Hiking the Appalachian Trail has been on my bucket list for at least the last 10 years.  There has always been something appealing to me about shedding most of my worldly possessions, stuff what was left in a backpack, and venturing off into the woods with only myself to rely on.  About two years ago I began to think seriously about put this trip in motion.  As with anything I undertake in my life I started reading as many books as I could on the subject.  The more I read the more I knew this was an adventure I wanted to take.  

When I decided to start preparing for this trip I knew I would have to secure gear, financing, and the blessing of my parents.  When I first broke the news to them my mother wept and my dad just told me to make sure the numbers worked.  Now that I am out here my mom still cries a bit but it is mostly out of pride and my dad has become my biggest champion.  

I left two wonderful jobs to come out here and hike the trail.  The incredible folks at The Alcove International Tavern and Loosa Brews have been nothing but supportive since I broke the news to them.  Both of these wonderful jobs provided me the means to finance this crazy endeavor.  I cannot thank them enough for all they have done!  

In my younger years I spent quite a lot of time outdoors on hiking trips and working at various camps.  I had accrued quite a cache of outdoor gear and I thought that with minimal supplementation this gear would get me through the trip.  Boy was I wrong!  The days of hauling 60lbs packs through the woods are long gone.  I ended up replacing just about every bit of gear I had save for my trusty Outdoor Research gators.  My pack may be much lighter than it used to be but it is still securely on the heavy side.

So gear, money, and blessings secured it was time to get started.  At the beginning of February just a day or two after quitting my jobs I drove to Amicalola Falls.  I registered as the 32nd North Bound hiker under the trail name, Goose. I pulled on my pack and hiked the approach trail up to Springer Mountain.  I used this hike as a shakedown hike in order to test all my gear.  It was a comedy of errors to say the least.  I’ll post an entry about that hike at a future date.  That experience taught me I still had some work to do before I was to begin my proper hike at the end of February.

So here we go!