98 days to wait and getting excited!!

Dreamer here –

Today is Friday, November 23^rd, 2012 and we are 98 days from beginning our journey on the Appalachian Trail.  It is getting more and more real with each day that passes!  And what I mean by real is scary exciting!!  Terri, Charlie and I will begin our adventure with the hopes of making it all the way from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Katahdin, Maine, which is almost 2,200 miles. 

The goal is to make it there together on or before my 60^th birthday, September 14^th, 2013.  This will allow us 198 days (28 weeks & 2 days, in other words, we need to average at least 11 miles per day.) to complete our thru-hike of the A.T.  In reality, we need to average better than 15 miles a day, because we will be taking planned "zero days" (hiking no miles) for rest and to return to Michigan a couple times to see our new grand daughter.  (Due 1/14/13)

Here is a look at my best guess on how this will work out:

184 = Total time away.  (I think we will finish by the 1^st of September.)

-10 = Zero days visiting Michigan x2.

-26 = A zero day each week

148  = Total hiking days available

60 = Number of days averaging 12 mile days.  (720 miles)

(During the 1^st month ‘we will getting in shape’ & the last month ‘because it is tough going up in New Hampshire and Maine.)

88 = Hiking days averaging 16 miles per day.  (1408 miles)

1408 + 720 = 2128 miles (Gets us close)

Well, there you have it!  My best guess at what it will take to complete our journey!  Obviously, there are many, many variables here:  I am assuming normal wear and tear on our old bodies, there will be many days we will exceed these averages because of perfect weather and nice terrain, we may not take a zero day every week – we may do a few near-O’s (This is where we will find ourselves near a town where we will spend the night, but not take a whole day off.)  Only time will tell how far off I may be…

God Bless!

98 DAYS!!!

~ Dreamer