Saturday, April 26, 2025.
It is almost time to leave home for a month. It has been a very busy last two weeks. I let a TON of household chores and repairs pile up since BEFORE my thru-hike started last year. I basically spent the last two weeks catching up on an 18 month backlog of chores as well as getting me, my gear, and the household ready for me to disappear for a month with Ed on the AT.
I am as ready as I can be. Physically, mentally, and logistically. I wish I had trained more, but nothing I can do about that at those point. The last thing I had to do was get this new blog ready for the trip. I will send the blog links out to people later this evening.
The weather looks good for our first 4 days on trail. We will hit some thunderstorms on day 5 as we get into Front Royal, VA. And it looks like we will get rained on the first day into Shenandoah. But the temperatures look good (mid 70s to low 80s). I was REALLY hoping for good weather on the first day. That first day is a mental challenge to begin with, and the last thing we needed is rain on top of everything else.
I am looking forward to this trip. Both the hike in general as well as catching up with Ed. We have not seen or talked to each other much in the past 25+ years even though we were very close in college as well as for the first few years after. Nothing bad, just life and all that.
I am curious to see if I embrace this hike the same way I did my thru-hike last year. Having a hiking partner will make this trip much more enjoyable and less stressful. I know that from past experience. I hope this goes well since, as Dana likes to remind me, my job in retirement is hiking! I also need to shake the post thru-hike blues that I have been having for the past many months.
I am very curious to see how much weight I drop on this one month trek. I am guessing / hoping for about 12 pounds. And I WILL NOT put it all back on after this trip!
Dana will drive Ed and me to Harpers Ferry in the morning. The plan is to stop at one of my favorite diners for a big breakfast and to be on trail by 9:30. We have either 10.5 or 12.1 miles to go tomorrow depending on how we are feeling. The first 3 miles are VERY uphill, but it chills out a bit after that. Unfortunately there is no water along the way unless we take a .4 mile road walk to a gas station convenience store around mile 6. I did that last year. Makes for a nice mid-day break for food and drink. Stay tuned to see how that goes !
One last thing to mention. I want to give a big shout out to Dana and Lisa for supporting me and Ed on this hike. We can’t do these long distance hikes without support from our partners and spouses. These trips can also be challenging for the loved ones we are leaving at home. Thanks very much ladies and we will see you again in late May!
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