A.T. Hike

So, some of you may know and some of you may not know that Steve and I are planning to hike the entire Appalachian Trail in the summer/fall of 2010. Though this is a dream of Steve's, I have volunteered to accompany him along the way to avoid the complications of last summer.

Mini recap: Last summer, Steve was suppose to have a friend hike with him. The friend bailed out at the last minute, and Steve started out on his own from Springer Mountain, GA. After an impressive 10 days of hiking just over 100 miles of the A.T. he had to abruptly end his journey due to a slight knee injury that he did not want to get worse... The injury was a result of carrying too much weight in his pack... which was partly due to not being able to distribute the weight over multiple people.

Therefore: he needs a hiking partner and I volunteered...

Okay, now that we are up to speed with how I came to volunteer... I bet you are asking yourself how exactly I plan to accomplish this feat what with my persistent aches and pains.

As of this past summer, I had a radio-frequency procedure done on my back which basically burns the nerves and cuts off the pain signal to the brain. Yes, it hurt a lot and yes, I feel better from it. following this treatment I started physical therapy once a week. Once I told the therapist that I was planning to hike the AT next summer, and he laughed at me... we began working together to figure out a plan to get me in shape and ready to venture out. I am still seeing him once a week and for about a month now have been working out with Steve at the gym twice a week to build up muscle to support my feeble bones. I am also trying to integrate walking into my schedule to build stamina however this is proving to be more difficult as I tend to be tired when I'm not working and therefore am usually sleeping...

Anywho... I am trying to get pumped up about this 2178.3 mile hike over the course of 5-6 months but at the same time it remains to be daunting. Steve and I have started planning the hike as far as how many miles per day we are going to hike as well as what kind of food we will be taking and preparing (i.e. freeze drying / drying / dehydrating fruits, veggies, and meals). I have begun to look at what gear I need and what we are able to share. I bought a sleeping bag (1.4 lbs) and a pack from REI. I am looking into purchasing boots in the near future to begin breaking them in to avoid blisters... And, we are taking mini camping trips to test out new equipment and determine what else we need to do to prepare!

Last weekend we went camping at F. D. Roosevelt State Park about an hour and a half south of Atlanta. While it was enjoyable, it also informed me that I still have a lot of conditioning to do to prepare myself for the upcoming journey.

Til next time... :)

The Flood of 09

So, the weather in Atlanta this week has been absolutely perfect! Not a drop of rain since last Saturday. Not even a cloud in the sky... I assume this too shall pass. Just so long as we don't have a repeat of last Monday, the 21st I think it was. It had been raining for 10 days straight, and I don't mean just a drizzle. I mean pouring down (cats and dogs) rain. For those of you that don't know, my apartment lies in a flood plain along Peachtree Creek. Well with the rain came flooding and with flooding came evacuations... That's right, my entire complex was evacuated. Thankfully, I live on the second floor and so none of my possessions were in danger of damage. However, the parking lot was filling up rather quickly. The front of the property was pretty much under water with a nice river flowing though it. They condemned 3 or more buildings, and I still don't know where they moved the people that lived there. The office is now a trailer they brought in for temporary use and the community past the mailboxes has been fenced off for damage repairs... (pictures to come)

So, where did I go in all this mess? I got home from work at about 5:30 and thankfully did not have to work that evening at the theater. I went to go check my mail and that's when I discovered the river. When I returned to my apartment in the back of the property (about a half a mile back), there was a fire marshall knocking on everyone's doors telling people to vacate the premises or at least move their vehicles to higher ground. So I packed up a bag and my kitties and after about an hour of calling people here, there and everywhere I was rescued by Megan and her husband and stayed the night out.

The next day I stopped by my apartment to assess the damages and found out that the back of the property, where my apartment is, was clear to resume residency. Aside, from not having cable, I was glad to be home. I know that many families are still displaced from this flood. Afterall, it did shut down three of the major interstates in Atlanta!!