The Decision

I remember the first time I stepped foot on the Appalachian Trail. It was May 2004 on a family trip to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN. We drove up and stopped at Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Everyone was looking at the view or the giant plaque and doing all the touristy things. I was more interested in the narrow dirt path that ran into the trees and disappeared. I was instantly hooked- I wanted to know where that trail went. I wanted to follow it right then and there. So I walked a hundred yards or so up the trail, turned around and came back. I was 13 years old at the time and I knew that I wanted to hike that entire trail one day.

On the AT at Newfound Gap looking north. May 2004.

Two months later I got my first true taste of backpacking on the AT. We hiked Springer to Neel Gap in 5 days with my scout troop. It was amazing. I remember my grand plans to thru hike after high school in 2008, all my research and reading. I bought the ATC's Workbook for Planning Thru Hikes and started filling it out.

Needless to say, that didn't happen. Life got in the way, along with a scholarship for college, and my plans disappeared. After college, I told myself, I would go. I didn't plan for that, just assumed that it would happen. Instead, I got an amazing job in my career field 2 months before graduating college, and out the window went my thru hike dream again.

Earlier this year the idea snapped into my head again. Why not next year? I feel like I have reached my peak at my current job and I am financially able to take 6 months off of work. I feel like I have a good chance of getting a leave of absence so I have a job to come back to, and if not, I can survive. So, why not?

I toyed with the idea for 3 months and I finally decided to go for it. I am going to hike the Appalachian Trail!

Thus the planning began. When? Next year obviously. Only way I want to go is northbound. That means a March-April start. I don't like super cold weather, so wait until April. Looking at the calendar, I picked April 7th as my start date to give me Easter with my family.

So the decision has been made and preparations have started. I am going to wait until the middle of September to make my announcement to family and friends. I have planned a section hike starting Labor Day weekend from Springer to Fontana Dam  to make sure I am ready to go. I have had issues with my feet and knees the past couple of years, so I want to make sure that I am physically ready to go before announcing it.

This is it. My dream is beginning to become reality. Here's to 2015!