Ok, let's get a few things cleared up!

It has come to our attention, from several of you, that you are confused on exactly what Terri & I are attempting to do.  Some of you think we are car camping from GA to ME.  Others can’t believe it is possible to carry enough food for five months.  And we have received several questions wondering whether there are that many motels along the  (AT) Appalachian Trail, or if we intend to hitch hike in the places where there is no trail.  And on & on…

First of all, thank you for following our blog and being interested in us and the adventure we are preparing for.  Your questions and comments are a real encouragement to us.  Second, it is exciting to see the light bulb come on in others minds as the picture of what thru-hiking the AT is all about.  Please keep your inquires coming.  Also, if you sign up to follow the blog, you will receive an E-Mail each time there is a new posting.  (This contact list is private and will not be shared with anyone else, and you will not receive any junk mail because of it.)

The AT is a continuous foot-path (hiking trail) that extends about 2175 miles from Springer Mountain Georgia to Katahdin Maine.  (14 states)  There are approximately 360 shelters, most often strategically located near water sources.  These shelters are referred to as Adirondack shelters, which are three sided with a wood floor that fit between 8 – 16 hikers.  The shelter area usually has a privy, a water source, picnic table, fire pit, camping area and vary in age from 50 years old to recently built.  Terri, Charlie and I will most often be staying in our tent.  (Tarp Tent Rainshadow II)

Typical Shelter

Out Tent  (Notice: Hiking poles used for tent poles.)

We will also plan on staying in hostels and motels about every five or six days, or as they make themselves available to us along our journey.  Hostels are normally pretty crude affairs from worldly standards; however, they have everything we will need to resupply and rejuvenate ourselves.  I have promised Terri that she will be able to stay somewhere where she can sleep in a real bed and enjoy real food at least once per week, or as often as they present themselves along the trail.

Food is another story.  Terri is responsible for food!  Over time we have experimented and currently have about a dozen different meals that we can chose from.  Consisting mostly of pasta, rice, beans, mashed potatoes that we dehydrate at home, mix with spices, dried meats, cheese, tuna, etc.  One meal would be loaded in a quart size zip-lock freezer bag, which would then on the trail gets reconstituted with boiling water.  Doesn’t sound that good, but believe me, Terri is a great cook!!

We plan on resupplying about every 4 or 5 days depending on conditions and availability of post offices, hostels and motels to send our resupply boxes to.  Our daughter Hannah will be managing all of our logistics from home.  Which will include: assembling and mailing our resupply boxes and assisting us in the exchange of gear as we move from later winter/early spring conditions to summer and the early fall in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine.  It is our goal to keep our pack weight down as low as possible.  Our pack weight without consumables (food, water, fuel for stove) will be approximately 16 – 18 pounds.  Our total pack weight with a full load for me will be between 33 – 35 pounds.  We will try to keep Terri under 30 at all times.  (Her pack will decrease each day as we consume each days rations.) Charlie will carry his own food and that will weigh between 5 – 7 pounds.  (Note: picture of his backpack in an earlier post.)

Gear for Terri & I

The AT is marked the entire way with White Blazes which are 2 inch by 6 inch painted blazes on trees, posts, rocks, etc. about every 100 – 150 feet.  So, no we do not need to carry or use GPS equipment along the way.  For those of you that are concerned, there is not much danger of us getting lost.  We have excellent trail guides that describe most everything along the trail.

I hope that answers a few of your questions?!

~Dreamer

PS  More to follow in upcoming posts on: Zero Days, shelter journals, communicating with us on the trail, other thru-hikers, gear we will be using, needs we have prior to our hike and what is a NearO day?