My backpack, boots and all my hiking gear is in a box on its way to Greensboro, NC, and now that it's gone, the excitement is building! On April 9, I'll fly to Greensboro to meet Tom and on April 11th we'll arrive in Georgia by train, then catch a ride to Springer Mt. to start the AT. I still have a couple boxes to pack and mail that will include supplies for along the trail. Here's a sample of what goes in the first mail drop box: guidebook pages for the next sections, food I've dehydrated including our favorite cheesy kale, and yes, odds and ends like a new toothbrush and my prescription Vitamin "I"(ibuprofin) to be bumped forward and used when needed.

Several people have asked what I've done to get ready for this 2175 mile hike. Besides just simply walking a lot, I did a 3-day backpack on the Arizona Trail recently with 4 other friends. We walked 39 miles through some awesome southern Arizona desert scenery.

The California poppies and other wildflowers at lower elevations were at their peak... and so were the reptiles! We saw 3 rattlesnakes and one gila monster. Rattlers are not unusual but to see a gila monster in the wild is a rare treat.

This hike obviously provided different experiences than the AT will, but it was a great shake down trip, my backpack felt fine and I finished without any blisters and with some energy to spare.






The next few days will be busy with moving out of my apartment and then, the best part, going to Puerto Penasco, Mexico next weekend to celebrate the marriage of my son Jason and his new wife Kate.  I'll soak up all the sunshine there I can in case the weather in the east has not improved by the time we start the trail!