April 16-17 in the Smokies

April 16, 2005 | Day 20 | Miles: 15.5 | Total Miles: 206.6
End: Icewater Spring Shelter, Tent
Danielle:
Sunny and cool
There was frost on the grass this morning. But we couldn't ask for anything more. A bright clear day. Beautiful. We are lucking out with the weather, and we won't complain. We got to Clingman's Dome (6643 feet) for morning snack and got some unexpected trail magic. Free Radical's friend is joining him for a section of the trail and his mom brought up chocolate chunk cookies. And she wouldn't let us take just one, so after three huge cookies we were geared up for the next few miles. Yum!
The 15.5m today seemed much nicer than yesterday's 14m, and we had great terrain and views as we wandered through the Smokies. Very nice. The shelter is up at 5900 feet, so it's pretty chilly again, but we're sitting around the fire, chatting and eating.
We also lucked out tonight, as Wiggy brought up some pizza from Gatlinburg. He hitched in and hitched back out and strapped the pizza box to his pack. Awesome!
The only bummer of the day was that as we were setting up our tent (when the shelter is full, thru-hikers can tent, and it was Saturday night, so we decided to tent), we realized I had forgotten the tent stakes somewhere. How, I do not know, but at either Fontana Dam or the first shelter, there they are. Oh well. We were able to borrow stakes from Hopeful and Redwing, and we should be able to buy new ones at Standing Bear or Hot Springs. But still, ACK! I hate that I left them behind. Not the biggest deal, but still a bummer.
Anyway, other than that, a great day.

Ryan:
sunny, cool
let's see...it was beautiful today, the views are amazing, we're in with a great group of people...um, what more can i say. oh yeah, we climbed clingmans dome today, the highest point on the at. it was underwhelming, but there was this strange ramped observation tower.
today's song - yellow ledbetter, pearl jam - thanks to free radical who was busting out the pearl jam tunes on drumstick's guitar last night. drumstick carries a guitar, not a drum. he's kinda skinny and hikes with 6-piece, who's more bucket shaped. they're from kentucky. i'll let you figure out the rest...



April 17, 2005 | Day 21 | Miles 12.6 | Total Miles: 219.2
End: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Danielle:
Sunny and cool again! Yeah
I woke up at 6:30am to pee, and was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise. Gorgeous. They did a great job of situating the shelter. Wonderful views. What a way to start another great day. Chilly again, though.
The first 7 miles were nice and mellow, wandering along this partially-treed ridge, with great views on each side out in both directions. And the thing that has amazed us through the park is that we're up at 5000 and 6000 feet and there are big trees, so different from the Whites where above 4000 feet it's typically rocks and an alpine environment. We've really been enjoying the Smokies. They're very beautiful, at least the section we've gone through so far.
There are a few people who are trying to do 20 miles today, as the next shelter is 8m from here, and as I said before we have to stay at a shelter. We talked about it, and I'm sure we could do it, but decided that we really didn't need to push through today. We're on a good schedule, and we've been doing some good miles through the park already, so no need to rush. It's a beautiful day and we're currently sitting in the sun by the shelter, chatting with Drumstick and Six-Piece, two friends from Kentucky. Drumstick is carrying a guitar, so I'm sure we'll be hearing some music tonight.

Ryan:
sunny, cool, breezy
i forgot about two things from yesterday...i'm not sure how. first, the good - wiggy brought pizza to the shelter after he hitched from gatlinburg. now, the bad - danielle realized she was no longer carrying the tent stakes. luckily, we were about to borrow stakes from hopeful and redwing because they were staying in the shelter. plus, i think we'll be in shelters until we have a chance to pick up more. today we had the choice to do either 12 or 20...12 was the obvious choice. we made a great decision, and had a great walk today. it's amazing that 12 miles can be an easy day. feels like we're really getting into shape. more good news, as we're now 10% finished. only 90% to go. well, it's a good milestone. danielle was tired today, and her back is sore. she's hanging tough, though. we're really having a good time, even though it's not exactly easy.

April 14-15 in the Smokies

April 14, 2005 | Day 18 | Miles: 13.5 | Total Miles: 176.4
End: Russell Field Shelter
Danielle:
Sunny and cool
A beautiful sunny day to start our trip through the Smokies. Blue skies. Yeah! From here on out we meander along the NC/TN border for many miles, so we'll be stepping in and out as we wander along.
Our first 0.4m was over Fontana Dam, which was really pretty crazy. It is a big dam. The way across was a two-way road, and really quiet on a Thursday morning. Then up and along, wandering through the woods. The hiking was up and down but much more mellow than previous terrain, which was great. After lunch, we came across this great high hill where the whole forest floor was blanketed with wood sorrel, a delicate small white flower with pink stripes. A beautiful covering of green with tinted white on top. Almost like snow. And it went on for about a half mile all through the woods on both sides of the trail. Never seen anything like it. Very cool.
So, the Smokies are different than a lot of the places we've been so far in that you must stay in a shelter, due to their regulations. And some of the shelters have been renovated, but others, like we're at tonight, were built in the 60s and have a chainlink fence blocking off the open side of the three-sided shelter. Keeping the people in, and bears out is the theory behind the fence, I believe. The renovated shelters have done away with the fences however, which is nice, and have more space as well as a covered cooking area. This shelter is a bit dank, but they require you to stay in the shelter unless the shelter is full. We're shooting for a renovated shelter tomorrow :-)
Despite the beautiful day, the emotions were running a bit in the other direction this morning. It's really hard to watch the person you love be hurting. Ryan's shoulder is still hurting him, and it kills me to see him wincing as we hike along. I mean, we knew there would be aches and pains but the thing is to be happy out here. When do you cross the line between following your desires and hurting your body to continue? Ryan really wants to keep going, and of course I do too, and we're having a blast, but the thing is to be happy and be together, and not be hurt. So there has been some discussions as well as some tears, and for now we're continuing on with this crazy adventure, but really I'd rather be without the crazy adventure and with a happy, healthy Ryan, than without Ryan on this crazy adventure. The whole point is to be out here together enjoying it. Ryan is trying to manage the pain, and seems to be OK for now, so we'll take it one day at a time, and just be happy to be out here together for now, enjoying the moments as they come...

Ryan:
sunny, cool
the at is a roller coaster. not just because of all the ups and downs around the mountains, but the emotions. my shoulder/back/neck is still hurting. not nearly as bad as the other day, but i spent most of the day moving my pack around my back to make it more comfortable. i think i can manage it...or at least i hope i can. it's tough because i don't want to stop. not just because i want to get to katahdin, but because i really don't want to stop. every day is great...even when it sucks. i can't think of anything i'd rather be doing. so, we've been running the emotional roller coaster from tears to laughter. the best part is being with danielle. she has been awesome. i have no doubt that she could make it the whole way. she's a rock...maybe tougher. we signed on for this as a team, and we're going to go as far as we can go. if i can't make it, i'd love to see her rock it out, cause i know she could. but, she says she only wants to do this with me. so, here we are...planning to move on tomorrow. we'll see what tomorrow brings. on the flip side, we have less than 2000 miles to go, and so far the smokies are beautiful...another great day on the trail.

April 15, 2005 | Day 19 | Miles: 14.7 | Total Miles: 191.1
End: Silers Bald Shelter
Danielle:
Sunny and nice
What a day! We couldn't ask for anything more. Well, maybe our food and water to weigh nothing at all, and endless ice cream along the trail, but otherwise nice, clear weather is the best! :-) Ryan was feeling good today, and learned some new stretches from Ribeye last night, so that was good.
We're with a good crew right now --Peanut, Ribeye and Thirsty, a petite woman, constantly meat-eating man, and a thirsty man; Beantown, from Boston; Free Radical, a recent grad who plans to teach chemistry; South Shore and Jersey Fresh, two young guys; Hopeful and Redwing, a young married couple from Michigan; Strider, another New Hampshirite. Great crowd. Lots of fun. We are currently all hanging outside the nicely renovated shelter, eating, chatting, enjoying the last of the sun.It was a nice day today, and beautiful scenery. We went up and through a ton of wide open fields mixed in and out of the woods. Amazing. Beautiful views out into the mountains and down onto the valley where Gatlinburg is. We felt strong and had a good day of hiking, which was great.
We also had a random sighting of someone we knew today. We came across a ridgerunner (an Appalachian Trail Conference employee who monitor sections of the trail in its busier spots doing trail maintenance, talking to hikers, etc) who we knew from NH. He had been a caretaker the past two summers at NH campsites we've stayed at, and also hiked the trail a few years back. And here he was, on the trail as we passed through. Funny coincidence. It was fun to see him.
We've chitchatted with a few weekenders who said the weather was supposed to be good, and if it happens, we'll take it :-) That would be nice!

Ryan:
sunny, cool, breezy
a perfect day today. sunny. amazing views. beantown did a fantastic job with the fire in the shelter last night. yup, the shelters in the smokies have fireplaces...very cool. some of them also have chain link fences...to keep the bears out. so, cage the humans. i never slept in a cage before...interesting. the smokies are beautiful, but the park regs are odd. horses are allowed in the park, and some of the horse trails coincide with the at. you can also stay at the shelters with your horse. we haven't seen any horses yet, but we have seen lots of poop. all over the trail...and other places. dirty and stinking. it's fairly common and gross, but no dogs allowed in the park. dirty, big, stinky horses...but no dogs. no dogs. very strange. even danielle thinks it's weird, and she doesn't like dogs. the shoulder/back/thing is feeling a bit better...actually a lot. if it doesn't get any worse than it was today, i should be able to manage it. probably not for 2000 more miles, but i'm hoping to get some treatment when i hit hot springs in a few days. we'll see. but, either way, the mood and spirit were much improved. the forecast we've heard is for good weather through monday...i guess it never stays this nice in the smokies. we're not complaining.
today's song - waiting for the sun, the jayhawks

April 13 in North Carolina

April 13, 2005 | Day 17 | Miles: 6.9 | Total Miles 162.9
End: Fontana Dam, NC, Fontana Inn, motel room
Danielle:
Overcast
Well, we were nice and dry in the shelter last night, after falling asleep to guitar playing and singing going on around the campfire. There were about 2 dozen people at the shelter, but only 3 guys and us 2 were able to fit in the small shelter. Everyone else was out in the night's storm.
It was an overcast day as we started out, but the clouds rose a bit as we descended to Fontana Dam, a huge dam that we could see through the trees as we got closer. As we descended into the valley, there was also more and more green around us. The forest is coming alive. Leaves are unfurling, trilliums and violets and wood sorrels are blooming along the trail, flowering trees are blooming. Very nice.
We were feeling a bit better today, which was good, as spirits were definitely a bit low yesterday. I guess it happens, but it was nice to be more cheerful today. We clicked off our 6.9m by 11:15am, checked into the motel, got our mail drop at the PO, showered, ate, did laundry, set all our gear out to dry, and chatted with all the other hikers around. This place must be packed in the summer with the dam, lake and marina, but at this time of year, it's only the thru-hikers wandering around the place. And we must have seen at least 30 to 40 others today, so it's going to be busy in the Smokies, that's for sure! We've heard the weather is supposed to be nice for a few days, and we'll take it :-)
Just happy to be here...

Ryan:
cloudy, few sprinkles
i feel i should elaborate on yesterday's journal. on top of the pouring down rain, i had a pain in my shoulder. take a meat cleaver, heat it to just about white hot. then, drive it into your back between your shouler blade and your spine. then just for kicks, throw in some lemon juice just for kicks. it kinda felt like that. not even remotely pleasant. i had a problem with the same spot a few months ago, and think it was caused by bad posture sitting at a desk. desks are bad. it feels better today. hopefully, another shower and another back rub from danielle and i'll be good to go. ibuprofen helps, too. the good news is that it only hurts when i carry a pack... the ironic thing is that my legs feel great...ankles, knees, everything else. my legs. it's crazy. so, if i can work out this shoulder knot, we'll keep rolling. in other news, we're hanging out at fontana dam in a motel...looking forward to dinner, and watching the sox tonight. tomorrow, the smokies...mmmmm...
today's song - opposites attract, paula abdul...all danielle's fault

April 11-12 in North Carolina

April 11, 2005 | Day 15 | Miles: 10.6 | Total Miles: 144.4
End: Locust Cove Gap, unofficial campsite, Tent
Danielle:
Sunny and warm
After a big breakfast at NOC with Mom and Dad, we were all fueled up for the day. And what a day. Nothing but up and down. 8m up and 2.5m down. Literally. Plus it was warm too. Ah, the joys of hiking. But it is good to be back on the trail. After all, that's why we're here.
We're camped with three other guys. One of them, Dutchman, started off with 90 lbs, no joke, of food, mostly canned. How's that for a rocky start? Now he's down to 55 lbs, which is pretty good considering. Oh, and he has a camoflauge tent. He's a nice guy but it's pretty funny to be set up next to a camoflauge tent :-)
Not much else for excitement unless you count the stupid human tricks Ryan was pulling as he tried to hang our food to protect it from critter and bears. At shelters there are often cables hung with pulleys so that makes it easy, but if not, it's up to the hikers to figure something out themselves. There weren't many good limbs off the trees around here, so we were using one Dutchman was using too. The rope either went under the limb, over it but didn't drop down enough to grab, or got stuck on Dutchman's rope. 8 tries later he finally got it right. Not the easiest food hanging experience ever, but at least it keeps our food safe. We have to eat after all :-)

Ryan:
sunny, warm, afternoon clouds
last night i watched espn and drank pbr. ahhhh... after a hearty breakfast and sending danielle's parents on their way, we went up...and up...and then up some more. we climbed from 1740' at noc to 5062' at the top of cheoah bald. we're tired. it was fairly tough. plus, i think our rhythm was all thrown off by taking a day off. neither of us felt great. hopefully, we can get back in the saddle tomorrow. looks like rain on tap for tomorrow. at least that's what the weather channel said last night. the weather channel!!!! wahooooooooo....

April 12, 2005 | Day 16 | Miles: 11.6 | Total Miles: 156.0
End: Cable Gap Shelter
Danielle:
Rain, with some sun at the end of the day
Well, it didn't rain overnight so at least we packed up a dry tent, but about 45 min. into the hike, it started up, and pretty much kept going, with small spots of sun all day. Now least you think this is all fun and games out here, here's how today went...
Rain, and then a big hill about 4m in, which means you're wearing rainpants and raincoat to keep the rain out, but the fabric makes you sweat, so you're wet inside and out. Fun, fun. And your hiking partner is grouchy due to aches and pains/rain/hot/sweaty/uphill, and well, you're feeling it all too, but someone has to be positive so that would be you... But what can you do but keep on going? So here we are. A bit less mileage than we had been thinking but it was pouring when we got here, Ryan's shoulder was hurting and I had just taken my first fall yet. It was a good one too. On a downhill, I slipped on a wet root, and peeled right out onto my back. So it was time to stop for the night. Ah, a day on the trail :-) But... "after all my complaining, I love this life, I love this life..." --Crowded House

Ryan:
rain, sun late
today sucked.

April 9-10 in North Carolina

April 9, 2005 | Day 13 | Miles: 5.6 | Total Miles: 133.8
End: Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC
Danielle:
Sunny and warm!
After the snorefest last night in the shelter, we got off to an early start to get down to NOC this morning. We're thinking, great, we're almost there, oh except for the 4m straight downhill section. UGH! It was a bit tough as there really wasn't too much relief. It was just all downhill. But it really was pretty-at the start the trail opened out onto a great view of the mountaintops around us looking like islands in a sea of clouds. And as we dropped into the valley, more and more flowers and green buds appeared which was great.
And then, we heard music and voices and bright colors down in the valley below... Ahhhhh... Civilization. And on a weekend too. Lots of people. The NOC is a really neat conglomerate of buildings by the river. Lots of river rafters and bikers and smelly hikers. We fit right in :-) We spent the afternoon showering and doing laundry, eating and relaxing and hanging out with other hikers coming and going. Perfect. Then out to a great dinner with Bravo, who we caught up to again after a few days of him being ahead of us, and his brother and wife. How to better end the day? We're content. :-)

Ryan:
sunny, warm
crashing at the noc. ahhhhh...shower. 7 days on the trail, and we're ready for a little r and r. last night at wesser bald shelter was great until everyone in the shelter started snoring. the good news was that i knew just where my earplugs were. the bad news is that they were in the food bag which was suspended 30 feet in the air from the bear cables. so, off i went in the dark to fetch them. one step out of the shelter and i heard a couple coyotes in the distance. i got to the bear cables, and i heard the coyotes again, this time a little closer. i lowered the food bag, and fished out my earplugs. again, i heard the coyotes, but this time a little closer. i fished my earplugs out of my bag, and since i'm a nice guy i decided to search for her earplugs. i couldn't find them, but i heard the coyotes again...a little closer. i kept searching, but still couldn't find her earplugs. i basically had the food bag emptied, and was shining my headlamp everywhere. still no earplugs, but i heard the coyotes again, even closer...but this time i also heard leaves rustling. oh well, no earplugs for danielle. i had the food bag repacked and up the cables in about 10 seconds, and i scurried back to the shelter. i heard the coyotes one last time as i crawled into my sleeping bag. this morning, i found out that danielle already had her earplugs.

April 10, 2005 | Day 14 | Miles: 0 | Total Miles: 133.8
End: NOC
Danielle:
Sunny and hot!
A zero day! Nowhere to go and nothing pressing to do. We got up, had breakfast, checked and wrote email, hung out by the outfitter talking to hikers coming and going and waited for Mom and Dad to arrive. Then lunch, a bit of time in the outfitter (convinced Dad to get the cool camp shoes we have, in bright orange too. Perfect!), grocery shopping, a bit of reorganizing food, more relaxing, and then a yummy dinner with wine. Ahhh....It was great to see Mom and Dad (Thanks for coming guys! It was great. A personal mail drop with food we needed and cookies too! yum!). Now we're all packed up, relaxed and full of food, and ready to hit the trail again tomorrow. It's 7m straight uphill out of the valley. Should be fun :-)

Ryan:
sunny, warm
everybody needs a day off. this was our first zero day, and it was great. we relaxed. danielle's parents came to visit, and the took us out to dinner. they were happy to see that we haven't been lying in our journals and that we actually are doing great. back at it tomorrow. only a couple days until we hit the smokies, and we're really looking forward to them. now, off to drink beer with other hiking bums...i mean hydrate.

April 7-8 in North Carolina

April 7, 2005 | Day 11 | Miles: 12 | Total Miles: 114.8
End: Wine Spring, unofficial campsite, Tent
Danielle:
Overcast, in the clouds, rain on and off
Well, we got rained on last night but by the time we got up it had let up, so we packed up and headed out. Down at Winding Stair Gap (everywhere down here is a gap. There is even a Swinging Lick Gap--I mean, where did they come up with that?) there was a group offering rides to town, which we declined but we did share a soda and chat for a bit. We've met so many nice people down here, it's been really great. Just the fact that people are out, giving out food and goodwill to all of us smelly hikers is really amazing. We can't wait to do some trail magic ourselves up in NH next year and give back a bit! Then more trail magic after lunch at another road crossing. This group was out for a few days feeding and meeting hikers. We thoroughly enjoyed the junk food and water we didn't have to filter ourselves! Wow, did we luck out today :-) Then on another 2.5m to our tentsite in the woods. We've basically been in the tent since 4pm, as it's been raining on and off. We're up at 5290ft. so we're in the clouds right now. Hopefully it will clear out for tommorow! We went over our first bald this afternoon, but of course it was all fogged in. We hit another one tomorrow so maybe we'll get to enjoy it in the sun. We've been looking forward to seeing the balds, they sound so interesting and different from the terrain at home.
Topic to ponder: Smoking and the trail. Now you would figure us hikers, we're pretty healthy, active folks, right? So why is it that so many people out here smoke? Yes, I want to suck wind even more than I already do out here! Ha! It's very odd. Spry, Navigator, The Good Doctor, three of the guys we met in the shelter last night-Coyote, Walrus, Elf, even our friend Ghost. Strange phenomenon, at least from my point of view. We'll stick to huffing and puffing from our own exersion :-) But hey, as they say out here, HYOH (Hike Your Own Hike) :-)

Ryan:
overcast, rainy
our stretch of good weather ended last night. it poured. off and on rain today, but not a total wash out. before we knew it we had gone about 10 miles, and were enjoying a little trail magic. mmmm...junk food. i hope that we have trail magic everyday, but i'm not counting on it. i think we're starting to get into hiking shape, so hopefuly the miles will start coming easier. the other night navigator, he's from orono, named our poop shovel "little john," complete with artwork. now, you don't actually shovel poop with the poop shovel, but it's essential for a good "wilderness poo." basically, when you have to poop you have 2 options: the privy or wilderness poo. the privy is a luxury, but they're only available at certain shelters. a privy is basically an outhouse, but can vary greatly in design. for instance, the privy at rock gap shelter has no door. they call that "open air." the wilderness poo is why we have little john. basically, you dig a hole and poop in it. but, it's really more of an art then that. first, you have to find a good spot, somewhere you won't be disturbed. i prefer to poo with a view, if i can. then you dig your hole. 6 inches deep recommended, but go deeper if you've had trail magic burritos...trust me. next find a sturdy stick, i call it a stirring stick. next, i stick little john in the ground within arms reach and use him to hold the tp. then, you do your business...watch your aim. use tp, and set to the side. now, grab your stirring stick and cover your poo with about half the dirt from the hole. and, stir. next, place use tp on top of hole and burn. (some leave no trace purists carry out their used tp, but who wants 6 days' worth of dirty tp in their pack? yuk.) be careful not to burn down the forest, and use the stirring stick to mush the tp remains into the hole. cover the hole with the rest of the dirt, and you're on your way. it takes practice, but wilderness poo can be quite enjoyable. oh yeah, don't forget the hand sanitizer...who knows who else used that stirring stick?

April 8, 2005 | Day 12 | Miles: 13.4 | Total Miles: 128.2
End: Wesser Bald Shelter
Danielle:
A little bit of everything-sun, rain, clouds. Mostly just overcast
I was feeling tired out today, but despite that, we managed to do our 13.4m in 6 hours. Not too bad. Still, I am looking forward to our short day tomorrow into NOC, and then a zero day! Yeah!
We managed to hike all day without seeing anyone except three guys out for a section hike, as we were the first ones out of "camp" this mornng. There were 7 other people camped near us last night.
Not much else to report, although we did have a great view from atop the firetower on Wesser Bald. Very cool.
Wildlife notes: We have yet to see anything big in the woods, although a few nights ago we did hear coyotes howling. Pretty amazing. Today we saw a bunny, as well as some fox, coyote and deer tracks in the mud. We have seen and heard lots of birds out here. We've seen robins, lots of junkos, nuthatches, woodpeckers, vireos (tiny little ones calling "here I am, where are you?"), even an oriole (very cool! Calling "tweet" long and singular and rooting around in the leaves for its meal) and we've heard lots of bared owls, a phoebe, grouse and likely many others we can't identify but which are fun to hear as they flit among the trees.

Ryan:
mostly cloudy, few showers, few sunny breaks
i think it's wise to camp at 5290ft. on the side of a bald in a thunderstorm. actually, it wasn't that bad, and we survived another soggy night. our tent has held up really well, and we're getting pretty good about being anal to keep our stuff dry. it makes a big difference. danielle finally showed signs of being human today. she's tired. but, she really toughed out the last couple miles. needless to say we're both looking forward to a short day tomorrow, a shower, a bed and real food. people told us that we would be hungry out here, and it's true. you just can't carry enough food. i'm pretty sure i'm going to be hungry the rest of the way. basically, i eat breakfast, and i'm ready for a snack by 9:30. we usually don't get to it until after 10:30. then i'm ready for lunch by just after 11. ready for another snack by the time we finish lunch, then i convince danielle that we should eat dinner at 4. tonight was sweet, we're going into town tomorrow, and we had an extra dinner...so, we ate them both.

April 5-6 in North Carolina

April 5, 2005 | Day 9 | Miles: 12.2 | Total Miles: 87.5
End: Beech Gap, unofficial campsite, Tent
Danielle:
Sunny and the temperature was just right-not too hot, not too cold
Well, NC started off with a bang. Two big, mean uphills. Ugh! Guess that's what we signed up for though, so nothing to do but push on through. After that nice wake-up, the day mellowed out a bit. The highlight was Standing Indian Mountain. The way up was graded for logging so it was nice and gradual. The actual summit was a bit off the trail so we shed our packs and decided to take a look. Worth it! Beautiful vistas back into GA, a nice grassy spot and a patch of blooming daffodils. Very nice.
On the downside, Ryan's leg was hurting a bit for the last few miles, which is a total bummer and which has him feeling very frustrated. We're going to take a mellow, shorter day tomorrow and hope it feels better. I know when he's feeling low, he thinks he's going to be the one to keep us from Katahdin, but that's just so far away, it doesn't make sense to think that way yet. We've only been out for a little over a week. Who knows what will happen? I think we both have the strength to go the whole way, but really we have to take it a day at a time. It's too overwhelming otherwise. We just have to be happy with what we've done so far, and we should be-we're into a whole new group of people who started days before us! Anyway, hopefully he'll feel better tomorrow.
As for me, I'm just happy to be here :-) A bit sore and tired, but overall feeling good and strong.

Ryan:
perfect hiking weather
ouch. my left ankle/lower leg hurts. i think it's from the weakness in that ankle. hopefully, as it gets stronger, the pain will end...then something else will start hurting. really, every step hurts. that was not in the brochure. but, i was only hurting the last 3 miles. the rest of today was perfect. bright sun, and the views from the top of standing indian mountain, 5498 ft., were the best yet. overall, nc seems like it's going to be a bit more rugged than ga, but no less beautiful. looking forward to a relatively mellow 10 miles tomorrow.
today's song - hurt so good, john cougar mellencamp

April 6, 2005 | Day 10 | Miles: 15.3 | Total Miles: 102.8
End: Rock Gap shelter, Tent
Danielle:
Sunny and nice
Well, so much for a short day. But Ryan was feeling good and the terrain was forgiving so we went for it. As for milestones today, we did our biggest day yet, and we have now officially hiked over 100m. Yeah!
So you know how a few entries ago, I was saying how much food we were carrying? Well, last night we set out all our food and saw that we were running low. So, time to start rationing. Not so fun. So this morning was a clif bar smeared with peanut butter. Does that sound desperate? If so, then this afternooon was half a bagel each. Not so satisfying. But the best thing was that about 200 yards after we stopped and ate lunch, we came across a big sign that said "trail magic" with a big awning and camper, and a fire going under a big Maine sawmill blade serving as a warming iron. Terry and Barrie were serving up great burritos and sodas and cinnamon buns. Yum! It was great trail magic and filled us up for the climb up Albert Mountain, a short steep trudge like we're used to up in NH. Then it was a mellow downhill and we got to the intended shelter at 2pm with the sun still shining and Ryan feeling good, so we decided to head to the next shelter. My feet were complaining a bit, but not too bad otherwise.
We're currently trying to figure out our plan for tomorrow as it's supposed to rain. Oh well, we can't complain-three great days of sun in a row. Very nice! :-)

Ryan:
perfect hiking weather
what a difference a day makes. we did our longest day yet, and i feel great. no ankle pain. my theory is that i changed my gait because of the blister on my heel. blister is good, and so i'm very happy. trail magic helps, too. burritos at bearpen gap, and a cinnamon roll, and dr. pepper...oh yeah, we rolled in there 5 minutes after lunch. it was so good. i could have sat there all day, but someone didn't let me. we had preview of the trail in the whites today with the climb up mount albert. it was steep and rocky. short, though. overall, today was probably the best day yet. it supposed to rain tomorrow, so it looks like we're in for a couple soggy days.
today's song - wanted dead or alive, bon jovi

April 4 in Georgia

April 4, 2005 | Day 8 | Miles: 12.2 | Total Miles: 75.3
End: Bly Gap, NC, Tent
Danielle:
Sun, sun, sun!
One state down and 13 to go! Yeah :-)
What a good day, although I was tired for the last few miles. But we made it past the GA/NC border so that was a rush. We are now camped right over the border in a nice spot, with 9 other people. Ghost left us today. He headed into Hiawasee and then was going to head up her tomorrow and then back down toward Amicolola. Back to work for him. So now we really have to make it to Gorham, NH as that's where he lives and works :-) We definitely have to stop in and see him. We will miss him out here. It's been fun. Looking back on GA, one of the things I enjoyed the most was the big rhodedendrum and mountain laurel thickets. With the rest of the woods being so brown, these huge bushes and trees looked even more vibrant and green. Great to hike through and beautiful! Also the GATC really kept the trail well maintained and they were quite forgiving with trail placement. Lots of sidecuts that avoided a few more ups and downs than could have been, which was nice. We have enjoyed our first 75.3m plus the 8.8m approach trail. 84.1m in 8 days. Not too bad! :-) I'm really proud of us for moving along so far at this pace. And we've been having fun too which makes it even better :-)

Ryan:
sunny, warm
welcome to north carolina. 1 state down 13 to go. leaving georgia was bittersweet, but we're psyched to be moving along. as usual, ghost was up and out before us, and we wished him well. he is heaed in hiawasee to resupply, and then back out on the trail for a couple days beore heading home to beautiful gorham, nh. we're looking forward to seeing him again when we get to gorham. he's been likee a second father to us since the first day, even if he is a blue blazing piece of hiker trash. from the sounds of it we missed quite a party at addis gap. i don't think the tales of roasted turkey, hot dogs or three kegs were exaggerated, and the tales of the hangovers were quite funny. today was tough. we're both tired. neither us is admitting to the other how tired we are, but, i guess we're supposed to be tired...afterall we've gone over 80 miles in 8 days. my heels really hurt. blisters that just won't die. hopefully they'll callus up this week...hopefully.

April 2-3 in Georgia

April 2, 2005 | Day 6 | Miles: 9.4 | Total Miles: 50.5
End: Hiawasee Inn, Hiawasee, GA, via Unicoi Gap
Danielle:
Windy, cold and snowy!
Well, rain came in last night and got everything wet and dirty, but by the time we got up, it had stopped and was just cold, windy and overcast. Got out about 8:30 and after we had been hiking for about an hour, the snow started, which Ryan was psyched about. Until it kept on snowing and we went up and along a big ridge with the wind whipping and the snow flying into our faces. But what else to do but keep on going. So that's what we did. Had lunch at Blue Mt. shelter in the wind and snow and decided to keep on going down to Unicoi Gap and decide what to do then. At the gap, we had warmed up, but a couple told us the snow and windwas supposed to keep on through the night, so instead of being "tough" we decided to try our hand at hitching. We managed to get a ride with two guys in a pickup. I got to ride in the cab, while Ryan, Patch and Clearwater were in the back. I think I got the better end of the deal :-)

We are currently warm, dry and cleann and sharing a room with Bravo. There are at least 12 of us here. Good place to ride out the storm and pray for sunshine tomorrow :-) I was a bit unhappy in the snow earlier when I got really cold, but it's all part of the adventure, and I'm still happy to be here :-) Mexican dinner and grocery shopping plus TV in store for tonight then back to "reality" tomorrow!

Ryan:
snow, windy, brrrrrr
there's a saying - no rain, no pain, no maine. but, that never mentions snow. so, after it poured all night, we woke to what looked like clearing skies. they didn't clear. instead, it snowed. hard. it was great at first. i was psyched to see a little white stuff. but it just kept coming, and then it started coming sideways. the winds were fierce. so with 3 inches of snow in the mountains, and frigid winds, we made an unexpected hitch into hiawasee. two days earlier than planned. we're at the hotel we about 15 other hikers. we sharing a room with bravo. it's all about saving cash. we were smart to stay here. i'm sure we'll hear stories of misery in the days to come. the hitch was interesting, though. two guys up from atlanta to hike for the weekend stopped in unicoi gap to check out the weather. seeing it was miserable, and we needed a ride, they offered to take danielle, clearwater, patch and i into hiawasee in their pickup. 6 packs and three guys in the back of a pickup on a cold, snowy day...now that was fun. danielle got to ride in the cab. the good news is that my zeal for the inital snowfall helped to spawn my trail name - snowman. plus, my pasty whiteness helped. so, i'll be snowman for the next couple months. until i melt in the summer heat.met git er done in the laundry room today. last night at deep gap shelter, he heard the mice scurrying around, and one got into his pack...and gave birth. when he pulled his clothes to do laundry here he found 4 dead baby mice in one of his shirts. um, yuk. then he showed them to me. more yuk. another reason we're probably going to spend most nights in the tent.

April 3, 2005 | Day 7 | Miles: 12.6 | Total Miles: 63.1
End: Deep Gap shelter, Tent
Danielle:
Sunny, cool and windy
A night in a real bed was a treat! How comfy after an evening of good Mexican food (and everyone else at the motel except us, Bravo and Get 'er Done chose the Shoneys AYCE Seafood Buffet-Yuck! We definitely won out there!). Ron dropped us off at the trailhead at 9am, and it was so windy and cold we hauled up Rocky Mt. almost without noticing. There was a lot of snow on the ground. We were definitely glad with our choice to go into town. Ryan made a snowman at the top, reconfirming his name as Snowman, chosen yesterday in the snow. I think it's fitting, as he thinks winter is the best thing yet-crazy boy, fall is best! The top of Rocky Mt. gave us our best GA views yet-very nice! It was nice to be out on a sunny day, even though it was windy. We skipped some trail magic a half mile off the trail in Addis Gap-we already had enough food on our backs. 7 days worth is HEAVY! But a few others did veer off at the mention of free beer and food. We ended the day with a stiff climb before we descended into the gap to the shelter. It was a tough one but we're here and still doing well, if tired. Ghost is here tonight-he stayed out last night through the storm. Wow! He was one tough guy to stay out. Glad he was OK, we were thinking about him yesterday in our warm motel room. On to the GA/NC border tomorrow! Yeah! :-)

Ryan:
sunny, not a single cloud, windy, cool
after enjoying the hospitality of ron and sam at the hiawassee inn, we jumped in their free shuttle back to the trail and were on the trail by 9. resupplying sucks. we're carrying 7 days worth of food, and it's heavy. we're not planning for a town stop until danielle's parents meet us at nantahala outdoor center on the 10th, so we gotta carry it all. we were supposed to resupply in hiawasee tomorrow, but the weather changed that. we enjoyed the snow that fell yesterday while we hiked today. some of the drifts were well over a foot. by the way, we're in georgia. i made a couple snowmen today, one on top of rocky mountain and one on top of tray mountain. i am snowman, afterall. today was hard with three big climbs and a heavy pack. ready for some good zzzs and the blue skies forecasted. ghost reappeared at the shelter tonight, and it's real good to see him. tough sob stayed out in the snow.

March 31-April 1 in Georgia

March 31, 2005 | Day 4 | Miles: 3.2 | Total Miles: 30.5
End: Walasi-Yi Center, Neels Gap, GA
Danielle:
Rain, rain and more rain! Plus lightening and thunder from 2am through 9am. Fun fun.
We got up at 6am and started packing up. It was pouring so we figured we would head out early and try to geta spot in the hostel. And it worked! We're clean and dry now. Yeah. But it was a soggy 3.2m up and over Blood Mt. and down. Only took us about 1.5hours. We were moving! We plan to hang out here and eatand resupply and relax. Luxury :-)

Ryan:
rain, downpour, 50s
we planned to stop here, and stop we did. after a beautiful sunset last night, it started raining about 2am, with a healthy dose of thunder and lightning. so, we got up early and started hiking at 7:30 with everything basically soaked. by 9:00 we were at the hostel, and dripping wet. oh yeah, we climbed over the ga highpoint in driving rain. no views, but we hear blood mountain is nice this time of year. the hiker hostel is strange...small, cramped, smelly people, soggy stuff. the people are awesome, though. completely geared to hikers. it will be a great place to relax and stay dry for the night. chris, now bootleg, pushed on after sleeping late. aaron has left to go back to the real world, but mr. fusion and ghost are here, along with about a dozen others. bunk up.

April 1, 2005 | Day 5 | Miles: 10.6 | Total Miles: 41.1
End: Low Gap Shelter, Tent
Danielle:
After the good ol southern cooking at an AYCE buffet (with all the fried food like we saw at the buffet, it's no wonder most Americans are obese. Yikes!) and a game of poker in the hostel, we weren't the first ones out, but we did manage to haul ourselves out in the rain at about 9:30am. The interesting thing about the trail down here is that it is so different from the trails we are used to up in NH. It's mostly level dirt (or mud, more appropriately today), with lots of switchbacks to get you up a hill,instead of rocks and straight ups and downs. Seems much more mellow in that regard. I guess we move right along too, as we only took 5 hours to get to the shelter. We've been feeling strong, which is great. Saw our first daffodils on the trail today, although they were smart enough to keep their petals in in the rain. Unlike us. Oh, as an aside , I now have a trailname -- Sparkplug. Mr. Fusion came up with it this morning, talking about how I just fired up the hills. So that's me. It's pretty funny to try to introduce yourself as something other than your own name... A very interesting trail phenomenon. However, Ryan says the name fits, as I'm small and firey like a sparkplug would be, so I guess it's fitting :-) Our "group" has broken up a bit... Chris (or now Bootleg) is a day ahead; Mr. Fusion a day behnd as he stayed at the hostel. So it's us and Ghost, along with 15 other people in the shelter or camping like us on the fringe tonight. Quite a crowd. We're feeling good and are having fun, or at least our kind of fun :-) Happy to be out here!

Ryan:
rainy start, cloudy middle, rainy evening
after we survived the shuttle ride from the hostel to blairsville, stomached the all-you-can-eat southern buffet at the cookie jar in blairsville, and cleaned up in poker, ...we had a great night's sleep in the comfort of the hostel bunk room. and, the delightful smell! we were in no rush to leave this morning as it was raining, so we eventually hit the trail at 9:30. fairly mellow hike today with only 1 real climb, and eventually the rain stopped. now, we're resting comfortably in our tent as the rain has started to fall again. the shelter is jammed, as there are 18 people here total. bootleg is a day ahead after the register told us he stayed here last night, and mr fusion decided to chill at the hostel and wait out the rain. i hope we see them again soon because people become family real quick out here. the big event of the day is that danielle has her trail name - sparkplug. i think it's perfect, in a lot of ways. she's been hiking really strong, and smile broadly as she waits for me at the top of every climb. so, sparkplug it is. my trail name is still in the making, but i have a few possibilities kicking around in my head. the trail name phenomenon is very odd, but it makes it kind of fun, so far we've met ghost, patch, sunsomething, inspector gadget, the good doctor, bootleg, doorman, swinging jane, jaybird, spry, bravo, slipnslide, gg, ironfoot, clearwater, york, ox, naked son, and, of course, mr fusion, and a whole bunch more i can't remember. the name doesn't make you a different person,but i think it reminds you that we're all out here doing something truly unique. it's unfortunate that we won't all make it to katahdin, because we all deserve to, just for braving the rain and dealing with blisters. right now, there are a lot of aspirations on the trail. whatever the reason for starting this crazy journey, we all deserve a happy ending. i know that wherever the trail ends for danielle and i, we will have shared a great deal that few peo!
ple can ever realize or understand. why do you want to walk from ga to
me? i still don't know, but we're loving every step of it. and, oh yeah, we smell really bad. today's song - wish you were here, pink floyd

March 28 - 30 in Georgia

March 28, 2005 | Day 1 | Miles: 0.2 | Total Miles 0.2
Start: Amicolola State Park via approach trail. End: Springer Mt. Shelter

Danielle:
40 degrees. Rainy. Windy. Cold.
Well, we finally got to the trail. Cool. Of course the weather gods couldn't have made an exception to the "Danielle & Ryan hiking law of bad weather" and given us sunny skies. Instead it's rainy, foggy and cold. Oh well. We're out here on the white blazes and that's what counts! Mom and Dad saw us off at the arch at 9:25am, and we wandered our way up the trail. Then they couldn't take off without seeing us again so met up with us when the trail intersects the road at 1m. One of the guys we were with said we had a great support team! so thanks Mom & Dad! The approach trail wasn't as bad as some had said. It seemed moderate to us, and we arrived at the shelter at 1:45pm. Not too shabby! My pack weight was 30lbs.; Ryan's was 40. We could have continued on but decided not to push it. We'll probably being feeling the weight tomorow. Plus, the trail will still be here tommorrow and we have a ways to go. No sense hurting ourselves now... Anyway, happy to be here! Woo hoo! Maine here we come :-) "Anywhere is in walking distance, if you have the time."--Stephen Wright.

Ryan:
rain, wind, mist, low 40's
what a crappy day...weatherwise. not a nice day to be outside. but, we had a great hike up the approach trail. not as hard as everyone said and we made great time. now we're just hoping the weather clears. it's great to finally be on the trail...not just talking about it. today's song: we've only just begun, the carpenters.

March 29, 2005 | Day 2 | Miles: 13.4 | Total Miles 13.6
End: Justis Creek, Tent

Danielle:
Sunny and warm. Yeah!
Well, day 2 and we've already deviated from the schedule. I guess that was what it was for... We had planned to go to Hawk Mt. shelter and only do 7.4m but we got there by 12:30, so after a leisurely lunch with our "group" (can you be a group after only spending 1 night together?) of 4 other guys (Ghost, an older man from Gorham, NH who has already doen the trail and is just doing GA; Chris, a tall, skinny redhead who's lots of fun; Dennis "Mr Fusion" (we named him Monday nght after he was talking about Back to the Future. Plus he has a great white and black rain suit that is very Back to the future); Aaron, a friend of Dennis' who is out with him for a few days), we decided sure, we can go another 6m. The first 7.4 were nice and mellow. We went thru a beautiful stretch of rhodedendrum and big helmock trees. Gorgeous! But the next 6m were a bit tougher. A bit more ups and downs. We did see our first spring flowers--cool! Little violets and pretty white ones too that might have been rue anenome. Plus a bunch of turkey vultures floating on the air currents as we climbed what Ryan dubbed "Suckmyass" Mt. Finally ended in a great spot by a flowing stream, again with our "group." There are a ton of other tents around. Lots of people out attempting the trail. I'm tired, and think we'll sleep well tonight. But a good tired. All in all, a good day.

Ryan:
sunny, low 60's - beau-t-full
tough decision today-stay at hawk mountain shelter or push on. we awoke to a chilly but sunny morning, and had a nice mellow 7.5 to the shelter in under 4 hours. it's tough to call it a day at noon. so we pushed on. not sure if it was the best decision, but we'll find out. our morning was awesome. beautiful forest with huge rhodedendruns...no blooms yet, but we're not waiting around for them. lunch at hawk mt shelter with what has become our crew. chris, the tall lanky dude from ca and va. ghost, from nh, who has section hiked the entire trail, great stories. he's just out for a couple weeks. dennis, who we've dubbed mr. fusion, who has been slow but steady, great attitude. and, his friend aaron who will leave us at neels gap. great people, and it's been fun. the last 6 miles today were the hardest yet. highlighted by suck-my-ass (sassafras) mt. i'm definitely not in hiking shape yet, and my shoulders are really sore. hopefully, they'll get used to the pack. danielle, as always, has been in high spirits. i think she's feeling better then i am, but doesn't want to tell me. either way, we're having fun and getting into the routine. oh yeah, neal promised me rain on the first day and a gear calamity on the second. well, the fuel bottle leaked on the outside of my pack. i think the o-ring on the pump needs to be replaced. i blame neal.

March 30, 2005 | Day 3 | Miles: 13.7 | Total Miles 27.3
End: Slaughter Creek Campsite, Tent

Danielle:
Sunny and warm again. Get out the sunscreen!
As I write, we sit on the edge of the trail watching the sunset right from our tent. Gorgeous! And what a day. It started out with Ghost waking us up with "Get up you lazy, blue-blazing hikin' trash, or we won't even get in 5m today." So up we got, and out we went. Ryan and I were the last ones out, but we caught up a few hours later. Then to make the day wonderful, at Woody Gap there was trail magic! wow! Only three days out and trail magic already. Sharon and Frank had a spread out and lots of hikers gloriously enjoying the bounty. Diet coke and OJ, brownies and bananas. Yum! That fueled us up for sure. Then we kept on truckin' up and over and down and up. The sun was bright and with no leaves on the trees there were some great views of the hills and the green valleys. We decided to skip the shelter and go a half mile farther to this great campsite. I'm thoroughly enjoying lounging in the campchair/thermarest converter. A luxury item, definitely, but worth it so far! And the best thing is that tomorrow, we only have 3.5m into Neels Gap, where we plan to relax, shower, make phone calls and get a few god meals. Ahhhh. Sounds good. But no complaints for today. Life is good :-)

Ryan:
sunny, warm, almost hot
a kick ass day. another long day, and i'm looking forward to just 3.5 miles tomorrow. we've been making good miles, and overall the body feels great. shoulders feel better today. popped a good size blister on my little left toe. that should be good for tomorrow in walasi-yi outdoor center..to get clean, eat and relax. all you really need to know about today is trail magic rocks. fred and sharon from athens brought a ton of food to woody gap. i ate a ham sandwich. i don't even really like ham. we ate a ton, and it was sweet. hiked most of the day with chris, and we're sharing a sweet tentsite with him tonite. all is good. oh yeah, danielle kicked ass again today.

Moving Day

Moving is no fun. No fun at all. Especially when after you get the truck from Uhaul, you can't get it up the driveway. So how did we manage? You don't want to know... Many un-environmentally friendly pounds of salt later, plus a big bin of sand and some hacking away at the 2-inch thick ice later, Ryan did get the truck up to the top of the driveway, but no more steep driveways for me! I'm done! Enough. Give me a flat piece of land, I say.

So, after that unplanned hour and a half of driveway maintenance, we finally got started. It took us all day but we managed to empty out the house completely and fit it into a 10 x 20 storage unit. It was the bikes, wheel barrel and all the random crap in the basement that almost did us in! Yikes. It was like a big jigsaw puzzle trying to fit it all in. It wasn't pretty at the end, especially since it started to snow, but we made it work. The law of Danielle, Ryan and the weather of course made an appearance. We couldn't have had a nice, sunny, warm day for moving... that would have been too much to ask. Instead we had a cold day with a winter storm warning forecast for Friday afternoon all the way through Saturday, just the days we didn't want any snow so we could move, do final errands, get our prizes from our weekly Nordic race series at Great Glen Saturday night (its all about the raffle, folks! :-) We couldnt miss out on the final party!) and then drive down to Lynn. We pray for snow all season, and just when were leaving and don't want to deal with winter anymore, it dumps over 2 feet of snow in the valley in a week. It figures!

But we did manage to get in a fun hour and a half of skiing up at Great Glen on Saturday afternoon after we'd buttoned up the few things we needed to get done before we left North Conway and our rental house for a final time. It had been snowing all through the night and showed no signs of letting up. A great March storm that we had to take advantage of a little bit, at least ;-) The trails were empty and we had fun playing around in the powder. Then we enjoyed the potluck dinner and raffle (we made out well too, Ryan winning a gear bag and me a good Craft skiing top) and headed south through the snow. Goodbye winter! Our journey south has begun... Only two weeks until the start :-)

P.S. Ryan said we should just have this page say "Don't ask..." and leave it at that. Ahhh, moving...

Dream Big

If ever there were a time to dare,
to make a difference,
to embark on something worth doing,
it is now.
Not for some grand cause, necessarily,
but for something that tugs at your heart
something that is your aspiration
Something that's your dream

You owe it to yourself
to make each day here count.
Have fun.
Dig deep.
Stretch.

Dream big.

Know, though, that things worth doing
seldom come easy.
There will be good days
and there will be bad days
There will be times when
you want to turn around,
pack it up,
call it quits.
Those times tell you
that you are pushing yourself,
that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea,
determination,
and the right tools,
you can do great things.
Let your instincts,
your intellect
and your heart
guide you.

Trust.

Believe in the incredible power
of all the things that will cross your path
this year.

The start of something new
brings the hope of something great.
Anything is possible.
There is only one you,
and you will only pass this way once.
Do it right.

-Anonymous

---

Can't remember when or where I first saw this on the web, but I saved it away as words of wisdom. Today I came across it in my files, and I thought it would be a worthy post.

Because after all, this year, we're dreaming big... :-)

-Danielle

Snowman Sounds Off

So, I thought it was time for me to chime in because I'm also going along on this whole AT thing. Since we're going to try to write something everyday, I figured I could get at least one journal entry done before we started...you know, for practice.

First of all, I need to give a ton of...maybe more...credit to Danielle, as she has done an incredible job of planning, scheduling and scheming. No surprise to any of you. She has been truly spectacular through this whole process. I never ceased to be amazed by her drive, determination and focus. But most importantly, when she's planning...she's quiet. The financially scheming to make this work...all Danielle. I would have just checked the ATM every so often to see how much was left. The entire mail drop schedule was her doing. All I did was look at it, grunt and burp. (I'm really good at that.) Without her, I would be wandering aimlessly through the forest wondering why I had nothing to eat but dry mac & cheese. Not a pretty sight.

And it is because of Danielle, that I think we might actually to be able to pull this off. Because, the AT isn't easy. In fact, it's a long frickin' way!

20%. Twenty percent of people that set out from Springer Mountain with Katahdin as their goal make it. That's it. 1 out of 5. Or, in our case, 2 out of 10. That's not a lot. Of course, a fair number of those that leave the trail do so because they never really belonged there in the first place.

"I didn't know I would have to be outside in the rain."
"I'm dirty and I smell bad."
"Why is it so hilly?"

Things like that. Quite honestly, I'm really looking forward to watching the people who have never camped before. That will be fun for the first week...maybe it will take my mind off how sore I am.

Luckily, we have camped before, and we like being outside...even in the rain. (No, really, if you're smart it's not that bad. The forest has a great smell during the rain. Plus, I like playing in the mud.)

We certainly have an advantage because we plan to take it step by step together. Or, at least, me dragging a few yards behind. She has pulled me to the top of many a mountain. That little body can really churn out the miles. When she chirps "I'm tough, gawddammit!" like a five year-old trying to open a jar of grape jelly, look out! I have no doubt that we will have the teamwork and the drive to make it through. And, barring injury, our Christmas card will feature a grimy but jubilant pair with a sign that reads: "Katahdin: Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail." We're hopeful we can be among the 20%.

Then again, to look at us, we're seem pretty young and fit. (Well, at least Danielle. I know I've gotten a little soft around the middle.) But, we're not without our ailments: irritable bowel syndrome, patella femoral syndrome, Morton's nueroma, iliotibial band tightness, weak ankles, allergies, asthma, elbow tendonitis, trapezius strain, even a bout with Melanoma...just to name a few. So, if we can avoid any further reoccurrences of these little nasties and dodge any further injuries, it should be no problem. Besides, what's the likelihood of an overuse injury from carrying a 35+ pound backpack day after day after day?

Uh, Mom, you weren't supposed to read that last bit.

Most of all, I think our biggest advantage is teamwork. We're not privy to the inner workings of other married couples, but I think we're a little different. First and foremost, we're best friends. We truly enjoy spending all our time together. Really. I don't see this from all married couples. Do you? Secondly, we share the load. She's good at some things, and I'm good at some things. When it's time, we know who is the right person for the task. (That's why I'm carrying the map and compass.) No ego. There's no room for ego in a backpack. Finally, we're good at backpacking. We work well together. For example, I set up and light the stove, while she measures out the water and ingredients. Dinner in half the time. Nobody sits around and picks dirt out from under their fingernails. Plus, fingernail dirt makes a good spice. Mmmm...ramen with fingernail grit.

But most importantly, on this little journey we want to have fun. We have no jobs and we're going to walk for 6 months. That's pretty cool. Not everyone's idea of fun, but we're a little off. We admit that.

So, we only have a couple weeks to go. All that's left is to pack up all our stuff and put it in storage. If our marriage can survive that, the AT should be no problem.

Loading up the packs...

Essentially, everything we need will be on our backs. Think of that. How do you trim what you own down to between 30 (hopefully my pack weight, plus or minus a few pounds) and 40 (Ryan's) pounds? Then figure in that you'll be out there for approximately 6 months, living with what you have on your back, with town stops and a few packages mixed in, of course, to fill up the pack again when food and other supplies get low.

Well, over the past few years, and definitely in the past few months, we've worked on our pack weight and chosen certain items for weight, etc. And once we get out there, it's the final test. Will we stick with our original gear? Will it hold up? Did we choose wisely? Only time will tell, but for now, here goes...This is what we plan to carry when we start at Springer on March 28.

Danielle-

Osprey Ariel 60 Pack

Shelter & Sleeping supplies:
Mountain Hardware Dimension sleeping bag in stuff sack
Sierra Designs Lightning Tent fly
Tent stakes
Pro Lite 3 Thermarest short (basically a blow up mattress for under our sleeping bag)
Thermarest Chair Converter (converts the Thermarest into a small on-the-ground chair. Comfy!)
Rain cover for pack

Cooking & Around Camp:
MSR water filter
Petzl Tikka headlamp
Titanium spork (a cross between a fork and spoon) and a plastic knife
2 Nalgene bottles full of water
1 Nalgene 1.5 liter collapsible container empty, as a backup for water when needed
Little squeeze bottle of Mountain Suds (dishwashing liquid)

Toiletries & Other Miscellaneous Items:
1 roll of toilet paper in ziplock (buy stock in ziplock! We will be using a lot of them over these next 6 months!)
Extra ziplock baggies and a few garbage bags
Sunscreen (in a ziplock, of course!)
Sunglasses with case
2005 Handbook with distances, services along the trail, etc
1 waterproof pouch with extra batteries, small notebook with names, addresses, etc., pen/pencil, and Pocketmail Composer (little 3" x 5" handheld keyboard and screen that allows you to write emails and then send and receive via a phone line. Handy!)
1 waterproof pouch with ATM card, credit card, license, cash, stamps, phone card, insurance card
1 waterproof pouch for daily vitamins and medicines
1 waterproof pouch with daily toiletries like toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, chapstick, ear plugs (for snorers in the shelter!), some face wipes, nail clippers, etc.
Little squeeze bottle of hand sanitizer (again, in a ziplock)

Clothes:
1 Patagonia silkweight, shortsleeve T-shirt
1 Patagonia R.1 long sleeve, zip-up pullover
2 pairs Patagonia seamless capilene underwear
Swix XC ski hat
EMS thin fleece gloves
2 pairs of Smartwool Hiking socks
Mountain Hardware Epic rainpants & jacket
MountainHardware Epic rain/sun hat
Patagonia Midweight longjohns
One pair of Waldies (Foam clogs to wear once we've stopped hiking. Very light. They look silly but they're comfy! Mine are orange J )
An all-purpose "buff," like you may have seen on Survivor, that can wrap around your neck, your head, etc for warmth when needed. Mine is from the 30km race we did.
Mountain Hardware Compressor jacket (only for the start when it's colder, and possibly for NH & ME at the end)
Goretex overmitts (just for first few months when it's colder)

Ryan-

Osprey Aether 60 Pack

Shelter & Sleeping supplies:
EMS Solstice 25/45 Sleeping bag (for the beginning and end)
Mountain Hardwear Lamina 45 Sleeping bag (for the sultry summer nights... much lighter, too)
Sierra Designs Lightning Tent
Tent poles
Pro Lite 3 Thermarest short (basically a blow up mattress for under our sleeping bag)
Thermarest Chair Converter
Rain cover for pack

Cooking & Around Camp:
Titanium cook set (2 pots, 1 cover, 1 pot grabber)
Princeton Tec Aurora headlamp
Titanium spork (a cross between a fork and spoon)
Large fuel bottle filled with white gas for cooking
MSR Simmerlite stove/matches
1 Sigg lightweight squeeze waterbottle full of water
1 Nalgene bottle full of water
1 Nalgene 96 oz. Collapsible container for water empty, for if extra water is needed

Toiletries & Other Miscellaneous Items:
1 roll of toilet paper in ziplock
Extra ziplock baggies and a few garbage bags
Sunglasses
2005 Companion book (a different one than I'll be carrying) with distances, services along the trail, etc
Maps & compass (Guess who has a better sense of direction?)
1 waterproof pouch with extra batteries, IPod (portable device that holds music, lots of it!), extra memory cards for camera, extra camera battery
1 waterproof pouch with ATM card, credit card, license, cash, phone card, insurance card
1 waterproof ""irst aid kit" with moleskin, gauze, tape, alcohol swabs, antacid, vitamin C, immodium, inhaler, duct tape, etc.
1 waterproof pouch with vitamins and medicines
1 waterproof pouch with daily toiletries like toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, chapstick, ear plugs, nail clippers, etc
Little squeeze bottle of hand sanitizer (again, in a ziplock)
Olympus Stylus 300 digital camera in case
Flexible mini tripod (lets you balance the camera on a rock, etc. Very handy!)

Clothes:
1 Craft lightweight shortsleeve T-shirt
1 Craft long sleeve, zip-up pullover
1 pair Patagonia boxer shorts
Craft XC ski hat
EMS thin fleece gloves
1 pair of Smartwool Adrenaline Mini Crew socks
Mountain Hardware Epic rainpants & jacket
Golite Team cap (baseball style but waterproof)
Patagonia Midweight longjohns
One pair of Waldies (And they're yellow)
The original "Buff," a grey and yellow Subaru one
Patagonia Micro Puff jacket (only for the start when it's colder, and possibly for NH & ME at the end)

We'll both also be carrying whatever food we need for however many days we plan to be in between resupply points, likely 4 and 5 days worth at a time.

Now what will we be eating out there, you wonder?

Well, a sample list is below. Food and water are the heaviest items in our pack, but they of course are the most important. We look for calorie-dense foods, but then we're also trying not to kill ourselves out there, so we'll mix in fruits and veggies when we can. But don't doubt that we'll be eating some junk food too!

Food will likely include:
Breakfast: Tortillas and peanut butter, plus dehydrated banana chips & strawberry chips, or maybe bagels, scones or muffins and a real banana or apple if we're a day out of town
Snack: GORP mix (raisins, m&ms, peanuts, cashews, etc) or a Clif or Power Bar
Lunch: Tortillas/bagels and cheese/peanut butter, plus some dehydrated fruit (or fresh fruit and some mini carrots if we're only a day out of town), fig newtons or crackers, maybe some more GORP or other chocolate item
More Snack: Beef (for Ryan) and turkey (for me) jerkey, more GORP or fig newtons
Dinner: Likely to be a variation on one of the following - 1) instant potatoes, stuffing, dried veggies and a foil packet of chicken for a yummy Thanksgiving-like feast; 2) couscous with sundried tomatoes, dried mushrooms and a packet of chicken; 3) Lipton Noodles & Sauce with some veggies and chicken; 4) rice and beans; 5) one of the organic, all-natural pasta, couscous or stew mixes we've purchased from Enertia Foods & Mary Jane Farm; all supplemented by cheese, crackers, bagels, fig newtons, some GORP, dried fruit, veggies, etc., depending on how hungry we are and how much food is still in our packs! Can't eat it all in the first day out :-)
More Snack: Whatever is left. In our previous trips, w've heard thru-hikers say things like I would really like to sit here and eat everything in my food bag. Sounds nice, but makes for a lot of stops in town.

And finally...

I'll be wearing:
Patagonia shortsleeve T-shirt
Mountain Hardware Convertible Diversion Pants (with zip-off legs to convert to shorts)
Smartwool socks
Merrell Chameleon Ventilator Low hiking shoes

Ryan will be wearing:
Craft shortsleeve T-shirt
LLBean convertible pants
Patagonia Silkweight boxers
Smartwool socks
Nike trail running shoes

(Unless, it's July 4th - naked thru-hiking day! Then, just sunscreen... ouch!)

We'll also both be using Leki hiking poles. Great for balance and for taking the pressure off the knees!

That's it!

Yes, yes, we'll be stinky since we'll be wearing the same clothes over and over, although we do plan to wash them whenever we get the chance along the way. This also means we'll likely thrown some of our clothes out and getting new ones along the way :-)

And yes, this is it.

All told, WITHOUT food, and WITH 2 liters of water each, we will be carrying on our back the following weight -
Danielle: 26 pounds
Ryan: 30 pounds

Are we tough or what? :-) (Ouch, it hurts already.)