Appalachian Trail Post #3 Two months and counting

2014 is here and the time is getting short prior to take off to Virginia on March 10 and scheduled start hiking the trail date of March 16. If they are having a blizzard though we are going to hold off till the weather gets good. All of 2013 was preparation for the hike. Read and received tons of recommendations and advice. Main points were to a. - get in shape, b. -get good gear, c. - make sure significant other/spouse is involved. So the third item got off to a great start January 2013 when on a visit here in the islands brother Paul made clear his plan to hike the Appalachian Trail in 2014. After nothing but talk about the AT during his and Susie's week long visit, Betty said fine go with your brother next year no problem. In the meantime I got in shape, upgraded gear and figured the third item was taken care of. Then awhile back Betty called me over to the icebox door one morning where for some time there has been on display a 3 feet long and about 9" wide map of the entire length of the 2000+ mile of the AT.

I gulped when she said "looks like this is going be at least a 4 to 5 week trip." After calmly explaining that no we would not be driving on the highway then she said "you mean it could take like 6 or 8 weeks?" Big gulp this time before replying that we would be hiking the whole way and the trip would take something more like 5 or 6 months. That set off an interesting discussion by the end of which could finally check off that had covered all three main points thank you experts!

You may have heard that there is a movie about the Appalachian Trail that is scheduled to start filming the very same month we start hiking. It will be based on the bestseller book A Walk In the Woods and it will hit theaters near you in 2015 with the same title!link to movie info

As author Bill Bryson and I attended practically at the same time both Des Moines Callahan Junior High and Theodore Roosevelt High School am thinking that once he knows am on the trail we will be sure to be hired on as the hiking stand ins/doubles for lead actors Robert Redford

and Nick Nolte. After all somebody has to actually do the hiking parts for them mise well be us!

Just to be sure we get picked up though have sent off to Mr.Bryson photos of Paul and I

which am positive will convince him and director Larry Charles that we are like doppelgangers for the leads. Hey can't tell you how many times people have stopped me on the street asking for autographs thinking I am Bob Redford and people yell yo Nick at Paul all the time.

All got to do now is seal the tent, pick up some freezer bags and am good to go! Can't wait going to get to go hike and make plenty money at the same time ho yo! next post maybe right before take off mid March!

Hello readers, thanks for your interest and for your information there are two other posts that were published the past few months about the practice hikes done in 2013. If keep scrolling down the page should find them. Also for any of you whom did not receive notification that this post was added on and would like to get such notice in the future please send your email address to windwarddave@gmail.com and will get you on the bcc list.