Nan's 2014 Appalachian Trail Journal

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March 19, 2014

As many of you may know I am going to hike the Appalachian Trail this year. I have hiked the trail in the past as a section hiker. A section hiker completes the A.T. in multiple trips over a period of years, in my case six. But I have always wanted to do a thru hike. A thru hike is hiking the entire 2185.3 in one uninterrupted journey. From Springer Mt in Georgia to Mt Katahdin in Maine. Info for those who are not AT addicts. With that in mind I was presented with another challenge, not that the hike isn't challenging enough, Carolyn Banjak (who will be my hiking partner) told me the oldest woman to complete a thru hike was a mere 71. Ah ha, I said, I can beat that. I will be 74 this year. A record?? Maybe, if there are no other old biddies out there this year.

Of course Carolyn has also always wanted to complete a thru hike and in fact has made two starts. Going to Georgia and hiking thru to the half way point, Pine Grove Furnace SP. Which is also her back yard. She has done other sections but has not hiked the entire trail. So long story short we are going to set off on April 1 for the long trek.

We have been busy planning and packing boxes of food and other resupply items, like fuel, TP, etc, to be mailed or dropped at various locations along the trail. This part has been a real effort for me as I am not one to do preparation far in advance. So while I was enjoying the winter sport of X-Country skiing, traveling to VT, Canada, ME, and various locations in PA, Carolyn was getting her boxes ready. So in normal Nan fashion I didn't start until Mar 4 after returning from FL. That was not a ski trip, but it was pretty cold in the south. The last two weeks have been a nightmare. I don't think the hike will be any harder than trying to plan food and supplies for 6 or 7 months, along with where to send or drop the boxes. If you check the AT Journal Carolyn has set up (link at bottom of page) you will get some feel for the project. But anyway I think I am finished with the boxes and have my gear ship shape and am ready to hit the trail.

Peter Oswald and I will be leaving tomorrow for the panhandle area in FL to relax and do some canoeing with some friends for a week then on to Springer Mtn, GA, where we will meet up with Rich and Carolyn Banjak. Carolyn and I should be on the trail Apr 1, give or take a day.

If you are interested in following our adventure you can check the AT Journal for pictures and updates: http://www.trailjournals.com/Freckles. Copy and paste it in the browser if it doesn't work here. We may also have updates posted by a friend (from info snail mailed) since it is not always easy to get on a computer at the hostels where we will be staying. Usage is high with all the hikers wanting to get logged on. Another bit of AT trivia. Hikers have trail names and we are listed with the other AT hikers on the main page as Freckles (Carolyn), and Drag'n Fly (Nan).

Several of you have expressed an interest joining us for a day hike or a several day backpack. That would be great and Carolyn and I would really enjoy the company. Along with following on the journal I will also have my cell phone (717-364-9824) and will be checking e-mail when possible. So follow along and if you think we can meet up that would be great. Even you do not want to hike you can cheer us on with trail magic. For you non- AT nuts trail magic is when you greet hikers at road crossings and offer them a treat. Fresh fruit and cold drinks are always welcome.

To give you some idea of the projected time frame, we should be in PA by the last week in June.

If you know someone who may enjoy following our adventure you can feel free to pass the link along, as anyone can get into the AT Journals. The journals of the hikers are fun to read. Well that it is for now. Happy trails. Also, if you have questions direct them to Drag'n Fly or Freckles on the journal or through email. I'll answer the first question with " Because We Can"! Maybe.

Nan aka Drag'n fly

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