Back from the AT!

Well, I made it back last week from my Appalachian Trail trip! Oh what an adventure. We ended up only spending a week there, but we covered 50 miles in 4 days. It was everything I imagined and than some. One thing I wasn't quite prepared for was the altitude. The first several days I was nauseated, dizzy and would become short of breath with minimal activity. I did eventually adjust to it, thank god! But the mountains were unlike anything I had anticipated. The makers of the Appalachian Trail were kind enough to take you to the top of every mountain in the Shenandoah Park.

There were many highlights in the trip. Everything from hitch hiking to watching the wildlife. We saw three bear, including a cub, a rattlesnake, and numerous deer who have no fear of people. Basically they just walk right up to you. They are not hunted, and I'm sure some people do feed them, so they really don't know better. The weather was crazy there. It rained almost every day and it was hot and humid. There was one day where we decided to get off the trail for a couple of days thanks to flash flood warnings and severe thunderstorms.

I can understand the physical wear and tear that this trail can have on your body. My feet were full of blisters after a couple of days. Periodically my right foot would become numb for some unknown reason. And still, even after being off the trail for a week, I get terrible cramps in my legs, especially if I walk too much or too fast. All of it is getting better, but they are reminders of the pain that I endured while there.

We met some really cool people out on the trail also. For the most part, a majority of the thru hikers had made it through this section of the trail, but there were some people who had gotten a late start. Very interesting people to talk to. Even though only talking to them briefly, you can tell how the trail has changed them just by the way they talked about their lives before the trail. Most of them were tired of their lives and quit their jobs, one guy had just gotten out of college and wasn't ready to settle down and find a real job yet, another guy had just took an early retirement. We also met a lot of volunteers out maintaining the trail, they do a fabulous job.

So I did take lots of pictures, and made a 19 minute video that for some reason I can't figure out how to attach onto this post, so I'll just throw in some of my favorites. I am anxious to get back there someday, and am still planning on a possible 2010 thru-hike, depending on what happens in the next few years. It will always be a dream of mine..........

In the meantime, I am planning a trip to the Upper Peninsula for August where I want to hike the 42 mile section of the North Country Trail that runs along the Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore. I've done some day hikes out there in the past, and it is where I picked up a couple of pathetic backpackers to give them a ride to their car a couple of years ago. I've heard it is spectacular. Now it is time to search for a good hiking partner or a gullible friend to drag along with me!