyst to get my ass in gear to go on a hike. There were other elements, but we don’t need to go into that. Maybe later.
When I hit the trail, I will be 52, and I have no idea where that will place me among the distribution of ages. I suspect on the high side. We shall see. I will not self-appoint a trail name; I’ll let the trail determine that. My goal is to avoid committing an embarrassing gaffe early on that cements my name. I won’t speculate, because I don’t need to project that energy into the universe. Some people want to find themselves on the trail. Others want to test their physical limits. Some people need to duck out of society for a while. Me? I just like hiking. I abide by the mantra of “hike your own hike” (HYOH). I hope to see you out there.
