Pack - Approximately 40 lbs. at all times. Includes: sleeping system (pad, tent, bag, and liner), cooking system (pocket rocket, fuel, pot, spoon, seasonings), water system (filter, cambelback resevoir, potable aqua), first aid kit, personal items (hygiene- insect repellent - camera - 5 pages for writing, etc.), clothing (sandals, one extra shirt, one pair of capris, jacket), food - 5 day supply, rope, knife, etc.

Since I begin the trip twice from home, there are only eight re-supply boxes needed. Food for the next three months

A typical re-supply box. This is for five or six days of travel. I went a little overboard on the cocoa. ( :

Twenty-two days and counting...

        Ha. It seems impossible. In three weeks and one day I will drive to Ohio, drop off a mewling kitty and several boxes, then catch a bus early in the morning. Yikes! Obviously I won't be giving my exact location while on the trail, but the gist is a two and a half week walk southbound from PA, followed by a seven or eight week walk northbound.
        Why the changeover? Mostly because there is a conference I must attend as Yearbook Coordinator for next year, in the middle of June. After two weeks, my legs will probably be very thankful for a break. Also, by walking through some of the mid-Atlantic states first, I hope for a smoother start than the all-out 3 and 4 thousand foot dips in the GA mountains. For those of you who may be new to the AT, it covers fourteen states and approximately 2,174 miles. Realistically I have no clue how far I will make it. Ideally, it would be pretty amazing to cover between 600 and 1,000 miles this summer. That would allow time to finish next summer, if hiking still sounds appealing. (: The highest point on the trail - a point I will cross this summer- is Clingman's Dome at 6,643 ft  (I think). There are shelters and campgrounds along the trail and towns are spread intermittently along or nearby the AT.
          What am I looking forward to the most? A new experience. An experience that will allow me to talk to and collect stories from others along the way. Peace and quiet for most days where there is nothing in the front, back, or middle of my mind to muddle up thoughts except a walk. A chance to soak in nature the way God intended. Okay, I know this corridor of green has been altered by humans, but there will still be jaw-dropping momments of beauty!
          Any suggestions for music are welcome! I don't encourage taking technology to the trail, but a little can go a long way. Take care my friends and family!
                                                                                                                                       God Bless,
                                                                                                                                                S

I'm carrying THAT?

 (Please feel free to laugh at my melodramatic monologues...I am!)   


         I can do marathons - shopping marathons. Last night, with a friend's assistance, nearly all of my gear was purchased at one single store. A Godsend, disguised as a manager at Gander Mountain, perused the cart beforehand, double-checking that the non-wilderness girl had remembered all she might need to survive away from a shopping mall. :) Somehow I passed the test, I think, because the last pieces of advice were, "Have fun and take lots of pictures." No worries there.
        Today is food day. My mind does not comprehend visual or 3-D images without actually seeing the product. Blue prints will forever remain a mystery. Directions only work with very clear labels. Therefore, knowing what should be put in a re-supply box is one thing. Lists are cake. Figuring out the actual volume and dimensions of the box needed for a 5-10 day supply of food becomes more tricky. There is no concept in my mind as to how big that box should be. Many trips will be made. (How many freezer/sandwich bags will it take to compartmentalize a 40 lb. pack? No clue.) Mountains of food will be accumulated. (How long does a package of beef jerky last a hungry hiker? No clue.) Success will be...eventual.
        As time draws to a close on the school year and papers increase, my time outside has been frighteningly brief. However, the next few weeks should afford some beautiful weather and perfect opportunities for me to test gear and establish how to pack a pack. It still boggles my mind (again, lacking the capacity of dimensions) that everything on my living room floor has to fit into a pack. (I will take a picture.) One pack. Which I will haul like a pack mule up and down elevations, the greatest being over 6,000 feet. For some of you reading, you likely may be laughing at my naivety or complete ineptitude. For my ignorance, I apologize. I know the concepts, but it is true, this is the first time for such an expedition. Bursts of hope and moments of reality wage war within me. At the same time, I know God, Ethan, and pure stubborness will keep me going through all of the situations in my future.
        Ridiculousness set aside, there has been an exciting Ethan up-date: he transitioned recently from laying down to sitting up and he has been crawling all over the place for quite awhile! For kids with PBD's this is especially difficult because they usually have very weak muscle tone. Those core muscles are getting stronger! Go Ethan!!!!!


                                                                                                                          God Bless,
                                                                                                                           S

A Few Small Steps

Hello All!
Thank you for joining me during this summer expedition on the Appalachian Trail. As many of you know, my best friend, Pam, has a son, Ethan, who was diagnosed with PBD or Perioxisomal Biogenisis Disorder. This disorder affects very few children but the impact is severe, up to the point of death. For every newborn diagnosed with PBD only 1 out of 2 will survive their first year. Recently a family was discovered with sons in their 30's. This a huge revelation and source of hope to any family who has faced this diagnosis and told they are alone. This walk is dedicated to Ethan and every PBD family. The truth is no one is alone. It is a truth hard to accept, yet each one of us need it regardless of the disease, addiction, problem, or situation that makes us feel no one and nothing can help. We are only as isolated as we allow ourselves to be.

There are selfish reasons for this walk as well. Through this trip I hope to refresh myself. At the end of every school year, I walk away exhausted and extinguished, in need of time alone and a place to find freedom. Hopefully I will stumble upon some of that this summer. Also, this trip is meant to jump start a truly active lifestyle, a change that seemed too demanding to consistently keep over the last year amid stacks of papers, lines of students, and towers of school books. Overall there is a vast amount of life I want to live, this is the first small step toward it. Hiking seemed appropriate because after all, it means that I simply put one foot in front of the other.

I hope you continue with me on this journey. Over the next few weeks, I will be polishing this blog, continuing to buy and pack my gear, and walking all over Decatur.
God Bless,
Steph