Day 5 (June 29th)

Hiked another 12 miles in Vermont today. Got a late start (11:30) but finished up at 6:00. Doing a little stealth camping tonight, i.e. camping away from an established AT shelter. I'm right by a stream and can hear the pleasant burble. Met a young thru-hiker from Kansas City on the trail. He said he left a desk/tech job to hike the AT. Said his bad back has ironically disappeared after carrying a fifty pound backpack. Climbed a fire tower at a point where Benton McKaye, the visionary for the AT, first got his idea for this wonderful American asset. Very beautiful. I guess Vermont has even fewer people than South Dakota -- 500,000. Only Wyoming has fewer. I saw 6 people today.

Day 4 (June 28th)

Today was only abut 8 miles through the Vermont woods -- "Vermud" in the vernacular of AT thrru-hikers. Kim and Kay will pick up Jim Corker and I for a Saturday together before Kay heads back to South Dakota. Had some great views on the trail today and did some laundry in a stream. Lovin' America. Take care.

Day 3 (June 27th)

Today was beautiful hiking. Made 14 miles and met several thru-hikers: one 70 year old who was three miles away from finishing 2,000 miles. He was back on the trail after having fallen off a mountain in New Hampshire and breaking a collar bone. Another college-age thu-hiker was carrying a quart of olive oil and drinking it for the calories. He had lost too much weight -- 30 pounds -- since Georgia. Vermont is beautiful. Happy for the opportunity to be out here with this crowd. Met people just today from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, and Massachusetts. I love America!

Day 2 (June 26th)

Still hiking with Jim Corker. Today was tough. Started out in the rain. The trail was a creek for much of the day due to the rain the day before. Made Vermont today. Trying to air out our tents as they were soaked the night before (and of course, we'd rather not being carying the added water weight). Still doing around 13 mile days and finding it all we can handle. Still a blast! The next few days are supposed to be nice...

Day 1 (June 25th)

The first day on the AT began at Bascomb Lodge at the summit of Mount Greylock in Massachusetts. Jim Corker joined me for the first few days. Kim and Kay hiked for an hour before backtracking, leaving Jim and me to continue. We hiked for 13 miles. The last 4 to 5 hours in a downpour. We set up tents in the dark with torrential rain. It was still raining in the morning. We packed up wet and hit the trail on day 2 of the AT adventure.

Greetings!

I have attempted and successfully completed many physical challenges over the years, including marathons, cross country bicycle trips, and hundred mile plus hikes. My interest has evolved into a desire to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (AT), a 2,100-mile trek over rough terrain along 14 eastern states.

I plan to document the experience and its effects on me and others, exploring how the experience of thru-hiking -- i.e. continuously hiking to complete a trail in a single season -- creates opportunities for self-discovery and learning. The field notes will ultimately form the data for a qualitative study and dissertation for a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Thomas.

The hike generally takes four to six months. It is estimated only 15-25% of those attempting a thru-hike are successful. Odds are less for those over the age of 60, as I am. I will begin at Mount Greylock, Massachusetts, traveling north for 600 miles to Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the AT. I will return by car to Mount Greylock and hike to Springer Mountain, Georgia, the southern terminus. I will take six months to complete the hike, beginning in June and finishing sometime in December.

I plan to hike carrying less than thirty pounds, including food and water. Some of the gear is pictured here. I hope you will find it interesting following my progress.